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431-00099 (Fisheries)

Paper petition

Original language of petition: French

Petition to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

WHEREAS recreational ice fishing in the Saguenay creates over $6 million in economic activity per year over its typical two-month season;

WHEREAS recent scientific studies by the Department of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard show that the Atlantic halibut population in the 4RST area is very healthy;

WHEREAS no commercial fishing occurs in the Saguenay Fjord; and;

WHEREAS increasing the number of fish available during the ice fishing season improves the experience and attracts more tourists;

We, the undersigned, residents of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, call upon the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard to reopen the recreational Atlantic halibut fishery in the Saguenay Fjord for the ice fishing season in a controlled and responsible way.

Response by the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Bernadette Jordan

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) recognizes the economic and tourism importance of the winter recreational fishery for the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region and will give due attention to the development of the winter recreational fishery for Atlantic halibut in the Saguenay Fjord. Currently, recreational fishers have access to a wide-range of groundfish other than Atlantic halibut.

The last assessment of the Gulf of St. Lawrence Atlantic halibut stock in February 2019 provided a relatively positive picture: the fished component of the stock is at its highest historical level, and recruitment to the fishery is expected to remain high in the coming years. However, the exploitation rate is still unknown. As a result, in Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, it is currently prohibited to keep Atlantic halibut in any recreational fishery under the jurisdiction of DFO.

Requests have been made by various groups in the Saguenay region in recent years to authorize recreational fishing for Atlantic halibut. As a result, DFO established a working group made up of representatives of local organizations committed to the sustainable development of the recreational fishery in the Saguenay and regional DFO representatives.  The working group will continue to meet over the next year in order to evaluate the options available and identify a path forward.

Presented to the House of Commons
Richard Martel (Chicoutimi—Le Fjord)
February 21, 2020 (Petition No. 431-00099)
Government response tabled
April 11, 2020
Photo - Richard Martel
Chicoutimi—Le Fjord
Conservative Caucus
Quebec

Only validated signatures are counted towards the total number of signatures.