Capelin Quota Stands Still Despite Science Backing Increase

ST. JOHN’S, NL — DFO quietly released the 2J3KLPs capelin management plan alongside the Northern Cod increase—an apparent attempt to downplay the disappointing 14,533t rollover on capelin, which ignores scientific evidence and falls well short of FFAW-Unifor’s 23,000t TAC recommendation.

From 2023 to 2024, the acoustic biomass index for capelin nearly doubled from 333KT to 647KT. This mark is significantly above the post-collapse average index, and close to a post-collapse high. Similarly, the percentage of age-2 maturing females dropped to a post-collapse low of 20%—another positive sign for a stock where later maturation often coincides with strong biomass.

Additionally, DFO lacks evidence that increased fishing mortality influences the health and abundance of capelin stocks. Despite a 25-year decline in TAC, capelin biomass has remained stable. DFO has yet to quantify the impact of fishing removals, but harvesters argue predation—not fishing—is the primary driver of capelin stock health.

“We recognize the Department’s cautious approach to managing the capelin fishery, but decisions must be grounded in science and reflect the realities on the water. While the TAC increasingly becomes a lesser share of the overall biomass, our members bear the burden of DFO’s careful approach,” says FFAW-Unifor President Dwan Street. “Limiting the fishery harms harvesters and plant workers but does little to improve the health of the resource.”