DFO opening mackerel bait fishery for Atlantic Canada and Quebec, but commercial fishery remains closed

The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans has announced the opening of a mackerel bait fishery for Atlantic Canada and Quebec. The 470-tonne personal-use bait fishery will open this spring, but the Atlantic mackerel commercial fishery in Atlantic Canada and Quebec, which was shut down in 2022, will remain closed for the 2024 season. The fishery was announced during a virtual press conference by of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Minister Diane Lebouthillier on Thursday, April 25. Equitable access The mackerel bait fishery will be released in two equal parts. By releasing the quota in this way, said the minister, harvesters from different regions will have equitable access to Atlantic mackerel as the stock migrates through the waters of Atlantic Canada and Quebec. Fish caught under a bait licence are intended for personal use and are not permitted to be sold, traded or bartered. This bait fishery, noted the minister, will help licence holders supply their other ...