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Notice to Fish Harvesters - Atlantic Mackerel Bait Fishery Opening - nf.24.129

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Notice to Fish Harvesters – Atlantic Mackerel Bait Fishery Opening – nf.24.129
May 17, 2024

FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA

NOTICE TO FISH HARVESTERS

nf.24.129B

May. 17, 2024

Atlantic Mackerel Bait Fishery Opening

Fisheries and Oceans Canada will be releasing a total allowable catch of 470 tonnes (t) for the Atlantic mackerel personal-use bait fishery in two equal parts. This will be a competitive fishery and the first release of 235 t will open to harvesters in all four DFO regions in Atlantic Canada and Quebec on Monday May 27, 2024.

For the NL Region in Mackerel Fishing Areas 1 -14 the personal use mackerel bait fishery will open at 0600 hours on Monday May 27, 2024.

Harvesters participating in this personal use bait fishery are reminded:

they will be restricted to a daily limit of 454 kg (1,000 lbs) to be fished by either gillnet or handline,

a mandatory hail-in will be required for all harvesters participating in the mackerel bait fishery. An accurate catch estimate must be provided prior to offloading your catch. Harvesters must hail a trip summary to the Fish Harvesters’ Resource Centre at 1-877-884-7359 / 1-888-562-4511

Harvesters will be alerted of closures through a Notice to Fish Harvesters. The second 235 t release will also be conveyed through a Notice to Fish Harvesters with an expected release date in August.

Bait licences will be available through the National Online Licensing System.

The reopening of the mackerel bait fishery will also provide harvesters the opportunity to collect length frequencies data on a voluntary basis, which can aid to inform the age structure of the stock for future stock assessments. For interested fish harvesters, please refer to the following link: Voluntary length frequency reporting for mackerel.

“Notices to Fish Harvesters” for all commercial fisheries are now available online under the Fishery Notices link on the DFO NL Region webpage at https://www.nfl.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/en

If you would like to have all “Notices to Fish Harvesters” for commercial fisheries sent directly to you by email please contact: miranda.pryor@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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For information, contact:
Erin Dunne
Resource Manager – Pelagic Fisheries
Tel.(709) 725-4582
E-mail: erin.dunne@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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Dr. Erin Carruthers

Dr. Erin Carruthers is the Science Director and Senior Fisheries Scientist with the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor), which is the labour union that represents the owner-operator fleet in Newfoundland and Labrador. The FFAW is committed to research and management that supports healthy oceans, fisheries, and coastal communities. Dr. Carruthers received her Ph. D. in Biology from Memorial University in 2011 followed by a postdoctoral fellowship with the Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research. Before coming to Newfoundland, Erin worked as a Research Biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada at the St. Andrews Biological Station. Her current research program is co-constructed with fish harvesters and includes research on coastal fishing communities, collaborative longline and trap surveys, and best practices for the avoidance, handling and release of unwanted catch.