The FFAW is calling on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to reassess the limit reference point for northern shrimp following the Department’s stock assessment.

President Keith Sullivan says the limit reference point is set at a time when cod and other groundfish were at very low levels.

He says expecting the species to rebound to that level when the marine environment is now completely different is “short-sighted.”

The FFAW argues that harvesters’ observations on the water should be incorporated into science assessments, noting that harvesters report improvements in the 2021 fishing season compared to previous years.

Sullivan calls harvesters’ observations an “invaluable” part of fully understanding the health of stocks, adding that he hopes their contributions will carry more weight moving forward.