Herring stocks in the south of the Gulf of St. Lawrence continue to struggle as the federal moratorium on spring herring fishing passes the two-year mark.
“The biomass is so low that has a hard time recovering, and this has been since 2001,” Maynard said.Herring is an ideal species for bait and is a favourite for crustacean fishers. With spring herring stocks under moratorium, fishers in Atlantic Canada are forced to turn to alternative fish stocks. “Fresh fish is well sought after. People like using it, and if it's not available like herring and mackerel with the moratoriums, people shift to other species,” Prevost said on April 25.
Prevost predicted a significant shortage in bait fish when Bait Masters was conceived more than five years ago. This shortage has not occurred, but the pressure placed upon various fish stocks in response to the continued herring moratorium is an ongoing concern for Prevost. During full production, Bait Masters can produce 1,000 bait sausages an hour. All boxes of bait pictured here have been sold and await shipping. - Caitlin Coombes/Local Journalism Initiative“Two years is a short time to tell if the fishery closure had an effect because spawning herring becomes available to the fishery after four years, so when they’re four years old,” Maynard said.