Moncton, New Brunswick (NB) – July 26, 2024 – Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) announces the reopening of the mackerel bait fishery in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence for the Mackerel Fishing Area 16. The reopening date for the bait fishery (targeting mackerel) for the second allocation of 235 t is August 15, 2024 at 4h00 Atlantic Daylight Time (ADT).
The Conservation Harvest Plan (CHP) is available at the following site: 2024 – Conservation Harvesting Plan for the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Mackerel Bait Fishery.
Eligible fish harvesters who wish to participate to this fishery must have a valid 2024 bait licence and must refer to conditions of licence that will be available on the National Online Licensing System.
This mackerel bait fishery provides an opportunity for increased data collection in addition to the existing mackerel sampling program based on S52 fishing licences issued for scientific purposes. For more information please refer to the following link: Voluntary length frequency reporting for mackerel.