Research Document 2017/029
Results of an informal survey of Canadian Atlantic mackerel commercial, recreational and bait fishers
By Van Beveren, E., Castonguay, M., Doniol-Valcroze, T., and Duplisea, D.
Abstract
For several years researchers and stakeholders have highlighted that Canadian catches of Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) are underestimated, but the extent of the problem is still largely unknown. We launched an informal online survey targeting all Canadian Atlantic mackerel fishers in order to obtain a rough estimate of the proportion of catch which is undeclared (bait, discards and recreational catches). In addition, we asked if fishers observed more small mackerel in 2016 compared to previous years as evidence of an important year class in 2015. Four hundred seventy-six mackerel fishers responded from Québec and the Atlantic Provinces and from bait, recreational and commercial sectors. We found that more than half of all mackerel was used as bait, primarily for the lobster fishery, but also as bait for 11 other species, most importantly bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) and Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus). Recreational fishing, generally with rod and line, can also be done semi-professionally with jiggers and gillnets, thus it cannot be considered negligible. Additionally, 1.9% of the catch was discarded, mainly because of undersized fish. As a result of bait use, recreational fishing and discarding, true mackerel catch was about 150% the declared catch, although it is known that this derives from biased sampling. About half of the fishers who responded indicated that small mackerel were plentiful in 2016, indicating that the 2015 year class of mackerel may have been larger than observed in recent years.
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