Creating Lobster Habitats in Placentia Bay, N.L.
Above: Diver conducting work on reef ball artificial reef. Contributed photos
Artificial reefs, manmade structures used by marine life to provide similar ecosystem services as natural reefs, have been deployed in Newfoundland waters to restore populations of local species, including lobsters.
According to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ (DFO) 2021 Science Advisory Report, lobster landings in NAFO Area 3Ps in 2019 were 64 tonnes, a decrease of 86 per cent since 1992. This ...
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Researchers Prepare for More Ocean Activity in Placentia Bay
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has a unique opportunity to survey the marine environment to see what it looks like before human interaction and marine traffic increase in the Placentia Bay area.
Kate Dalley is a biologist, who was raised in Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador, by two biologists. “There was never any question that this was what I was going to do. My studies are in ecology, which is understanding ...
Going Underwater in Placentia Bay
Restoring an Ecosystem From the Bottom Up
It was more than 400 years ago that Placentia Bay’s fishing industry started.
Back then, Placentia’s large, rocky beach meant that fish could be salted and dried right on the rocks rather than on a constructed wooden fishing stage, saving time and effort.
Placentia’s economy was based on the cod fishery and cod trade. In fact, the fisheries of Placentia played a large role in securing Newfoundland as the world’s largest exporter of ...
Open Pen Aquaculture: Newfoundland’s Shell Game
Open pen aquaculture has been practiced for many years worldwide and much has been learned about it in that time.
On the positive side, it can bring economic and social benefits to areas that would not otherwise see them, but over those years, it has revealed a much darker side. If you read or watch the news you know of the many problems associated with open pen aquaculture; disease, escapement, product quality, chemical use, etc… unfortunately it appears that many of our politicians ...
Restoring a Healthy Ecosystem in Placentia Bay
This fall, the Marine Institute’s Centre for Fisheries Ecosystem Research (CFER) will lead a team to rehabilitate eelgrass habitats and associated fish and shellfish resources in the coastal waters of Placentia Bay.
The $4.7-million, five-year project was announced in September by Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, under Government of Canada’s $75 million Coastal Restoration Fund to help to rehabilitate marine ecosystems and address threats to ...
Court Decision Adds to Uncertainty of Grieg Placentia Bay Project
The Atlantic Salmon Federation was recently successful in challenging a decision by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador that released the proposed Placentia Bay aquaculture project from environmental assessment.
Supreme Court Judge Gillian Butler released a written decision, finding then-Environment Minister Perry Trimper’s July 2016 decision, to allow the project to proceed without a comprehensive review, was unreasonable. She concluded “that the minister lacked jurisdiction to ...
Contract Announced for Placentia Coast Guard Facility
The federal government has announced an investment of $5.2-million to build new and expand existing facilities for the Canadian Coast Guard and the Conservation and Protection branch of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in Placentia.
The contract has been awarded to CAN-AM Platforms & Construction Limited.
The new Canadian Coast Guard building will house the Marine Communications and Traffic Services (MCTS) Centre and the Electronics and Informatics Technical Workshop, and will ...
Spawning Closure Reminder – 3Ps Cod
DFO reminds fish harvesters that the annual cod spawning closure in inner Placentia Bay will come into effect on January 1, 2017.
This closure applies to all vessel classes for all waters of Placentia Bay inside (northward) of lines drawn between the following points:
Baker's Cove Point (47º 49.747' N, 54º 07.386' W) to Brimstone Head (47º 49.265' N, 54º 08.053' W)
Sound Island Point (47º 47.322 N, 54º 10.033' W) to Tobin’s Point (47º 42.825' N, 54º 12.376' W)
The ...
TSB Releases Report Into Fatal Placentia Bay Fishing Vessel Accident
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is again emphasizing the wide range of safety risks that persist for small fishing vessels.
In its report released Aug. 2, the TSB said that on the evening of June 16, 2015, the small fishing vessel CFV 130214, an open boat with three people on board, was reported overdue from a crab fishing trip in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador. Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Halifax initiated a search, and the bodies of all three crew members ...
Lobster Gives the Province’s Fishery Some Crawl Space
A Bright Spot in Dark Days of Crab and Shrimp Stock Decline, Controversy
With predominant fisheries such as snow crab and Northern shrimp soaking up much of the industry’s attention in the province in recent years, the lobster fishery proceeds largely under the radar, though its contribution to many fishermen and rural Newfoundland communities is crucial.
It’s a fishery where most will agree management measures in the past — programs of licence buyout, restructuring, conservation ...
