Historically, Gulf capelin have been mostly landed by the Newfoundland seiner fleet in area 4R, the area of the Gulf of St. Lawrence near the western coast of Newfoundland.
Quebec capelin fisheries do not occur in that portion of the Gulf and, instead, only take place in areas 4ST, the eastern portion of the northern Gulf and in the southern Gulf. The province has a small-scale weir fishery in the estuary that has opened on May 1 in previous years, while the main fishery in Quebec occurs in June in area 4S, off the coast of Blanc‑Sablon on Quebec's lower north shore.
As mentioned, the capelin weir fishery in the estuary is small in scale, with only two active licence holders. This fishery targets capelin during beach spawning events. In April 2021, the licence holders involved in the capelin weir fishery in the estuary requested the advancement of the opening date of their fishery to April 1, from the usual May 1 opening. At that time, the 2021 stock assessment and advisory committee meeting had already taken place, which were respectively held on March 18, 2021 and on March 26, 2021.
The next 4RST capelin stock assessment is scheduled to begin on April 20, and the advisory committee will be held a few days later on April 25, 2022. The request by licence holders to advance the opening date of the capelin weir fishery in the estuary will be discussed at the April 25 advisory committee meeting. As part of the ongoing process, we will evaluate the advancement of the opening date of this fishery to April 1, starting in 2023.
Following the stock assessment on April 20 to 21 and the advisory committee meeting on April 25, I have asked officials to prepare options, in consultation with the industry, that could allow weir fishermen to open before May 1 if the assessment is positive. This consultation approach regarding modification to management measures is consistent across all fisheries in Canada.
I am happy to answer any questions related to this work.
Thank you.