Tag Archives: Mackerel fishery
P.E.I. fishermen concerned mackerel fishery won’t open in 2023
P.E.I. fishermen are worried they won’t be able to fish mackerel to use for bait this spring. Last March, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans put a moratorium on commercial fishing for mackerel across the East Coast. At the time, DFO said mackerel stocks were low and needed time to recover. Some fishermen say it’s impacting landings, and that not being able to fish their own mackerel for bait is hurting business. “With the U.S. fishing, I mean, they already issued their quota for the year and here we are not knowing yet, but you know, what we don’t catch they’re gonna catch and it’s actually worse for the fishery,” said Trevor Barlow, lobster fisherman and co-chair of the mackerel committee with the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association. >click to read< 08:55
Mackerel fishery closed, but inshore fleet still wants their licenses
Seaward Enterprises Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (SEA-NL) is calling on Fisheries and Oceans to continue issuing mackerel licenses to existing license holders in the inshore fleet even though the fishery is closed. “Owner-operators want to know their mackerel licenses are safe and will be there for them when the fishery reopens,” says Ryan Cleary, Executive Director of SEA-NL. “Many of them do not trust DFO, there’s no other way to put it.” “A mackerel license represents a major investment of many thousands of dollars — not just for the license itself — but in terms of the fishing enterprise and gear, and owner-operators want to keep their licenses even if it is just for the privilege of not fishing them.” >click to read< 10:13
Mackerel fishery closed unexpectedly, leaving some P.E.I. fishermen without enough bait
Atlantic Canada’s commercial inshore mackerel fishery closed early for the first time in the fishery’s history, and some Island fishermen don’t have enough bait. The chair responsible for mackerel with the P.E.I. Fishermen’s Association, Chuck White, was shocked when he got the news. “Wow, it’s never been closed before,” said White. He said it’s leaving some fishermen in a tight spot. At least half the fishermen he has spoken with in Eastern P.E.I. don’t have enough bait for next year’s lobster season. “There’s some guys saying they still need some bait, and if the fishery’s closed, not to be reopened, then they’re going to be looking at buying it come spring.” White said it’s much cheaper for fishermen to fish the bait themselves and freeze it over the winter, something many of them do in November. More than 1,200 P.E.I. fishermen catch mackerel commercially. Read the story here 09:24
