Closure Without Cause – Reopen the Atlantic Mackerel Fishery

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FFAW-Unifor is calling on Minister Joyce Murray to reopen the Atlantic Mackerel fishery in 2023. Sign the petition to show your support or read more information below.

DFO has failed to incorporate a decade worth of observations and evidence. Evidence that suggests that DFO’s assessment model is missing an important component of the Atlantic mackerel stock.

The Atlantic mackerel fishery MUST be reopened in 2023. Newfoundland and Labrador communities must not bear the burden of government incompetency.

DFO SCIENCE HAS IT WRONG

Fish harvesters spend their lives on the water. There are many harvesters who have more than 50 years experience on the water. They have historical knowledge of fish patterns, and they have a better idea of the marine ecosystem off their coasts than DFO Science. In fact, they’ve doubled down on their claim that the mackerel stock is in critical condition, despite hundreds of harvesters’ observations that mackerel are more abundant now that they have been for decades.

THE EVIDENCE

Atlantic mackerel have been observed around Newfoundland and Labrador in abundance. Mackerel arrive earlier than DFO assumes and are in a much greater abundance. There are a range of mackerel sizes in Newfoundland and Labrador waters from young of the year, known as Pencil mackerel, to large adults in spawning condition.

For nearly ten years, FFAW-Unifor has lobbied for additional science. Our Union has taken the initiative through our internal Science Department. We collected samples and we surveyed nearly 200 mackerel harvesters. This information is more than anecdotal, and it needs to be prioritized by Minister Murray.

HARVESTERS TAKE THE INITIATIVE ON SURVEYS

FFAW-Unifor coordinated the collection of pencil mackerel around Newfoundland and Labrador in 2018 and 2019 and carried out on the water sampling in 2022. Harvesters from all over the province have observed increased abundance of all sizes of mackerels, in locations, sizes and in quantities that should not occur if DFO’s assessment is correct.

Click here to sign the petition now!

ADDITIONAL READING

This is not first time this information has been raised. In fact, FFAW-Unifor has been maintaining research and advocacy on this issue for nearly 10 years. Minister Murray must look at ALL of the evidence, not just on DFO Science’s limited assessment.