DFO CUTS 2021 CAPLIN QUOTA; WEAK SCIENCE NOT ADDRESSED

DFO quietly cut the 2021 caplin quota on Friday afternoon by 25%, but has yet to address the severe weaknesses of its own science. Fisheries and Oceans is unable to accurately estimate the caplin numbers off NL because the department doesn't do a survey of the full area using sonar. Other countries such as Iceland do acoustic surveys, allowing them to estimate the full numbers.

Even the Moya Greene report into the state of the province’s finances highlighted that “little is known about the health of the (caplin) stocks.”

“The need for strong fisheries science cannot be overstated. Capelin, for example, is partially assessed by trawl surveys and from the study of one or two beaches.”

Time for DFO to get its act in gear.

And if the Furey government cannot recognize the potential of well-managed wild fisheries, this place really is done …