Saving Seafood

Goodbye, fish and chips? New England haddock imperiled by overfishing

May 17, 2023 — A staple seafood species caught by East Coast fishers for centuries is experiencing overfishing, and regulators have cut catch quotas by more than 80% to prevent the fish’s population from collapse.

Haddock are one of the most popular Atlantic fish, and a favorite for fish and chips and other New England seafood dishes.

But fewer haddock will be caught in New England this year after regulators cut fishing quotas. A recent scientific assessment found that the Gulf of Maine haddock stock declined unexpectedly, and that meant the catch quotas for the fish were unsustainably high, federal fishing managers said.

Read the full article at the Associated Press

Panel asking federal officials to increase catch limit for haddock in Gulf of Maine to protect fishermen

May 18, 2023 — Citing an “extremely low” catch limit for Gulf of Maine haddock this fishing season, fisheries regulators in New England are asking the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to ease the restrictions in the interests of commercial fishermen.

In a statement issued April 20, the New England Fishery Management Council, which oversees fishing issues for the region, said the catch limit for the season that began May 1 is 1,936 metric tons, an 84 percent drop from last year.

But now the council wants to give fishermen a reprieve, citing a rebound in haddock stock and after hearing concerns at the panel’s meeting last month in Mystic, Conn.

Read the full article at the Boston Globe

New England council seeks boost in haddock quota to avoid shutdown

April 24, 2023 — Emergency action to temporarily boost the Gulf of Maine haddock catch is needed to avoid potential shutdowns during the 2023 groundfish fishing year that starts May 1, the New England Fishery Management Council said.

The council is asking the National Marine Fisheries Service to take emergency action “to address a critical Gulf of Maine haddock situation that is expected to result in significant fishery impacts during the 2023 groundfish fishing year,” according to a statement issued Thursday as the council wrapped up a three-day meeting at Mystic, Conn.

Council members learned that “fishermen have been encountering Gulf of Maine haddock at very high catch rates,” according to the council. “The proposed 2023 annual catch limit (ACL), however, is extremely low.”

One fishermen told of making one single trip when he caught so much haddock that it was equivalent to what his entire allocation will be for the 2023 season. Other fishermen have warned that an early shutdown of the fishery is very likely, with major impacts as a result.

Read the full article at the  National Fisherman

New England Fishery Management Council meeting to tackle offshore wind, haddock rules

April 18, 2023 — The New England Fishery Management Council will hold a three-day meeting running Tuesday, April 18, through Thursday, April 20, at the Hilton Hotel, 20 Coogan Blvd., in Mystic, Connecticut.

This will be an in-person meeting, but for those who can’t make it to Mystic or who prefer not to attend in person, there will be a webinar option available. For those attending in person, the council will be following all public safety measures related to COVID-19.

The meetings will start 9 a.m. each day; however the first day will begin with a closed session in which the council will discuss the ongoing search for a new executive director. The webinar will end shortly after the council adjourns each day.

Read the full article at Gloucester Times

Canada, U.S. fail to reach agreement on quota for shared haddock stock in 2023

January 6, 2023 — Canada and the United States have, for the first time, failed to agree on a shared quota for the transboundary haddock stock on the Georges Bank fishing grounds off southern Nova Scotia.

The two countries have jointly managed the haddock fishery — and two other straddling stocks — since 2000, but were unable to reach a consensus for the 2023 haddock quota.

“While Canada and the U.S. tried to negotiate a shared haddock total allowable catch … our countries will be setting our own total allowable catch independently of the other,” wrote Kathy Cooper-MacDonald, senior advisor, Fisheries Management in Maritimes Region on Dec. 28.

The disagreement centred on the size of the quota cut.

“Everybody agreed that a large reduction was required, but the size of large is not defined,” said Alain d’Entremont, president of Scotia Harvest, operator of a groundfish fleet and processing plant in southwestern Nova Scotia.

He is a Canadian industry representative and co-chair of the Transboundary Management Guidance Committee, which helps negotiate quotas.

“I don’t think we’ve caused irreparable damage to the agreement.”

Read the full article at CBC News

McDonald’s rolls out Canada-wide product featuring MSC-certified haddock

May 14, 2019 — After a successful pilot in Atlantic Canada last summer, McDonald’s Canada is rolling out a new Fish & Chips meal at its restaurants throughout the country.

The fish used in the meals is Marine Stewardship Council-certified haddock, supplied by High Liner Foods in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada. McDonald’s restaurants expect to use around 260,000 pounds of Atlantic haddock for the Fish & Chips during the limited-time offer, McDonald’s Canada said in a press release.

The haddock is caught off of Nova Scotia and packed in Atlantic Canada.

The new limited-time meal includes two pieces of fish coated with a crunchy batter and served with French fries and tartar dipping sauce.

Read the full story at Seafood Source