Thank you very much, Chair.
My name is Todd Williams. I'm also the acting director general of fisheries and resource management at Fisheries and Oceans.
I'm joined today by Marc LeCouffe, regional director of fisheries and harbour management in the gulf region, and Jean-Yves Savaria, regional director of science in the Quebec region.
On March 30 of this year, the minister communicated her decision to close commercial and bait fisheries for Atlantic mackerel. This decision was based on the most recent and best peer-reviewed scientific assessment of the stock. That assessment determined that the Atlantic mackerel biomass is at a historic low. Further, the assessment indicated that overfishing has led to a collapse in the age structure, with relatively few productive fish remaining in the population.
This was the continuation of a worrying trend that has persisted for a decade. It confirmed that reductions in total allowable catch and improvements to monitoring and reporting—though significant—were not sufficient to rebuild Atlantic mackerel to sustainable levels.
In making that decision, we had to strike a fair balance between the economic and cultural importance of the Atlantic mackerel fishery in eastern Canada and the viability of the resulting stock. It was of course an incredibly difficult decision to make, considering the livelihoods that were directly and indirectly affected. The decision was also science-based and made in the interest of responsible management of the resource.
Mackerel is fished mainly as open, competitive commercial and bait fisheries. A number of methods are employed throughout eastern Canada, from gillnet and handlines to trap nets and purse seines. In addition to the commercial and bait fisheries, catch also occurs recreationally as bycatch in other fisheries and in food, social and ceremonial fisheries.
In 2021, Canada's landed value of Atlantic mackerel was $8.6 million. Out of about 10,000 enterprises in Atlantic Canada and Quebec, 753 took part in mackerel fishery. Out of these 753 enterprises, it was estimated by the department that about 15% of total revenue was derived from mackerel fishing.
In the five seasons from 2009 to 2013, Atlantic mackerel catches fell from approximately 42,000 metric tonnes to about 8,000. The total allowable catch at the beginning of this period was 75,000 tonnes and was reduced to 36,000 by 2013. The numbers clearly indicated difficulty in exploiting the resource.
From 2014 to 2021, the total allowable catch was set between 10,000 and 4,000 tonnes.
In eastern Canada, this pelagic forage fish plays a vital role in the ecosystem and in the fishing industry. It is an important food source for other species, including tuna and Atlantic cod, and is a traditional bait in certain commercial fisheries, such as the lobster and snow crab fisheries.
The need to make concerted efforts to rebuild the mackerel stock is clearly demonstrated by a decade of assessments that represent the best available science. The department's commitment to such action is reinforced by recent amendments to the Fisheries Act that mandate a rebuilding plan for major stocks like this that are below their limit reference points, which is also referred to as the critical zone. It is a level below which serious harm to the sustainability of the stock occurs.
Small pelagic fish like Atlantic mackerel are good candidates for rebuilding, however. These species grow relatively fast and mature young. The department is optimistic that this stock could rebuild with the continuation of strong management measures. Increasing spawning stock biomass and protecting fish until they reach more typically productive older life stages would have a positive effect on recruitment and would promote rebuilding of the stock.
Looking forward, we continue to work to ensure that a resumed fishery will be improved with better monitoring and managed in a way to optimize spawning potential.
We have also been engaging with our colleagues in the United States to promote complementary actions that serve the interest of harvesters in both countries as well as the transboundary mackerel stock. These efforts, while painful at this time, are intended to restore the essential role of mackerel in the ecosystem.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.