Ottawa, Ontario - The Government of Canada is committed to safeguarding our fish stocks so they are sustainable for future generations. Canada's commercial Redfish fishery in the Gulf of St. Lawrence has been closed since 1995 to help redfish stocks rebuild to healthy levels. Since that time, Redfish stocks have rebounded significantly, and the Government of Canada is positioned to re-open the Unit 1 Redfish commercial fishery in Atlantic Canada and Quebec in the near future.
Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Joyce Murray, announced that in preparation for a pending commercial fishery, the 2023 experimental fishery for Unit 1 Redfish will be increased from 2500t to 5000t. The experimental fishery, which has been in place since 2018, provides important data on Redfish stocks and gives participating harvesters the opportunity to test sustainable fishing gear that protect the stock, such as gear that minimizes capture of undersized fish.
This year, Fisheries and Oceans Canada received unprecedented interest in the Unit 1 Redfish experimental fishery. Twenty-four individuals and groups from Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador have been approved to participate, five of which are Indigenous groups.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada is committed to ensuring a fair and sustainable commercial fishery for Unit 1 Redfish. The Department will work closely with stakeholders, through the Redfish Advisory Committee (RAC), to finalize the next steps in operationalizing the commercial fishery.
