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Notice to Fish Harvesters - Groundfish Fisheries Closed for the 2025 Season - nf.25.283

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Notice to Fish Harvesters – Groundfish Fisheries Closed for the 2025 Season – nf.25.283
December 22, 2025

FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA

NOTICE TO FISH HARVESTERS

nf.25.283B

2025-278

Dec. 22, 2025

Groundfish Fisheries Closed for the 2025 Season

DFO reminds harvesters that the following Groundfish fisheries are closed for the Newfoundland and Labrador-based fleets for all vessel classes:

NAFO Area 2 + Divisions 3KLMNO and 4RST Greenland halibut (turbot) inshore fixed gear fleets.

NAFO Divisions 3NO, 4RST, and Sub-Division 3Pn inshore fixed gear Atlantic halibut fleets, including 3NO inshore fixed gear Maritime vessels.

NAFO Divisions 3NO White hake, Skate, Redfish and Monkfish inshore fleets.

NAFO Division 4R Witch Flounder.

Lumpfish fishery in all NAFO Areas in Newfoundland and Labrador Region.

NAFO Divisions 3KL Winter flounder (Blackback) fishery.

3Pn Portion of the Unit 2 Redfish fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador Region.

DFO reminds harvesters:

The 3Ps portion of the Unit 2 Redfish Fishery for the mobile and fixed gear fleets will remain open until March 31, 2026, unless the allocation is taken before the close date.

The 4R portion of the Unit 1 Redfish fishery (less than 65 feet fleet) for the inshore mobile gear and the Estuary and Gulf shrimp fleet for vessel classes will remain open until March 31, 2026.

The 4R portion of the Unit 1 Redfish fishery (less than 65 feet fleet) for NL based harvesters with Reserve Allocation for vessel classes (C420, C434, C439, C447, C450, C451, C464, C469, C470, C471) will remain open until March 31, 2026.

The Regional Director General, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador Region gives notice that Variation Orders 2025-125, 2025-126, 2025-249, 2025-256, 2025-262, and 2025-283 have been revoked and Variation Orders 2025-278, 2025-281, 2025-282, 2025-284, 2025-285, and 2025-287 will come into effect at 2359 hours on December 31, 2025.

‘Notices to Fish Harvesters’ for all commercial fisheries are available online on the DFO NL region webpage: 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.pyror@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

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For information, contact:
Robyn Morris
Senior Resource Manager
Tel: (709) 690-5021
Email: robyn.morris@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.