Moncton (NB), Quebec (QC), St. John’s (NL) and Halifax (NS) – May 14, 2024 – The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) today announces a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the Atlantic halibut fishery in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Divisions 4RST and the TAC for certain groundfish stocks in Divisions 4T and subdivision 4Vn.
4RST Atlantic halibut
A TAC of 2,466 t for Atlantic halibut in NAFO Divisions 4RST is established for a one-year period from May 15, 2024, until May 14, 2025. From this TAC, a 75 t allocation has been set aside under section 10 of the Fisheries Act to support the industry/DFO longline survey and tagging project.
The remaining quota (2,391 t) is distributed based on the sharing formula announced in 2016 following the review of the inshore fixed gear fleet shares. As a result, the 2024-25 initial allocations per fleet, including the temporary transfer of quota from the mobile gear fleets to the inshore fixed gear fleets* (calculated before quota reconciliation, carry forward of previously uncaught quota where applicable) are as follows:
| Fleets | Allocations (t) |
|---|---|
| Eastern New Brunswick | 135.124 |
| Gulf Nova Scotia | 82.451 |
| Gulf Prince Edward Island | 73.283 |
| Western Newfoundland | 582.845 |
| Quebec North Shore | 186.297 |
| Gaspésie | 782.869 |
| Magdalen Islands | 139.625 |
| Scotia Fundy | 76.117 |
| Mobile Gear ˂ 19.81 m | 79.689 |
| Fixed Gear 19.81 m – 30.48 m | 81.977 |
| Mobile Gear 19.81 m – 30.48 m | 22.245 |
| Vessels ˃ 30.48 m | 148.647 |
| Scientific survey | 75 |
| Total | 2,466 |
*Since the 2024-25 fishing season is a transition year for the transfer model given the reopening of the Unit 1 commercial redfish fishery, the mobile gear fleets is allocated 250.581 t to address their Atlantic halibut bycatch needs in the commercial redfish fishery in Unit 1. The temporary quota transfer from the mobile gear fleets to the inshore fixed gear fleet is 391.57 t. This allocation is divided equally among the 8 geographical fixed gear fleets, resulting in 48.95 t per fleet. Please note that as the redfish season progresses, any uncaught remaining quota from the mobile gear fleet could be transferred to the inshore fixed gear fleet later in the season.
Other Groundfish Stocks
In accordance with the rebuilding plans for four groundfish stocks in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (NAFO 4T and 4TVn), the 2024-25 TACs for 4T winter flounder, 4TVn Atlantic Cod, 4T American plaice and 4T white hake are established as follows:
| Species | TAC | Time Period |
|---|---|---|
| Winter Flounder (4T) | 150 t | Until May 14, 2025 |
| Atlantic Cod (4TVn) | 247.8 t (100 t for bycatch) | Until May 14, 2025 |
| American Plaice (4T) | 100 t | Until May 14, 2025 |
| White hake (4T) | 30 t | Until May 14, 2025 |
It is to be noted there is no directed commercial fishery for the four groundfish stocks listed above. The rebuilding plans for four groundfish stocks in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (NAFO 4T and 4TVn) will be published online in the coming weeks.