Atlantic mackerel moratorium extended for 2023 season

Fisheries and Oceans Canada has extended the closure of Atlantic mackerel commercial and bait fishing in Atlantic Canada and Quebec for the 2023 season.

In a notice to fish harvesters on Wednesday, the federal department said it was continuing the moratorium "to allow the stock to rebuild." The moratorium has been in place since March 2022.

In its notice, Fisheries and Oceans Canada said results of a Canadian stock assessment found Atlantic mackerel "declined further in the critical zone since the last assessment, with spawning stock biomass at its lowest-observed value." The critical zone means serious harm is occurring. 

"The stock rebuilding potential is currently limited by a collapsed age structure due to overfishing, low recruitment, and high predation pressure," the department said.

In a news release on Wednesday, Oceans North, an environmental group, said extending the closure of the fishery was "ultimately the only decision that could ensure the long-term health of the stock and the future prosperity of the fishery."

Atlantic mackerel is a major source of bait in Atlantic Canada's lobster business, making the shutdown a controversial one in Atlantic Canada. Atlantic mackerel is also an important food source for other species, including seals, seabirds, whales and other fish. 

Fishermen face higher bait costs

Martin Mallet, the executive director of the Maritime Fishermen's Union, said the news is disappointing. He said the organization had been hoping for some flexibility so fishermen could have access to lower cost bait, especially for the lobster fishery.

"Now we know that's not going to be the case," he told CBC Thursday. "The cost of bait for our fishermen all across the Maritimes, and I mean Atlantic Canada in general, has increased over the last two years, three years by at least 100 per cent."

Mallet said mackerel used to be $0.90 per pound three years ago and now fishermen are paying up to $1.80 per pound.

"Any access to our traditional bait is going to help reduce the cost of operations for fishermen, right? So that's one area where we've been discouraged from the announcement," he said.

'Hard news to swallow'

Katie Schleit, fisheries director at Oceans North, told CBC News on Wednesday she expected Fisheries and Oceans Canada would extend the moratorium.

"No doubt it's still hard news to swallow when these fish do provide economic opportunity for the region in terms of the fishery," said Schleit. 

"Our hope is that we'll see more economic opportunity from the fishery as it starts to rebuild. We've been seeing less and less opportunities for those fisheries as the population dwindles."

Schleit said the importance of forage fish like mackerel needs to be recognized — both to fishermen and in the water.

"These kinds of fish also play a really important role in the ecosystem, both as food for larger predators like bluefin tuna or whales or others, but also in transferring energy up and down the food chain," she said.

"And so that has a really important value as well, and so it makes rebuilding even more important."

U.S. proceeds with mackerel fishery

Earlier this year, the United States said it would proceed in 2023 with a commercial fishery of the depleted mackerel stock it shares with Canada.

"This is a stock that is shared with the Americans, right? Just across the border. They never stopped fishing the same stock, so why should we?" said Mallet said.

But Mallet said some work needs to be done on the U.S. side in terms of conservation measures to make sure the smaller fish are protected so they can eventually reproduce.

It said an exemption for the bluefin tuna fleet "to fish for live Atlantic mackerel bait will continue and alternative bait trials will begin this summer." But the department said it would "monitor these fisheries to ensure that removals do not undermine the goal of rebuilding Atlantic mackerel."

Fisheries and Oceans Canada said recreational and food, social and ceremonial fisheries will remain open.

Fish harvesters holding licences are not required to renew them as long as the fishery remains closed, the department said. The department said it has no intention of cancelling existing mackerel licences because of the fishery closure.