Some 40 tour boat operators in the province wish Ottawa to subject them to the same rules as their counterparts in the Maritimes enjoy.

Owners of smaller boats proposed several years ago that they be allowed to take people out to drop a line and snag a groundfish beyond the current 39-day window. Graham Wood, an operator based in Lewisporte, says they would also like to be able to keep two fish per person on the tour. The Maritimes have those privileges but not Newfoundland and Labrador.

He says taking people out for a day on the water is authentic tourism.

They have asked DFO for tags and are committed to documenting all the information DFO would need such as size of fish and time and location of catch.

The federal government has yet to announce the dates of this year’s recreational fishery.