Ottawa, Ontario - Today, the Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries, announced an increase in Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for both the Atlantic mackerel fishery and the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence herring fall fishery.
DFO completed an updated Atlantic mackerel stock assessment for 2026, ahead of the usual two-year cycle. That peer-reviewed stock assessment showed that the stock has grown year-over-year by almost 50%, but still remains in the critical zone.
Informed by that peer-reviewed science, industry input, and socioeconomic considerations, the 2026 TAC for Atlantic mackerel will increase to 1,500 tonnes, including 1,400 tonnes for personal-use bait, 60 tonnes for bycatch, 20 tonnes to support scientific sampling and 20 tonnes as live bait for the bluefin tuna fishery.
DFO is setting three fishery openings for the Atlantic mackerel bait fishery: the first opened on May 27, and two additional openings are tentatively scheduled for August and October, with official dates to come in due course. A total of 466.67 tonnes of TAC will be released on each future opening date. As 220 tonnes were previously released on May 27, an additional 246.67 tonnes are being released immediately.
For the Atlantic herring fall fishery in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, DFO is increasing the TAC to 15,500 tonnes for 2026 and 2027, up from 8,500 tonnes in 2025. This increase reflects the improved health of the stock, as the latest peer-reviewed stock assessment shows fall spawning herring is now in the Healthy Zone. As part of this decision, DFO is also establishing a new allocation framework that distributes the TAC by sector rather than by fixed historical shares, so that fishing opportunities better align with herring abundance across the region.
Together, these decisions support stronger commercial fisheries in Atlantic Canada and Quebec. More access to mackerel and fall herring will help lower bait costs for harvesters and drive growth in the fish and seafood sector in rural and coastal communities. These decisions were informed by the latest peer reviewed science and reflect DFO's commitment to managing fisheries sustainably as stock conditions change.
