A marine conservation charity is urging caution following Ottawa’s recent decision to lift the decades-long moratorium in the redfish fishery.
Oceana Canada says the federal Fisheries Department must develop a management plan to prevent the same overfishing that led to the collapse of the fishery 30 years ago.
Last month, federal Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier announced the moratorium put in place in 1995 would end this year with an initial total catch quota of at least 25,000 tonnes in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Jack Daly, a Halifax-based marine scientist with the independent charity, says the fishery can be successful if there is stringent monitoring to ensure other fish species aren’t put at risk.
Daly says the stocks of deepwater redfish are considered healthy but the Acadian redfish population isn’t as strong.
He says any monitoring regime would also need to help prevent the catch of undersized fish in order to keep stocks robust.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 9, 2024.