Newfoundland Crab Quotas remain largely unchanged, except for 3PS, where Quota down 23%
Newfoundland’s overall snow crab quota has been set at 50,071 tons for the 2015 season. The quota is mostly unchanged in the fishery’s major fishing areas 3K and 3L. However, the 3Ps quota was drastically reduced since the snow crab stock there was at an all-time low according to Canada’s fishery officials. "We feel this cut is needed to protect the overall stock and especially the small crab that need protection before they become adults into the fishery,” said Annette Rumbolt, a resource manager at the DFO.
The Pacific Council has officially closed the 2015-16 Pacific sardine directed fishery. The stock biomass was “significantly below” the 150,00 mt threshold federally required to keep the fishery open. In today’s Editor View Column, John Sackton writes how the Council’s decision to close the fishery for the first time in 30 years is an example of the effectiveness of US fishery management under Magnuson, but one that NGO’s are unable to accept.
In other news Canada’s fishery officials have been blamed for poorly managing last year’s Fraser River sockeye run where 2014 escapements came in 20 percent under target. "Throughout the 2014 sockeye run, the panel routinely adopted higher run sizes and lower management adjustments than recommended by Pacific Salmon Commission scientists, effectively boosting the allowable catches," said Aaron Hill, executive director of Watershed Watch.
Meanwhile, Alaskan Congressmen Don Young denies he is trying to unwind the ‘Alaska Model’ of fishery management policy in his Magnuson reauthorization proposal. Young’s MSA policy would permit Councils outside of Alaska to adopt alternative management strategies based on the best available data.
Finally, Canada’s fish managers are investigating who set 100 illegal lobster traps in Nova Scotia’s lucrative LFA 34 region. DFO officials returned the illegally landed lobsters back to the waters upon discovery and are now on the hunt for suspects.
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