Atlantic Fisheries Research Document 1996/109

Anadromous rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax Mitchill) from the Gulf of St. Lawrence - update of fishery and preliminary status of stock

By G. Chaput; L. LeBlanc

Abstract

Anadromous rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax Mitchill) is extensively fished commercially in Gulf New Brunswick, Gulf Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The smelt fishery is a low capital investment, high return fishery which is localized in importance. The commercial fishery is regulated by season, gear, and license restrictions. The Gulf New Brunswick fishery is the largest, representing 76% of the total landings in the statistical districts of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The maximum landing was recorded in 1932 at 3,840 t and the long-term median landing is just over 2,000 t annually. The fishery occurs in the fall (Oct. to Dec.) and winter (Jan. to March). The winter fishery is more important. The fishery is dependent upon two age-classes, age 2 and 3 years. Reduced abundance can not be directly inferred from the historical trend of decreased landings. Commercial fishers have indicated that the landings data are inaccurate and severely underestimated the harvests. Fishers attributed the poor fishery in the fall of 1994 to unusually warm water temperatures. Under current season restrictions, there is a substantial portion of the smelt stock which is not available to the fishery. It is unlikely that the present fishing levels in Miramichi Bay are over-exploiting the resource but the stocks in smaller bays may currently be exploited at substantially higher levels.

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