NLGIDC are disappointed in DFO’s management approach for Unit 1 Redfish for 2024-2025

MEDIA RELEASE
The Newfoundland and Labrador Groundfish Industry Development Council (NLGIDC) are disappointed in DFO’s management approach for Unit 1 Redfish for 2024-2025

St. John’s, NL, June 3, 2024 – Late on Friday, May 31, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) unveiled its management plan for Unit 1 redfish in the Gulf of St. Lawrence for the 2024-25 period. The plan sets a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of 60,000 tonnes for the next year (from May 15, 2024, to May 14, 2025). While this TAC level is seen as reasonable, the decision to allocate the majority of the quota to the offshore fleet has greatly disappointed inshore fleets and Indigenous groups in the Gulf of St Lawrence.

“Many inshore harvesters, processing operators, and coastal communities were looking forward to a more equitable distribution of this resource among all fleets in the newly recovered redfish fishery in the Gulf,” said Bill Barry, founder and CEO of Barry Group Inc. “It appears that the proposals from the inshore sector and Indigenous groups were not given serious consideration by the DFO Minister,” Barry added.

In recent years, the inshore groundfish and shrimp fleets have faced significant challenges due to the failure of the northern Gulf cod stock to rebuild and the collapse of the Gulf shrimp stocks. The sharp decline in Gulf shrimp is attributed to both climate change and predation by the rapidly increasing redfish population. These fleets had hoped that the redfish fishery would help alleviate their recent economic struggles. However, with the meager allocations given to these fleets, this now seems unlikely.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Groundfish Industry Development Council (NLGIDC) will be closely monitoring other allocation decisions made by DFO to ensure fairness for those living closest to respective resources and to ensure previously made commitments are upheld.

The NLGIDC is an association of fish harvesters, the Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW), and several Newfoundland and Labrador fish processors, representing almost 7,000 industry participants.

Contact
Jim Baird, Chair, NLGIDC
[email protected]