Commercial redfish fishery in Gulf of St. Lawrence expected to resume later this month

CBC
·1-min read
The redfish population in the Gulf of St. Lawrence peaked in 2019, but has decreased since then. (Department of Fisheries and Oceans - image credit)
The redfish population in the Gulf of St. Lawrence peaked in 2019, but has decreased since then. (Department of Fisheries and Oceans - image credit)

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans says the reopening of the redfish fishery in the Gulf of St. Lawrence could begin as early as June 15 and has announced the total allowable catch will be 60,000 tonnes for 2024-25.

DFO announced the changes in a statement Friday.

The department had said previously that the minimum allowable catch for the fishery would be 25,000 tonnes, but had not provided a cap.

The commercial redfish fishery closed in 1995 over stock concerns.

Questions remain about the fishery almost three decades later. The redfish population has declined in recent years, peaking at an estimated 4.3-million tonnes in 2019 and declining to 2.5-million tonnes in the most recent stock assessment.

Concerned about price

Jean Lanteigne, general manager of the Acadian Federation of Professional Fishers in Shippagan, N.B., said the group is OK with the total allowable catch, but he's concerned that fishermen are only getting 30 cents per pound for redfish.

"It doesn't make sense at all, so this is going to be very tough to be viable at that price level," he said. "That will have to go up, otherwise nobody's going to be able to go fishing."

He said redfish are used primarily for human consumption, although some parts can be used for bait.

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