World Oceans Day 2023
June 8 saw a celebration of World Oceans Day at the Ridge Road campus of the Marine Institute in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. World Oceans Day is dedicated to celebrating the benefits provided by the ocean while being aware of the steps people can take to protect them.
Participants of all ages were welcomed to attend the free event to participate in activities, engage with educational materials and enjoy performances by local musicians.
Photos by Nick Travis
Memorial for Harvesters Unveiled in St. John’s Neighbourhood
Seven years after the sinking of the Pop’s Pride, which claimed the lives of four fish harvesters, a monument has been erected in their honour close to the place they called home.
On the morning of September 6, 2016, Eugene Walsh, his son Keith Walsh, his grandson Keith Walsh Jr. and their family friend Billy Humby, departed the harbour in St. John’s, N.L. to haul in gillnets previously set 0.65 nautical miles off of Cape Spear aboard the 22-foot open boat Pop’s Pride.
That day, ...
Wedgeport Tuna Tournament and Festival Set for Aug. 19 to 26
Above: Samples of bluefin tuna are graded before being shipped to market at the 2021 Wedgeport Tuna Festival and Tournament weigh-in. Kathy Johnson photo
All systems are a go for the 19th annual Wedgeport Tuna Tournament and Festival, scheduled for Aug. 19 to 26.
A total of 16 boats are expected to compete in the tournament. They will set sail for the 12-hour voyage to the fishing grounds on Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. from the Wedgeport Breakwater Wharf in Lower Wedgeport. “They have ...
Yarmouth Shark Scramble Cancelled for This Year
Above: Kathy Johnson photo
The popular Yarmouth Shark Scramble is a no-go this year, due to changes in scientific requirements for sampling by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
“In previous years, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has authorized shark tournaments through the issuance of scientific licences under section 52 of the Fishery General Regulations as a way to support the Department’s science requirements,” said Lauren Sankey, DFO spokesperson. “However, the Depart...
Labrador Discovery – Scientists Find Something Unexpected in the Labrador Sea
Many think of Nunatsiavut, the homeland of Labrador Inuit, as a place of ice, mountains and polar bears.
A recent discovery has shown why what is going on under the waves is every bit as exciting for researchers at Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and Labrador Inuit.
With the help of Indigenous partners and other researchers, DFO scientists have discovered a hotspot of corals and sponges near Makkovik. Together, they have found a unique area of corals, never-before seen in the ...
N.S. Fisheries Loan Board Assisting Young Harvesters into the Fishery
Above: Lonnie Snow photo
The Nova Scotia Fisheries and Aquaculture Loan Board, which provides funding for fish harvesters, aquaculture facilities and boat builders, has seen an uptick in the number of new entrants into the fisheries, with an increase in applicants 35 years and younger.
With the median age of harvesters in Nova Scotia at 47.7 years old, according to the government of Nova Scotia, it is no secret that the province, much like other blue economies, is facing the ...
Too Many Seals – Canada’s Pinniped Population Problem
Above: Photo Credit: Canadian Seal Products
Seals in Atlantic Canada eat a lot of fish every day and there is a great deal of them, coming in at nearly 12 million animals.
Their voracious appetite, according to experts, is damaging both the commercial fishery and fish stocks.
Bob Hardy has spent a good portion of his life dealing with seals in one way or another. Growing up in Battle Harbour, Labrador, Hardy spent some time taking part in the inshore cod and salmon fisheries. ...
SFA 4 Sees Quota Increase, 5 and 6 See No Change in 2023
Newfoundland and Labrador’s shrimp fishing areas (SFAs) aren’t seeing much change in the 2023–24 season, with SFA 4 being the only area to see an increase in quota.
While the total allowable catch (TAC) for SFA 5 and 6 have rolled over from 2022–2023 at 14,200 tonnes and 9,430 tonnes respectively, SFA 4 has seen a 15 per cent TAC increase to 14,886 tonnes.
In SFA 4, the offshore fleet has been given the lion’s share of the quota, at 10,200 tonnes, or 76.2 per cent share of the ...
Important Redfish Data Collection – Experimental Fishery Key to Resumption of Commercial Harvesting
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is gearing up again for the experimental Unit 1 redfish fishery as it works out the details to re-establish the once-diminished stock for a future commercial fishery.
While the redfish fishery was strong throughout the 1900s, the stock plummeted in the early 1990s, with a moratorium being introduced on both redfish species — Acadian redfish and deepwater redfish — in 1994.
Starting in 2011, redfish saw a major reproduction boom that lasted ...
DFO Standing Committee Undertakes Study into Foreign Ownership and Corporate Concentration of Licenses and Quota
Above: Photo by David Greening
Testimony has concluded for a study being undertaken by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans on the Foreign Ownership and Corporate Concentration of Fishing Licenses and Quota.
The committee heard testimony from 37 witnesses during meetings in May and June. Written briefs were also submitted for its consideration.
Among the witnesses was Colin Sproul, President of the Bay of Fundy Inshore Fishermen’s Association, who ...
