Fisheries Charges Hit a Five-Year Low in 2021
The total number of fisheries charges laid across Eastern Canada in 2021 was the lowest for the past five years in the Gulf, Maritimes, Newfoundland and Labrador and Québec regions.
According to DFO statistics, in the Gulf Region there were 124 charges laid in 2021 for fisheries violations. This compares to 232 in 2020, 320 in 2019, 461 in 2018 and 280 in 2017.
In the Maritimes Region, only 80 charges were laid in 2021, compared to 251 in 2020, 387 in 2019, 412 in 2018 and 332 in ...
The Evolution of the Fishing Vessel
TMD’s E-FINN Hull is the Next Generation of Energy Efficient Boat Design
The Hull Design Efficiency Challenge — a joint initiative of The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and Impact Canada — was launched in July 2019 to encourage Atlantic Canadian boatbuilders and designers to come up with innovative fishing boat hull designs less than 15 metres to reduce fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions.
ACOA also partnered with the National Research Council of ...
Spring Fishing Ramping Up After Harsh Winter Weather
Above: Kathy Johnson photo
With two months to go before the six-month commercial lobster season closes in lobster fishing areas (LFA) 33 and 34, the fishing fleet will be back on the water in full force come April in southwestern Nova Scotia.
Going into March, the fishery had slowed to a crawl with severe winter storms keeping the fleet ashore and even prompting some fishermen to land their gear.
“February has been a challenge, the weather,” said Tommy Amirault, ...
Aquaculture Review Board Decision Draws Both Fire and Applause
The recent decision by the Nova Scotia Aquaculture Review Board (ARB) to permit an amendment to the boundary of the marine finfish licence and lease held by Kelly Cove Salmon Ltd. (AQ#1039) at the Rattling Beach site in Annapolis Basin, Digby County is drawing sharp criticism from opponents.
“The Board is satisfied that there will be no negative, or any, impact of this amendment on any of the eight statutory conditions,” states the 34-page decision released on Jan. 28.
“As noted, to ...
Little Change in SFA 6 Shrimp Stocks
SFA 4 Sees “Unprecedented” 150 Per Cent Increase
For the second consecutive year, the Northern shrimp stock off Newfoundland and Labrador’s northeast coast appears to be holding its own, including the all-important shrimp fishing area (SFA) 6.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) held a technical briefing recently regarding the 2022 Northern shrimp stock assessment and reported that the SFA 6 spawning stock and fishable biomasses only experienced a slight ...
Could 2022 Crab Season be Another Record Breaker?
Financially, the 2021 snow crab season was by far the best ever for the majority of harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador.
And, if early indications prove correct and of course the stars align, this upcoming crab season could possibly be even better.
With speculation abounding of fishermen possibly getting close to $10/pound for snow crab, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ (DFO) Science Department confirmed recently what many already suspected — for the most part, the stocks ...
Positive Indications for Southern Gulf Snow Crab Fishery
An expected increase in the 2022 total allowable catch (TAC) and strong signs of stock recruitment are good news for the Southern Gulf snow crab fishery.
It is anticipated the fishery will open in April “as soon as it is safe to do so,” said Steve Hachey, communications advisor for Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).
“It varies every year, depending on ice conditions, wind conditions, weather forecast, etc...”
Last year, the season opened in early April, compared to late April ...
Anti-Russia Sanctions Could Hit Crab, Groundfish with Price Volatility
On February 24, Russia mounted a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, dashing any lingering hopes of a smaller-scale, more contained event.
In the build-up to this conflict, the U.S. has managed to forge a stronger united front with Western Europe than most expected. Germany’s decision to suspend the Nordstream 2 gas pipeline, which will lead to sharply higher energy prices in Europe and elsewhere, is a measure of how seriously the Western governments are taking the invasion.
Sanctions are ...
Seeing Red Over Lobster Fishery Proposal
From all reports, the lobster season in this region is chugging along and is on par with last year.
Speaking of last season, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) recently reported that lobster fishing areas (LFAs) 33 and 34 recorded landings of 27,395 tonnes, for an approximate landed value of $515 million. That total equates to a whopping 62 per cent of total Canadian landings of lobster.
There is no doubt that these are exciting times for the lobster fishery in Southwest Nova ...
Why Isn’t DFO Managing the Deplorable State of the St. Pierre Bank Fishery?
Recently, there was a Zoom meeting between representatives of the FFAW, the offshore operators and others with respect to the deplorable state of the St. Pierre Bank fishery (3PS).
That cod resource, which had a quota of 70,100 metric tonnes (MTs) when Canada extended fisheries jurisdiction to 200 miles in 1978, is now at 1,300 tonnes.
Several fishing operators from the mainland, trawlers from Newfoundland and Labrador and many inshore operators have been fishing there since 1978. The ...
