DFO Minister announces additional allocation of striped bass for Indigenous commercial fisheries in Gulf region

On July 15th, 2024, the Fisheries and Oceans Canada shared the following announcement:

Moncton, New Brunswick – The recreational striped bass fishery in the Gulf Region has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, bringing significant socio-economic benefits to Indigenous and coastal communities.  

As the striped bass stock in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence continues to show signs of growth, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, announced today an additional allocation of up to 125,000 striped bass for the development of communal commercial fisheries in Indigenous communities in the Gulf region. This is in addition to the 50,000 striped bass already allocated to the indigenous community of Natoaganeg, as part of a pilot project to develop a sustainable and viable communal commercial fishery. In the coming weeks, the Department will also begin consultations with commercial fish harvesters in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, including lobster harvesters, to assess the possibility that they could retain a certain number of striped bass caught as bycatch as early as 2025.

In recent years, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has taken steps to sustainably manage the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence striped bass stock by providing progressive access to Indigenous food, social and ceremonial fisheries, a communal commercial fishery, and recreational fisheries.

The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard said, “After a collapse of the stock in the late 90s, the southern Gulf striped bass is now making a comeback, even to the point of competing with other valued species in the region. With today’s announcement, our government is taking concrete actions to control the striped bass stock, creating economic opportunities for coastal communities, and advancing on the important path of Reconciliation.”

In 2018, the community of Natoaganeg First Nation was allocated a quota of 50,000 striped bass as part of a pilot project focused on market development towards the establishment of a communal commercial fishery. The allocation of 125,000 striped bass announced today is in addition to this existing allocation, and will be shared among Indigenous communities in the region who show an interest in this fishery. Today, 175,000 striped bass will be available to continue the development of Indigenous communal commercial fisheries.

This year, recreational anglers are allowed to retain a maximum of four striped bass measuring between 50 and 65 cm per day, as long as they respect the possession limit at all times, as well as four striped bass. This is an increase from the three-fish limit in place since 2018, and represents the highest allowable limit in all of eastern North America. 

The catches recorded in 2022 by DFO benchmark trap-net scientists, independent of the fishery, confirm the maintenance of a relatively stable spawning abundance of striped bass in recent years, which corresponds to the cautious zone in the precautionary approach. 

To read the original announcement, visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/fisheries-oceans/news/