Moncton, New Brunswick (NB) – March 27, 2024 – Fisheries and Oceans Canada announces the continuation of the closure for the directed commercial and bait fishing for spring herring in Herring Fishing Areas 16 and 17 in 2024.
The spring component of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (sGSL) herring stock has been in the Critical Zone of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Precautionary Approach (PA) Framework since 2002.
Herring is an important forage species in the sGSL that plays a vital role in the ecosystem and the fishing industry. Under the PA Framework, when a commercially-fished stock is in the Critical Zone, management decisions must promote stock growth and removals from all sources must be kept to the lowest possible level until the stock has cleared the Critical Zone.
The closure will be revisited for the 2025 fishing season.
Carole LeBlanc
Director, Fisheries Resource Management
Fisheries and Harbour Management
Gulf Region
Fisheries and Oceans Canada