NR-M-98-15E
MINISTER ANNOUNCES DECISION REGARDING KRILL FISHERY
June 4, 1998
Halifax -- David Anderson, Minister
of Fisheries and Oceans, today announced that there will not be a fishery
for krill in Atlantic Canada at this time.
I have weighed all the information available,
heard the voices of the various stakeholders, and will not be allowing
any harvest for krill, or other untapped forage species, at this time in
Atlantic Canada, Mr. Anderson said.
Krill are small shrimp-like creatures and
are considered a forage species, which are low on the food chain and eaten
by various species of fish, invertebrates, and marine animals and birds.
Minister Anderson was responding to a proposal
for a 1000 tonne krill fishery on the Scotian Shelf, to develop a domestic
supply of nutrient-rich additives for the aquaculture feed manufacturers.
This amount was estimated to be less than 1 % of the krill biomass in the
targeted areas. Several other forage fishery proposals have been received
in addition to the specific krill harvest proposal.
Before any proposals for a fishery of
forage species not currently being harvested in Atlantic Canada can be
considered, we need to consider further the implications for the food chain
of harvesting forage species and work toward an ecosystem approach, said
Mr. Anderson.
I have asked my officials to develop a
plan in the next year, but until then I will not be allowing any such fishery
in Atlantic Canada, Anderson said.
In the absence of a comprehensive policy
on the management of these fisheries, approval of any one proposal would
be inadvisable, and could open the door to a variety of other requests.
It would be contrary to my conservation objectives, based on a precautionary
approach, said Mr. Anderson.
Canada has previously authorized two krill
fisheries. The Pacific Region currently has a multi-year management plan
for Euphasiids (comprising several different species of krill). [This fishery
which had been experimental since 1970, became a limited entry fishery
in 1993.] The TAC for this fishery has been set at 500 tonnes, since 1990,
and as a matter of policy, has not been increased since. An experimental
fishery for 300 tonnes of krill was permitted in the Gulf of St. Lawrence
in 1991, but interest in this fishery declined, and the fishery has stopped.
Under Canada's new Oceans Act, DFO
has an obligation to include ecosystem considerations in management plans.
This is also in keeping with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (1995), which DFO has also endorsed.
Many countries including Canada, are in the process of evaluating options
to implement the precautionary approach, sanctioned under the FAO code.
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For information:
F. G. Peacock
Fisheries Management, Scotia-Fundy Fisheries
Maritimes Region
Fisheries and Oceans
Halifax, N.S.
(902) 426-3625
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