Moncton (NB), Quebec (QC), St. John’s (NL) and Halifax (NS) – May 13, 2026 – The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) today announced a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the Atlantic halibut fishery in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Divisions 4RST, as well as for certain groundfish stocks in Division 4T and Subdivision 4Vn for the 2026-2027 season.
4RST Atlantic halibut
A TAC of 3,468 tons (t) is established for a one year period from May 15, 2026, until May 14, 2027. As part of this TAC, a 95 t allocation has been set aside under section 10 of the Fisheries Act to support the industry/DFO longline scientific survey and tagging project.
The remaining allocation available for commercial fishing is 3,373 t and will be distributed in accordance with the established sharing formula.
To address the bycatch needs for mobile gear fleets in NAFO Divisions 4RST, the Department will apply the same model used in 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 to calculate the temporary quota transfer. As a result, the mobile gear fleets are allocated 248.125 t, while an allocation of 657.766 t will be transferred to the inshore fixed gear fleet. Additionally, 152 t of unused bycatch quota from the mobile gear fleets in 2025–2026 will be carried over to the inshore fixed gear fleet for use in 2026–2027. Both allocations are divided equally among the eight inshore fixed gear fleets, resulting in 101.221 t per fleet.
The initial allocations by fleet for 2026-2027, including the temporary transfer of quotas and the carry-over of unused bycatch quotas by mobile gear fleets in 2025-2026 to the inshore fixed gear fleets, before application of quota reconciliation, where applicable, are as follows:
| Fleets | Allocations (t) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern New Brunswick |
|
||
| Gulf Nova Scotia | 148.485 | ||
| Gulf Prince Edward Island | 135.552 | ||
| Western Newfoundland | 854.394 | ||
| Quebec North Shore | 294.981 | ||
| Gaspésie | 1,136.570 | ||
| Magdalen Islands | 229.140 | ||
| Scotia Fundy | 139.550 | ||
| Mobile Gear < 19.81 m | 78.750 | ||
| Fixed Gear 19.81 m – 30.48 m | 115.646 | ||
| Mobile Gear 19.81 m – 30.48 m | 22.200 | ||
| Vessels > 30.48 m | 147.175 | ||
| Scientific survey | 95.000 | ||
| Total | 3,620.234 |
Note: This includes carry-forward of 152 t of unutilized mobile-gear allocation from 2025-2026.
The Department is announcing the re-opening of the directed longline Atlantic halibut fishery in sub-areas 4T5 and 4T7, effective May 15, 2026. This decision follows several years of comprehensive data collection achieved through pilot projects and interim commercial fisheries. Harvesters are authorized to resume operations within these sub-areas provided they adhere strictly to all existing license conditions, Conservation Harvesting Plans, and applicable variation orders.
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 2026-2027 TACs and associated bycatch limits per trip for 4T winter flounder, 4TVn Atlantic Cod, 4T American plaice and 4T white hake are established as follows:
| Species | TAC | Bycatch Limit per Fishing Trip | Time Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Flounder (4T) | 150 t | Maximum of 25% | Until May 14, 2027 |
| Atlantic Cod (4TVn) | 236.14 t (including 90 t for bycatch) | Maximum of 15% | Until May 14, 2027 |
| American Plaice (4T) | 90 t | Maximum of 10% | Until May 14, 2027 |
| White hake (4T) | 30 t | Maximum of 5% | Until May 14, 2027 |
It is to be noted that no directed commercial fishery is allowed for the four groundfish stocks listed above. The rebuilding plans for these four groundfish stocks in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (NAFO 4T and 4TVn) can be viewed at the following link: Integrated fisheries management plans.