Proceedings 2010/017

Regional Advisory Process on Opportunity for Atlantic silverside and Atlantic saury fisheries in the Nova Scotia portion of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence; December 15-16, 2009

Chairperson: Claude LeBlanc

Summary

A meeting of the Regional Advisory Process was held during 15–16 of December, 2009 in Moncton, N.B. The objectives of the meeting were to review the biology and ecology of Atlantic saury and Atlantic silverside, to assess whether these species met the definition of forage species, and to assess if there were opportunities for commercial fisheries on these species in the Nova Scotia portion of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, consistent with the DFO Policy on New Fisheries for Forage Species. Based on their biological and ecological characteristics, Atlantic saury and Atlantic silverside are forage species. At present, there is no directed commercial fishery for saury in Canadian waters and the silverside fishery is concentrated in Prince Edward Island. Based on the prerequisites in the DFO Policy on New Fisheries for Forage Species, commercial fisheries on these species would not presently meet the conservation objectives due to the lack of scientific information to inform on reference points, abundance and ecosystem interactions. Because the risk to the overall Atlantic saury population is likely low, the meeting concluded that information which could be obtained during an exploratory fishery, specifically off Western Cape Breton, would provide an opportunity to learn more about the species and logistics of a potential fishery. Also, given the small number of Atlantic silverside licenses presently issued in Gulf Nova Scotia, there are opportunities for a fishery in this area.

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