New DFO Minister Committed to Supporting the Ocean-Based Economy in Atlantic Canada
From investing more in science, refining stock rebuilding plans, to capitalizing on opportunities for innovation, Canada’s newest Minister of Fisheries and the Canadian Coast Guard Joyce Murray says she is “really committed to supporting the ocean-based economy in Atlantic Canada because it is so critical to so many communities.”
The Vancouver area Member of Parliament was appointed the federal fisheries minister after last fall’s federal election. In an interview with The Navigator, ...
More Than 700 Tonnes of Ghost Gear Removed
Approximately 739 tonnes of abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear, including more than 118 kilometres of rope, has been removed from Canada’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts over the past two years through the federal government’s Ghost Gear Program.
Launched in 2019 with an $8.3-million Ghost Gear Fund, an additional $10 million in funding for the Ghost Gear Program was included in last year’s federal budget for 2021–2022.
Since the launch of the program, partners who received ...
Industry Groups Critical of DFO and TC Vessel Length Policies
The Seaward Enterprises Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (SEA-NL) has taken issue with what it calls the sudden move by Transport Canada to come down like a hammer on inshore fishermen who’ve had fishing vessels modified or cut in length without advance approval.
“Fishermen have been told for years by officials with Transport Canada, Fisheries and Oceans and their own union that they didn’t need architectural drawings or advance approval to modify or cut a vessel to fish in the ...
3Ps Cod Stock to Remain in Critical Zone Until 2024
A year ago, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announced that cod stocks off the southern coast of Newfoundland, in NAFO area 3Ps, were in bad shape and in the critical zone (38 per cent of the limit reference point (LRP) of 27–53 per cent)
Jump ahead a year and unfortunately, nothing much has changed.
In DFO’s November 19th 3Ps assessment, cod biologist Karen Dwyer confirmed what many had already speculated, that the cod population in the region has not demonstrated much ...
Unit 1 Redfish Access and Allocation Decisions Expected in 2022
Who’s going to get how much of the anticipated Unit 1 redfish bonanza in the Gulf of St. Lawrence is expected to be announced in early 2022 by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).
“The Department launched formal consultations with stakeholders on September 15 and 16 to help determine access and allocation for the potential fishery. Meeting participants were provided with a questionnaire that is to be submitted to the department by November 29, 2021. To supplement the questionnaire, the ...
Public Opinion Versus Public Policy
While some of you readers sitting at home might look back at 2021 as a smouldering carry over of the dumpster fire of a year that was 2020, the same can’t be said about the fishery on the east coast.
In fact, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many fishermen are reporting that they just had one of their most successful seasons ever. Record or near-record prices for key species such as snow crab and lobster had a lot to do with that, not to mention steady and consistent catch rates. ...
Moderate Livelihood Fishery Dispute Headed to the Courts
Although a lot has happened, fundamentally not much has changed in the past year since First Nations in Nova Scotia have sought to exercise their treaty right under the Marshall Decision to earn a moderate livelihood.
“We were on a call to the deputy minister (DFO) last week. Our message to the deputy was the same as it was last year and their message back to us was the same,” said Colin Sproul, president of the Unified Fisheries Conservation Alliance (UFCA), an alliance of commercial ...
Harvesting Plan Announced for 2021 Northern Cod Fishery
With many in the fishing industry hoping to put the COVID-19 pandemic behind them and get back to some sense of normality, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) released the 2021 conservation harvesting plan (CHP) 2J3KL stewardship cod fishery.
Fishermen will not see much difference from last year’s plan. In fact, overall, the 2021 fishery is nearly a carbon copy of the 2020 season.
While the overall catch limit for the 2021 Northern cod (NAFO Divisions 2J3KL) stewardship fishery ...
Fundian Channel-Browns Bank MPA Committee Starts Work
Above: The Deep Discoverer Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) explores the Fundian Channel. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Deep Connections 2019
An advisory committee tasked with looking into the potential designation of the Fundian Channel-Browns Bank Area of Interest (AOI) as a Marine Protected Area (MPA) under the Oceans Act has begun meeting.
The Fundian Channel-Browns Bank was identified as an AOI for an MPA in 2018 because of its ...
Regulations on Who Can Fish Need to Change
Most people have the impression and understandably so, that it is the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) that controls who gets to go commercial fishing in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Actually, it is the Professional Fish Harvesters Certification Board (PFHCB) — with rules enacted in legislation by the provincial government.
In that regard, I would like to use the medium of your magazine to suggest to the Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Fisheries to take a look at current ...
