Listuguj Mi'gmaq Government calls for moratorium on shrimp fishery in the estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence
Minister asked to issue additional lobster licences to offset impact on First Nations and industry
LISTUGUJ, QC, Dec. 6, 2023 /CNW/ - Shrimp stocks in the estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence are on the brink of complete collapse. The ecosystem is experiencing major changes caused by climate change. Average water temperatures are at recorded highs. Shrimp landings are at historic lows. The Listuguj Mi'gmaq Government is calling for a moratorium to protect what few shrimp are left.
"As Mi'gmaq, we are guided by the principle of ango'tmu'q: taking care of something in a careful manner. It would be a violation of ango'tmu'q for us to continue fishing shrimp," said Scott Martin, Chief of the Listuguj Mi'gmaq Government. "We will not fish our quota next year, and we call on the Minister to impose a moratorium."
With water temperatures and predation by other species only expected to increase, northern shrimp stocks in the estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence are not expected to improve in the foreseeable future. Since northern shrimp plays a key role as a forage species, low abundance of northern shrimp could have negative consequences for other species that depend on them as a food source, like redfish, cod, and halibut. Weak shrimp stocks highlight the vulnerability to climate change of the entire estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence ecosystem.
Diane Lebouthillier, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard, will be meeting with First Nations and industry stakeholders in Québec City on December 7 and 8 to discuss the future of the shrimp fishery. At those meetings, the Listuguj Mi'gmaq Government will push for a moratorium.
"We need to be realistic," said Chief Martin. "Climate change has killed the northern shrimp fishery. That's the truth. No one wants to be the person who hauls in the last shrimp."
Not all fisheries are in such a dire state. Lobster stocks, for example, have never been better. Both total landing and catch per unit effort are at all-time highs. All available data indicate that the lobster stocks are healthy.
The Listuguj Mi'gmaq Government sees the lobster fishery as presenting an opportunity to mitigate some of the impact of the failing shrimp fishery. It could also be an opportunity for Canada to implement First Nations' fishing rights under the Peace and Friendship Treaties, which the Supreme Court of Canada upheld in the Marshall decisions. The Minister could do both by issuing new lobster licences and distributing them to First Nations first, in acknowledgement the priority of rights-based fisheries.
"There has never been a better time to open new access to the lobster fishery," said Chief Martin. "Fisheries management needs to be flexible in response to climate change. Warmer water is changing the ecosystem. The way we fish needs to change too."
For more information or interviews, please contact:
Victoria Belton
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Mike Isaac
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SOURCE Listuguj Mi'gmaq Government
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