The FFAW is calling on Ottawa to allow a commercial mackerel fishery, saying harvesters are reporting that stocks are abundant.
Currently, only a 470-tonne personal-use bait fishery is permitted, but fisheries union president Dwan Street says that is inadequate. She argues that a small commercial fishery is not just necessary, but essential to sustain rural communities and ensure the economic viability of the inshore fishery.
The Atlantic mackerel fishery has been under a moratorium since 2022, but Street says information from harvesters suggests that stocks are healthy.
