2025-6 Herring Management Plan

NL harvesters express extreme disappointment but not surprise in DFO decision to once again roll over TAC for 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 Herring Management Plan:

NL harvesters are incensed after the release of the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 herring management plan, in which there was again a rollover of the TAC from previous management plans. Harvesters were in strong disagreement with what was presented by DFO at this years’ advisory, a presentation that was strongly contradicted by their own observations. Harvesters were also perturbed that the herring science update was a closed session, including only DFO. The decision to have a closed session left a short period of time for harvesters to review the science before the herring advisory.

This was yet another example of DFO science not aligning with harvester observations, who reported seeing more herring in their bays than ever before in 2024, including small herring. The current herring survey is beyond inadequate as well for such a crucial species, with timing that does not account for current fish distributions.

There is also a lack of consideration for the logistics of the herring fishery. In the mobile gear fisheries of 3KL, multiple herring fishing areas were closed within days of opening. In 3L for example, each bay required just a few days of fishing to catch quotas. Outside of the bait fishery, the vast majority of the TAC for herring has been landed in the past few years, in large part due to changes in the L50 in the Fall of 2022.

The deficiencies in science combined with a lack of acknowledgement or understanding of the logistics of the herring fishery from DFO management, illustrates a clear need for change in both the science and decision-making process. Click here to read FFAWs recommendations on behalf of herring harvesters.