The 2019 stock assessment for northern shrimp off Newfoundland and Labrador is out and the downward trend continues.
Scientists continue to be concerned about the spawning and stock biomass of northern shrimp. The three zones stretch from north of Labrador to Notre Dame Bay.
The fishable biomass levels of all three zones remain at or near their lowest since the mid-1990s.
Commercial fishing at current rate unlikely to have significant effect on shrimp resource pic.twitter.com/QMxgqTUDGi
— Brian Madore (@bmadorevocm) February 24, 2020
The fall survey often encountered poor weather, resulting in 25 per cent of the survey not being completed.
Scientist Katherine Skanes of DFO says the stock in Zone 5 is healthy, Zone 4 cautious and Zone 6 critical.
Other players in the fishery meet next month in Halifax to come up with recommendations on catch quotas for this year’s fishery.