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OTTAWA – The Honourable Geoff Regan, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), today announced additional management measures for the 2004-05 fishing season for Gulf of St. Lawrence cod stocks.
For the northern Gulf, fishing with gillnets and hook and line gear will be permitted this season, as was the case in 2002, the last year this fishery was opened. The Minister was recently asked by the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union to decide on gear types to be used in the northern Gulf after fishing groups were unable to reach agreement.
"A status quo approach to gear types this year is appropriate and reasonable," said Minister Regan. "It is unfortunate industry could not reach a consensus. I am making this announcement now so as not to delay the start of this fishery."
The Department and federal-provincial cod recovery teams in this region have been asked to examine the issue of gear types with a view to finding alternative technologies to gillnets in this fishery, the Minister said.
The Minister has accepted the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council’s recommendation that there be no recreational cod fishery in the Gulf in 2004. However, DFO will continue to work with charter boat operators to provide them with a means to ensure that they can continue operations without significant impacts on cod.
For Gulf cod and other groundfish stocks, sharing arrangements in effect in 2002 will continue to apply for 2004. This reflects the Minister’s March 25th announcement stabilizing access and allocation arrangements for most East Coast fisheries for 2004.
As stated previously, the total allowable catch (TAC) levels announced for the northern (3,500 tonnes) and southern Gulf (3,000 tonnes) cod fisheries include bycatch in other fisheries and planned scientific sentinel and survey removals.
Industry can now complete development of their Conservation Harvest Plans (CHPs) and submit them to DFO, said Minister Regan. "Two outstanding issues that will be addressed by industry in the CHPs are control and management of quotas, and conservation, particularly as it relates to eliminating discards. I look forward to receiving their plans."
Opening dates for Gulf of St. Lawrence groundfish fisheries, including cod, will be determined in the near future, once CHPs are finalized and approved.
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