News Release

DETAILS OF THE 2000-2004 BLUE MUSSEL FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN - PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Charlottetown -- The Department of Fisheries and Oceans today released the first integrated fishery management plan for the Blue Mussel fishery in the Prince Edward Island area. This integrated plan is a five-year management plan, which covers the 2000-2004 mussel fisheries for waters off Prince Edward Island. This plan is intended to operate in conjunction with an annual mussel harvesting plan for the commercial licensed fishers in which specific harvesting guidelines such as fishing areas; seasons, etc. may be adjusted according to conservation requirements.

The principle components of this plan are an overview of the fishery, stock status, long-term objectives for the fishery, general management objectives, current management issues, management measures for the current year and enforcement issues and strategies.

On Prince Edward Island there are 680 licensed commercial mussel fishers. There are seven licences issued for harvesting seed mussels in approved contaminated areas. There are 147 mussel leaseholders having a total of 275 mussel leases. The total acreage for these leases is 10,857.5 acres and they range in size from 3 acres to 263.5 acres. Fishers have harvested between 2,685 and 11,456 metric tons of mussels annually during the last ten years, with landed values between $2,945,592 and $14,089,136.

Mussel fishers with their representatives and other groups sit on the Prince Edward Shellfish Advisory Committee. The integrated management plan released today is the result of discussions held by this committee aimed at achieving the long-term conservation and sustainability of this fishery.

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For information:

Internet: : http://www.glf.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/comm-comm/nr-cp/index-e.html