Fall herring quota in southern Gulf of St. Lawrence cut by two-thousand tonnes

(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

MONCTON, N.B. -

The fall quota for the herring fishery in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence has been cut by two-thousand tonnes in an effort to boost the stock.

In a statement issued Friday, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans says the total allowable catch in the region has been reduced from 12,000 to 10,000 tonnes.

The federal department says the catch reduction for fishermen in parts of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and all of Prince Edward Island will help reduce pressure on the herring stock.

It says with the number of spawning adults declining, stronger management action is needed to help the herring stock "mature, reproduce and rebuild."

Efforts to assist the recovery of the herring stock in the gulf have been ongoing, with the total allowable catch reduced from 22,500 tonnes in 2019 to 12,000 tonnes in 2020 and 2021.

The department says it will begin consultations with harvesters, Indigenous communities and other partners to responsibly rebuild the stock, including consideration of how seal predation affects the number of fish.

"The southern Gulf of St. Lawrence fall herring stock has been in decline for more than a decade, further action is required to protect this stock, so harvesters can continue fishing it in the near and distant future," said federal Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray. "By reducing fishing pressure and getting a head start on a rebuilding plan, we are giving more spawning fish the best chance to continue growing and reproducing, which I expect will lead to positive changes."

The department says in addition to pressure from fishing, the herring stock is being affected by high natural mortality, declining weight-at-age and changes in the environment.

Herring is an important food source for other species, including Bluefin tuna and Atlantic cod.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug, 20, 2022.