Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment Chester Gillan is supporting calls for the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans to resolve the issue of herring seiners fishing close to the Island shoreline. The PEI Fishermen's Association has asked DFO to move the boundary line beyond which the seiners are permitted to fish at least 10 miles offshore.
"Fishers have legitimate concerns for their livelihood," said Minister Gillan. "Last year, the total herring quota in the southern Gulf was 71,000 metric tonnes. This year, that was reduced to 60,500 metric tonnes. So evidently, there is cause for concern about the health of the stocks."
The Minister added it is not only the herring stocks that are impacted in the long term. As was pointed out this past week by the industry, herring is food for many other species of fish.
While it appears time is getting short to satisfactorily resolve the issue this season, Minister Gillan said the concerns of Island fishers must be thoroughly addressed before another fishing season begins and a well-structured plan put in place for future years.
"This is not a new problem. Island representatives raised this issue with DFO at the annual Gulf advisory meeting last December. There was little or no action following that meeting and now we find Island fishers feel they are forced to protest at the wharf to have their concerns heard," said Minister Gillan.
" We recognize the right of the seiners to fish their share of the quota. However, they cannot be allowed to do so at the expense of inshore fishers."
Minister Gillan said industry representatives and staff of his department will attend a management meeting for the Gulf herring fishery December 4 and 5 in Moncton.
"The concern over the fishing area for the seiners will be one of the main topics to be discussed at that meeting," he said. "My department will be working with Island fishers to have a satisfactory resolution reached to protect herring stocks off Prince Edward Island."