The government is still gathering input on how to reopen the redfish fishery in the Gulf of St. Lawrence this spring, following a long ban due to low stocks.
The government says it just finished four days of meetings with the redfish advisory committee in Halifax, discussing the fishery.
Those involved in the meetings included representatives from Indigenous groups, industry, provincial governments and environmental organizations.
The meetings focused on the maximum amount of fish that can be caught, conservation, and other ways to manage the fishery.
The government says fishery participants have until March 18 to send in more feedback before it decides on things like catch limits.
In January, the federal Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier said the ban that started in 1995 would end this year, with a minimum catch quota of 25,000 tonnes.
The government said, “We have a tough job ahead — together, we need to figure out how to reopen this fishery in about three months in a way that is safe, sustainable, and starts to bring in money for harvesters and their communities.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 8, 2024.
