Question Period Note: Pacific herring management approach

Pacific herring management approach

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is firmly committed to the conservation, protection, and regeneration of our marine environment and the lifeforms they sustain.

It is vital that we manage Pacific herring with the objectives of stock growth and cautious management while supporting fishing opportunities where possible.

To support this approach, DFO is taking a more precautionary approach to this year’s Pacific herring management to protect future stock health. For the 2021–22 Pacific herring season, most commercial fisheries for Pacific herring will be closed.

This decision was made with the goal to provide renewable fishing opportunities and increase stock abundance, to benefit the entire ecosystem.

• Pacific herring are managed as five major stock areas along the coast: Haida Gwaii, Prince Rupert district, Central coast, Strait of Georgia, and West Coast of Vancouver Island. There are also four smaller stock areas where Spawn on Kelp fisheries can occur.
• The Pacific herring fishery is composed primarily of Food, Social and Ceremonial and commercial fisheries, in four categories: Roe Herring (egg sacs), Food & Bait (whole herring for commercial use or human consumption), Special Use (whole herring for personal bait use and zoological feed), and Spawn on Kelp (herring eggs on kelp).
• The proposed management approach for herring fisheries in 2022 includes commercial closures in all areas outside of the Strait of Georgia. Within the Strait of Georgia area, a 10 per cent harvest rate (reduced this year from 20 per cent) will be applied to support fisheries for food and bait, Special use and roe herring
• The Draft Pacific Herring Integrated Fishing Plan released for a 30 day comment period on December 21, 2021.
• Commercial fisheries for special use and food and bait herring have begun under reduced quotas within the 10 per cent harvest rate in the Strait of Georgia. Commercial roe herring fisheries are anticipated to occur in March. Under the management approach proposed in the Draft IFMP, all areas where commercial Spawn on Kelp fisheries could occur are closed and there will be no commercial harvest in BC of Spawn on Kelp for 2022.
• First Nation fisheries for Food, Social and Ceremonial purposes remain open in all areas.

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