Additional tuna for P.E.I. fleet next year
Island’s quota expected to climb about 25 per cent in 2018
A larger number of fishermen from Prince Edward Island’s Atlantic Bluefin tuna fleet is likely to get in on a tag reallocation next year, suggests the chairman of the P.E.I. Fishermen Association’s tuna advisory committee.
Kenny Drake is applauding a decision from the recent International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) meetings in Marrakesh, Morocco, to increase the Western Atlantic bluefin allocation next year.
The overall allocation for the western Atlantic, which includes Canada, the U.S., Japan, Mexico and parts of the U.K. and France, will increase from 2,000 tonnes to 2,350 tonnes.
Drake said the PEIFA is anticipating the Island’s share of the Canadian quota will increase from 116 tonnes this year to in excess of 145 tonnes for each of the next three years.
That would represent an increase of about 25 per cent from 2017.
“If all things remain the same as they are right now, including no change in the management plan, it would mean more people in the rotation (for reallocation of tags),” said Drake.
The exact amount has not been established as tuna caught by long-liners and as by-catch need to come off the top, Drake noted.
P.E.I. fishermen have about 30 per cent of the Canadian allocation.
This year, after the initial allocation period for P.E.I.’s 359-member fleet expired, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans issued tags to 122 members of the fleet for the reallocation that started Sept. 29. Drake said most of those tags have been used.
He’s not expecting more fish to be landed before the reallocation window closes at the end of December.
Statistics on prices paid this year are still unavailable, but Drake feels prices might’ve been better had there been more competition on the wharves. The bidding was left to just two buyers. It was not an auction, he said, pointing out fishermen could choose to accept a bid or to send a fish on consignment.
Drake says Canada’s quota remains relatively small and is awarded to help collect research and knowledge of Bluefin tuna. He said P.E.I. is quite active in collecting research data and a significant amount of that involves the collection of a small inner ear bone from tuna, called an otolith. Lab analysis of the otolith, he said, provides much information about the tuna, including its age and origin.
“This is part of what we do to enhance what they do at SCRS (Standing Committee on Research and Statistics) and ICCAT,” he noted.