According to a local news report P.E.I. fishermen have voted for a single fishing season to land their 2009 bluefin tuna quota of 138 metric tonnes. It is mentioned that the decision was given in lose, mail-in vote to the PEI Fishermen’s Association tuna advisory committee. In which the fishermen determined to begin the season at 5 a.m. on Oct. 5. Last year the season was split with part of the quota landed in August and the balance landed in October.
Ed Frenette, PEIFA executive director informed that fishermen intend to fish for the market, aiming to attain the best price. He added that they have given themselves a good deal of flexibility and will be watching the Japanese and U.S. markets very closely. It is also motioned that PEIFA’s tuna advisory committee has submitted a comprehensive harvesting plan to DFO for approval that includes a registration deadline of Aug. 24 for those licence holders intending to fish this season – a five-day fishing week from Monday to Friday, and a limit of one fish per boat per day.
There is no doubt that the advisory committee reserved all the right to vary fishing days and landings as market circumstances require. As a result of global quota reductions imposed by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas the PEI quota has been reduced.
