Canada's redfish fishery, closed in 1995, to reopen this year

Fisheries and Oceans Canada has announced that the commercial Redfish fishery in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Unit 1) located in Atlantic Canada and Quebec will reopen this year, following several consultations.

Since 2021, the Department has consulted about this matter with industry stakeholders, Indigenous communities and organizations, provincial partners, and other stakeholders through the Redfish Advisory Committee (RAC).

The commercial Redfish fishery in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Unit 1) has been closed since 1995 to "help redfish stocks rebuild to healthy levels." Before 1995, a commercial fishery existed since 1953, harvested by different fleets, gear classes, and vessel classes.

The federal institution has informed that the fishery suffered many changes. In more detail, during 1994 the total allowable catch (TAC) was reduced by 50% to 30,000 tonnes (t), from the highest TAC of 60,000 t in 1993. The reason was a reduction in biomass of redfish. "Since the 1995 closure, Redfish stocks have rebounded significantly."

Through an experimental fishery, important data has been collected such as capture of undersized fish, species identification, and bycatch.

The experimental fishery also tested fishing gear and fishing methods to inform management measures for a reopened commercial fishery. In 2023, the experimental fishery quota for Unit 1 Redfish was increased from 2,500t to 5,000t.