Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the committee for allowing us to present today.
My name is Martin Mallet. I'll be sharing my time today with Louis Ferguson, the assistant director of our R and D branch, Homarus Inc.
I'll be speaking in French.
The decision to completely close the mackerel fishery affected our members, both commercial fishers and bait fishers. Once again, very little notice was given even though our fishers were preparing for the upcoming season.
In the last assessment of the mackerel stock in 2020, according to DFO's science sector, instead of imposing a complete moratorium, reducing the contingent by 4,000 tonnes for 2022, a 50% drop from the previous year, would still have allowed for a 79% increase in the spawning biomass. That would have been a significant reduction, but not a complete moratorium. It would have reflected the socio-economic value of this resource for the entire Atlantic region.
The complete closure of the mackerel fishery was an extreme and unwarranted measure. It was announced at the last minute, without any regard for the fishers who had incurred expenses to get ready for the start of the 2022 season. Moreover, the mackerel stock is shared with the United States. Even to this day, there is no joint management plan with the Americans, who continue to fish the same mackerel stock while we have to sit on our docks and watch them.
Here are a few recommendations for the committee.
First, we think a joint management agreement with the U.S. should have been developed before deciding on a complete closure of this part of the Canadian fishery. Such an agreement is necessary for the sustainable management of this resource in its entire distribution area.
Second, the MFU has made various recommendations in the past to better protect the resource and optimize mackerel spawning, but to no avail. In our opinion and that of other inshore fishers' associations, the gradual decline of this resource can in large part be attributed to the increase in seine fishing, and not inshore gillnet and handline fishing. With this type of gear, the fish are not selected by size and the small fish cannot escape to continue growing and reach the minimum size for spawning. If we want to continue gillnet fishing, the fish quotas have to be adjusted since this catching method is not selective. The reopening of this fishery will have to emphasize sustainable catching methods.
Third, climate change results in weather extremes and variations each year. Our fishers see the effects of these changes in variations in time and location of the species they fish, to which they must adapt in order to catch the fish. We also have to bring our scientific stock assessment into line with the schedule of the species we wish to study, and not the bureaucrats' schedule. Climate change is changing the marine ecosystem. These considerations must be included in the scientific analysis and stock assessment of all our species.
Fourth, we recommend an in‑depth study of the predator-prey relationship among the various seal species and mackerel. For example, current studies on the stomach contents of seals are conducted in the winter, although mackerel is not even in the Gulf of St. Lawrence at that time. Any additional information gathered would be useful and would allow us to better understand the issues in the mackerel population.
Fifth, any reopening plan must also include the development of a sustainable seal hunt. The loss of the seal hunt culture and the shortage of hunters in our communities are among the main obstacles to resolving this issue. We must at least address the regulatory obstacles, and support and promote the training of new commercial and recreational hunters, and seal products in Canada. That would be a good opportunity to include the first nations and to build partnerships with them.
Sixth, fishers are facing huge increases in their operating costs as a result of inflation. These increases are also the result of the additional inflation attributable to the closure of the fishery, in terms of their traditional bait. For example, the price of bait mackerel purchased from international markets has risen by 32% this year. We want bait fishing by handline to be reopened for 2023. That fishery would also serve to restore part of the science dependent on the fishery that was lost this year owing to the moratorium.
Seventh and finally, a number of fishers rely on pelagic fishing for their livelihood and are seriously hurt by the moratorium. Establishing a program similar to the sustainability measures program for the Atlantic lobster fishery, namely, the integrated fisheries management plan, which was quite successful in the early 2010s, would help restructure and rationalize this sector of the fishery. It would also support the related science in order to gain a better understanding of the species in the context of climate change, and support the creation of bait alternatives.
Thank you for your attention.
We will be pleased to answer any questions you may have.