After years of drastic cuts, this year’s much anticipated inshore Northern shrimp quota in fishing area 6 (SFA 6) was quietly announced without much fanfare and the news was actually positive.
Not only did inshore fishermen hang on to their quota levels from 2018, but there was a slight bump.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) recently announced that the total allowable catch (TAC) in SFA 6 will be increased by 2.6 per cent to 8,960 tonnes to maintain a 10 per cent exploitation rate. SFA 6, off the northeast coast of Newfoundland is the only shrimp fishing area in that region where inshore harvesters are permitted to catch shrimp. The more northern shrimp fishing areas (SFA 4 and SFA 5) are only open to offshore vessels.
Last year, DFO imposed a 16 per cent cut to the inshore Northern shrimp quota in fishing area 6 — meaning the total allowable catch for SFA 6 went from 10,700 tonnes in 2017 to 8,730 tonnes in 2018.
DFO said the reduction was needed to achieve a 10 per cent exploitation rate.
The cuts in SFA 6 have been dramatic over the last few years. In 2017, the total allowable catch (TAC) was cut by 63 per cent — from 27,825 tonnes in 2016 to 10,400 tonnes. In 2015, the TAC was 48,196 tonnes.
Further good news for SFA 6 fishermen involved this year’s price — that increased to a minimum price of $1.78/pound. This represents an 18 per cent increase over the 2018 price and the highest minimum price ever for the spring shrimp fishery. Last year’s price has increased to $1.46/pound, up from the 2017 level of $1.25.
Despite the small increase in SFA 6, the news was not as good in the more northly SFA 5 and SFA 4.
The TAC in SFA 4 borealis was reduced by 31 per cent to 10,845 tonnes (18 per cent exploitation rate (ER) using a two-year average), which included a 1,500-tonne allocation for Use of Fish under Section 10 of the Fisheries Act.
As well, the TAC in SFA 5 was reduced by 13.7 per cent to 22,100 tonnes (20 per cent ER using a two-year average).
Last year, in SFA 5, the TAC was increased to the 2016/17 level of 25,630 tonnes, while in SFA 4, the TAC was maintained at 15,725 tonnes.
The DFO resource management division also recently requested that its science colleagues review methodology for estimating the population size of Northern shrimp in SFAs 4–7. This includes development of a new population model to assess the SFA 6 stock.
DFO said that prior to this, there was no model for these stocks, as science advice was based on the current estimated population size in each SFA.
“The new model is the first of its kind for Canadian shrimp stocks. This innovative model allows us to understand what might be causing changes in stock productivity and account for it in future advice. The new model will allow DFO to predict the amount of shrimp in the ecosystem next year, and how the stock may change over time under different ecosystem and harvest scenarios,” DFO science explained.
The department said it is working toward finalizing the model in advance of the 2020 stock assessment, with the aim of providing advice to management on the status of the Northern shrimp population following the 2020 stock assessment.
