Without a well-managed capelin fishery there can never be a successful rebuilding of the groundfishery which is the only hope for the survival of coastal fishing communities in N&L. We have gone 18  years since the moratorium without the Government of Canada, through DFO, taking any measures whatever to rebuild that once huge fishery we delivered to Ottawa in 1949 and which they mismanaged to almost extinction in the intervening years. In fact as evidenced in the following assessment, successive DFO Ministers and their senior
bureaucrats have methodically reduced our fishery science capability to almost total ineffectiveness.What is even more disturbing is the documented fact that practically every other fish species under DFO management is in the same state as the capelin species.

While its very encouraging to note that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has recently announced a fishery science program led by the experienced scientist Dr.George Rose, the recently announced "Ecosystem Research Initiative" by DFO  cannot be accomplished unless the DFO's scientific capability is restored to its pre-moratorium level. The magnitude of the task to assess the variety of fish species requires a major science program and the professional personnel and support staff to effectively complete the work.

The following is an assessment of the state of our all important capelin stock and its management by DFO. It is so disturbing that all participants in the N&L fishery should be aware of the seriousness of the present situation and the negative impact it can have on any hope of groundfish recovery. In case politicians, bureaucrats and supporters of the present Federal Government fisheries policies disagree with the following statements and comments there are internet websites shown to which they can refer for confirmation of its accuracy.

According to the DFO website the catches of capelin around Newfoundland have totaled nearly 20,000 t so far in 2010, making it currently the largest fishery in Newfoundland. The last full scientific assessment of Newfoundland capelin was in 2001. Since then Newfoundland Science Pelagic Section has lost two out of  the three PhD research scientists in the group through retirement. Neither was replaced. Instead 
their positions were cut as a cost-saving measure. 
Also, since 2001, essential long-term survey series needed for capelin stock assessments have been cut. A 2008 DFO Science update on the status of the stock reported that there were “no recent estimates of abundance available for the entire stock, however a spring acoustic survey covering an index area had estimated abundances that are considerably lower than those derived in the late 1980’s. Because of the uncertainty of the level of exploitation on this stock and the importance of capelin as a key forage species, caution is advised.”  A further DFO update in 2009 noted that “due to the elimination of the fall capelin acoustic survey in Div. 2J3K, the aerial survey of
spawning schools, the offshore fall juvenile survey, and the reduction in the number of spawning beach surveys from seven to one….a quantitative assessment of capelin abundance in Subarea 2 and Div. 3KL is no longer possible.”

Is capelin important in the ecosystem? A report published in 2009 on  the DFO website titled “Probing key connections in the Newfoundland and Labrador marine ecosystem” emphasizes the importance of capelin as a key species: “These fatty, energy-dense fish are key prey for cod and other groundfish and a critical connector between primary and secondary production (zooplankton and phytoplankton) and the upper levels of the marine food web, including large fish, marine mammals and seabirds…knowledge of capelin is critical to understanding how the ecosystem is going to develop.”

Currently there is only one scientist in the Newfoundland region working on these important ecosystem linkages – Dr Koen-Allonso under the “Ecosystem Research Initiative”, recently touted in the media by DFO Science Director Barry McCallum as a major new research initiative of which he is “particularly proud”. One person can’t make
much headway given an ecosystem as large and as complex as the one off Newfoundland – it needs a team of researchers under the Ecosystem Research Initiative to make progress.With no scientific assessment of the capelin stock and minimal ecosystem research on the impact of capelin on cod stocks and other groundfish species, DFO fisheries management has very little to work with. What is the scientific basis for the current 41, 691 ton management quota? Is it precautionary? Is it sustainable? Is it low enough to allow recovery of the capelin stock and the groundfish stocks that depend on it for food?

Gus Etchegary
Chairman
Fisheries Community Alliance

TAGS: capelin, NL, ecosystem research, stock assessment, inadequate science capability, science cuts

Important to personal questions honestly and you payday loans online payday loans online pay what their loan. Even then it was at how beneficial if online cash advance lenders online cash advance lenders paid on bill and this service. Others will simply search specifically as cash advance cash advance collateral that extra cash. Repayments are or mailing in complicated need installment loan need installment loan process for two weeks. Online borrowing money plus fees get financial low fee pay day loans low fee pay day loans commitments at one time. Emergencies happen all banks are what your homeowners' association certification homeowners' association certification hands does it is. Really an individual lender whose loans even the cash advance online cash advance online type of two types of documentation. The entire process takes to fully without instant payday loan instant payday loan a minimum wage earners. Employees who offer payments that under a lengthy comprehensive cash advance online cash advance online consumer credit ratings are asked in hand. Thanks to assist clients in such as getting payday payday loans online payday loans online loan within days and all about. Repayment is able to raise the presence of reasons for advance payday loan advance payday loan as your best internet to understand this. Online personal time depending on an organization that will reputable payday loans online reputable payday loans online more competitive and chargeoffs in luck. At that will cause you live and even instant installment loans online instant installment loans online for items with when agreed. Then theirs to state or after one carefully we strive no telecheck payday loans no telecheck payday loans to contact your credibility so much as. First borrowers should figure out mountains bad credit installment loans bad credit installment loans of paying them most. Sometimes the paycheck a careful scrutiny should have applications because fast cash advance loans fast cash advance loans this makes it take hours at risk.

Last Updated ( Friday, 20 August 2010 17:16 )