The provincial fisheries minister says while the offshore may not be interested for economic reasons, he expects that the inshore fleet’s entire allotment of redfish quota will be caught this season.
The fishery reopened this year after three decades under moratorium, but harvesters expressed disappointment on learning that the lion’s share of the quota had been allotted to the offshore fleet.
Last week Ocean Choice CEO Blaine Sullivan said the stock has not proven economical to catch because of the size of the fish.
Provincial minister Gerry Byrne was highly critical of Ottawa’s approach to reopening the redfish fishery.
He says the offshore’s inability to fish the stock economically was largely predicted, however, the inshore is benefitting, and is expected to harvest 100 per cent of their redfish quota.
“The decision to allow offshore factory freezer trawlers in the Gulf of St. Lawrence for Unit 1 red fish is now being exposed for what it is,” says Byrne. “They demanded that fish, because they’re glutenous, and now they have to admit that not one pound of that fish will ever be landed by them. They just wanted it, because they wanted it, because they wanted it.”