NR-HQ-96-22E

Seal Harvest to Re-open

April 16, 1996

OTTAWA---The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announced today that the Atlantic harp seal harvest will re-open later this week. The harvest was closed last week to ensure that the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) was not exceeded.

The exceptionally high rate of harvesting that resulted from dense concentrations of seals and ideal conditions for sealing this year required a prudent approach. Unfavourable weather conditions on the day of the closure resulted in harvesting approximately 40,000 less seals than expected.

The fishery for harp seals, for both commercial and personal use, will re-open on Thursday, April 18 for those vessels, 35 feet and larger, harvesting off Labrador and the east coast of Newfoundland; and on Wednesday April 17 for all others.

Quotas have been established for the re-opening of the fishery to ensure that access to the remaining 65,000 seals of the TAC of 250,000 seals is equitable and that the harvest is properly controlled as it approaches the TAC. Allocations of the quota will be as follows:

• Vessels 35 feet and larger will have a total quota of 25,000 seals. Each vessel will have a quota of 300 seals for the Labrador and east coast; and license holders must have their licenses amended before harvesting these seals. The license amendments can be obtained at the DFO offices in St. Anthony, Baie Verte, Twillingate, Fogo and Lumsden, Newfoundland.
• A quota of 30,000 seals has been established for vessels less than 35 feet for the Labrador and east coast.
• A quota of 2,000 seals has been established for personal use licenses in Newfoundland and Labrador.
• A total quota of 8,000 seals has been established for the Gulf of St. Lawrence, including commercial and personal use licenses.

The Department also confirmed that the Total Allowable Catch of 250,000 seals, which was announced last year (by the former Minister of Fisheries and Oceans), will remain in force. The level was based on the latest scientific data on harp seal populations and is within the replacement yield of the Atlantic harp seal population. The harvest for hooded seals remains closed.