Additional DFO Presence in Bay of Fundy This Year
The Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) plans to contract a vessel and crew to help DFO officers enforce lobster fishery regulations in the Bay of Fundy area in 2025. The contracted vessel would take DFO officers on patrols in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to inspect fishing gear. DFO plans to be out on the water three days a week for at least 12 hours per patrol. The contract runs from January to March 2025 but can be extended through to spring 2026.
Photo courtesy of The New Bedford Light.
Scallop Quota Drops By 28%
The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) has finalized Framework 39 for the 2025 scallop fishing season. The decision sets annual projected landings at 19.75 million pounds, a nearly 28% reduction compared to 2024. The reduction comes in response to scientific surveys conducted in 2024, which revealed significant declines in scallop biomass across key fishing grounds. The current outlook follows a steady decline in scallop landings since a peak of over 60 million pounds in 2019. In subsequent years, landings fell to 47.5 million pounds in 2020, 43 million in 2021, 31.5 million in 2022, and 24 million in 2023.
PFD Use Among Women in the Fishing Industry
For decades, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has conducted studies of PFD use in commercial fisheries to increase use of PFDs among fishermen. However, these studies included few women, who may have unique concerns regarding the sizing, fit, and comfort of PFDs. NIOSH begins a new study this spring that will examine women’s PFD use and opinions through a survey and PFD wear trial. The insights gained from this research could be used to enhance PFD designs to better suit the needs of women.
Small Research Quota Set for Shrimp
New England shrimp will come back to seafood counters in small amounts this year due to a research fishing program. Since 2013 there’s been a fishing moratorium for the shrimp because of concerns about low population levels, which scientists attribute to climate change and warming oceans. Researchers remain interested in collecting data about the shrimp, so a fishing industry-funded winter sampling program will take place this winter. The program will allow fishermen to catch up to 58,400 pounds of the shrimp.
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