Fish harvesters are seeing an abundance of mackerel, but that is not being reflected in the science.

That’s according to Trevor Jones, a harvester based in Notre Dame Bay, who was speaking at an FFAW media availability on the future of the province’s mackerel stocks.

The FFAW has launched a petition and campaign calling on fisheries Minister Joyce Murray to reopen the Atlantic mackerel fishery.

Jones says over the last ten years, they have seen an abundance of young-of-the-year mackerel moving further away from the Gulf of St. Lawrence—where DFO conduct their stock assessment.

Jones says that assumption is where the gap in the science exists.

He says we do not know how much migratory patterns have changed because of climate change because DFO are not documenting it properly.

Jones is urging DFO to partner with fisherman for data collection.