AMENDMENT OF THE 1999-2000 MULI-YEAR HERRING FISHING PLAN FOR SCOTIA-FUNDY

Dartmouth, NS -- The Department Fisheries and Oceans, Maritimes Region announced today the first amendment of the multi-year fishing plan for herring in the Scotia-Fundy fishery. This amendment details the quota for the current year.

The Plan includes management measures for all gear types, including the quota fisheries of Southwest Nova Scotia (Bay of Fundy 4WX), the Outer Banks, George's Bank and the inshore local stock areas along the coast of Nova Scotia east of Baccaro Point, including 4Vn and the Bras d'Or Lakes.

The Plan is designed to provide a longer-term management approach, complete with enforcement proposals and provisions for science Joint Project Agreements (JPA) that will outline co-operative approaches for scientific surveying and tagging.

Details of the Plan
The fishing season for 1999-2000 runs from October 15, 1999 to October 14, 2000, with a total allowable catch (TAC) of 100,000 tonnes (t).

This TAC will be shared between three fleets, with the midwater trawl quota being 1,000t, the purse seine quota set at 79,200t and the fixed gear quota set at 19,800t.

The South-west Nova Scotia herring fishery is the largest single herring fishery in Scotia Fundy. The continued recovery of the George's Bank stock and the development of the Outer Banks herring fishery on the Scotian Shelf offer very significant opportunities for continued growth in the fishery.

On George's Bank, stocks are fished by both Canada and the U.S., the initial Canadian allocation is 20,000t of herring. A Canada/U.S. Herring Working Group meet on a regular basis and make recommendations to adjust the catch level up or down, based on analysis of data gathered during the fishery and prior to the initial allocation being caught. The herring season on George's Bank runs from January 1 - December 31, 2000.

The developing Outer Banks fishery season which is normally harvested in the Spring season has an initial allocation of 12,000t. The initial allocation may be adjusted following an analysis of biological data collected during the fishery.

This plan is a co-management approach where fishers work closely with DFO fisheries managers and scientists to undertake surveys of spawning components prior to directed fishing.

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For More Information:

Ken Rodman
Senior Advisor
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Dartmouth, N.S.
(902) 426-6074

Wendy Williams
Communications Manager
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Dartmouth, N.S.
(902) 426-6409