Moncton (NB) and Quebec (QC) – July 28, 2026 – This Conservation Harvesting Plan (CHP) presents the management measures for fleets using gillnets. Licence holders must refer to their conditions of licence available on the National Online Licensing System (NOLS).
New in 2026
Management Approach per Sector (MAS)
The fleet allocations presented in Annex 1 are distributed in accordance with the Management Approach per Sector announced on July 3, 2026.
Changes to Reporting of Lost / Retrieved Fishing Gear
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is advising fish harvesters of changes in the conditions of licences related to lost and retrieved fishing gear. Please consult the document 2026 - Conditions of Licence : Changes to Reporting of Lost / Retrieved Fishing Gear for additional information.
Other Management Measures
Voluntary use of an electronic logbook (ELOG) for Gulf Region harvesters is authorized. For more information: Electronic logbooks (ELOGS).
A summary of the management measures by herring fishing area (HFA) is presented in Annex 1.
A diagram illustrating the mesh size measurement is presented in Annex 2.
Herring Fishing Areas 16C & 16E
Group A (New Brunswick fish harvesters) and Group B (Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia fish harvesters) will begin the fall fishery with an initial competitive allocation of 342 tonnes (t). When the initial competitive quota is reached, the remaining allocation will be divided equally between Group A and Group B. Any excess quota caught from the initial allocation will be deducted from the total allocation remaining for both groups.
Fish harvesters from HFA 16E who have received their conditions of licence to participate in the summer fishery will not have access to the fall fishery.
Herring Fishing Area 16G
The total allocation of 2,072 t is available to the entire HFA 16G. Eligible licence holders have access to both the northern and southern portions of HFA 16G.
Herring Fishing Area 17
Access to HFA 17 (northern portion of 4Vn) will be subject to guidelines under the Maritimes Region herring management plan.
Annex 1
2026 Management Measures of the fall herring fishery for fleets using gillnets
- HFA 16A - Île Verte
- Monitoring1:
- CMP - 100%
- DMP - Targeted rate of 100%
- ELOG - Mandatory
- Hail-Out - Mandatory
- Allocation2: 79 t
- Period: July 1 - December 29
- Net3:
- Mesh size: 63.5 mm minimum
- Depth: 125 mesh
- Length: 150 fathoms
- Closures4: None
- Trip limit: One landing per day
- Monitoring1:
- HFA 16B - Chaleurbay
- Monitoring1:
- Gulf:
- DMP - 100%
- Logbook - Mandatory or voluntary ELOG
- Hail Out - Mandatory
- QC:
- CMP - 100%
- DMP - Targeted rate of 100%
- ELOG - Mandatory
- Hail Out - Mandatory
- Gulf:
- Allocation2: 4,727 t
- Period: August 16 - December 31
- Net3:
- Mesh size: 66.7 mm minimum
- Depth: 125 mesh
- Length: 125 fathoms
- Closures4: Friday 13:00 to Sunday 19:00 and weekdays 13:00 to 19:00
- Trip limit: One landing per day, daily limit of 10,206 kg (22,500 lbs)
- Monitoring1:
- HFA 16B - Small seiners
- Monitoring1:
- Gulf:
- DMP - 100%
- Logbook or ELOG and Hail Out
- QC:
- CMP - 100%
- DMP - Targeted rate of 100%
- ELOG and Hail Out
- Gulf:
- Allocation2: 141 t
- Period: August 16 - December 31
- Net3:
- Mesh size: 66.7 mm minimum
- Depth: 125 mesh
- Length: 125 fathoms
- Closures4: Friday 13:00 to Sunday 19:00 and weekdays 13:00 to 19:00
- Trip limit: One landing per day, daily limit of 10,206 kg (22,500 lbs)
- Monitoring1:
- 16 C&E - Escuminac, Western PEI and northern GNS
- Monitoring1:
- DMP - 100%
- Logbook - Mandatory or voluntary ELOG
- Hail Out - Mandatory
- Allocations2: 2,282 t, Competitive fishery (342 t), remaining tonnage equally divided to Groups A and B
- Period: August 30 - December 31
- Net3:
- Mesh size: 66.7 mm minimum
- Depth: 125 mesh
- Length: 150 fathoms
- Closures4: Friday 11:00 to Sunday 19:00 and weekdays 11:00 to 19:00
- Trip limit: Daily limit of 9,752 kg (21,500 lbs) or daily limit self-managed by industry (for Group A)
- Monitoring1:
- 16D - Magdalen Islands
- Monitoring1:
- CMP - 100%
- DMP - Targeted rate of 100%
- ELOG - Mandatory
- Hail Out - Mandatory
- Allocation2: 420 t
- Period: July 1 - December 29
- Net3:
- Mesh size: 66.7 mm minimum
- Depth: 125 mesh
- Length: 150 fathoms
- Closures4: None
- Trip limit: None
- Monitoring1:
- 16F - Pictou
- Monitoring1:
- DMP - 100%
- Logbook - Mandatory or voluntary ELOG
- Hail Out - Mandatory
- Allocation2: 2,072 t
- Period: September 13 - October 9
- Net3:
- Mesh size: 66.7 mm minimum
- Depth: 125 mesh
- Length: 100 fathoms
- Closures4: 12:00 Friday to 18:00 Sunday and weekdays 12:00 to 18:00
- Trip limit: One landing per day, with daily limit self-managed by industry
- Monitoring1:
- 16G - Northside (see chart 1) and Southside
- Monitoring1:
- DMP - 100%
- Logbook - Mandatory or voluntary ELOG
- Hail out - Mandatory
- Allocations2: 2,072 t
- Period: September 6 - October 9
- Net3:
- Mesh size: 66.7 mm minimum
- Depth: 100 mesh
- Length: 150 fathoms
- Closures4: 15:00 Friday to 15:00 Sunday
- Trip limit: Daily limit of 6,804 kg (15,000 lbs) or daily limit self-managed by industry
- Monitoring1:
- 1: DMP (dockside monitoring program) / CMP (catch monitoring program) / ELOG (electronic logbook).
- 2: The allocations will be adjusted based on the summer fishery landings.
- 3: Tagging of gillnets is required in all HFAs.
- 4: Dates and times are based on Atlantic Daylight Time (ADT). No nets to remain in the water during the closures.
Annex 2
Mesh Size Measurement
Mesh size as applicable in the herring fishery is defined in the Atlantic Fishery Regulations, 1985 as follow:
- mesh size means, in respect of netting, the total length of the twine measured along two contiguous sides of a single mesh, including the distance across the knot joining those sides but not including any other knots,
- see diagram below:
Please note that the measurement is taken with the net pulled tight, which would be harder to display in the diagram.
Chart 1
Northern part of HFA 16G
The Northern portion of HFA 16G defined as the waters enclosed by the coastline and rhumb lines (similar to straight lines drawn on a nautical chart) joining the following points in the order in which they are listed:
- 46° 26' 00'' N - 63° 15' 00'' W
- 46° 50' 00'' N - 62° 32' 00'' W
- 46° 56' 42'' N - 61° 30' 00'' W
- 46° 26' 55'' N - 61° 30' 00'' W
- 46° 26' 55'' N - 61° 58' 25'' W (EAST POINT)
Note: When the geographic boundary of an area is expressed in latitude and longitude, these point references are based on the geodesic system North American Datum 1927 (NAD27). The positions are expressed in degrees, minutes and, seconds.