Fisheries and Oceans Canada increases Total Allowable Catch for Atlantic mackerel and Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence fall herring fishery
OTTAWA, ON, July 3, 2026 /CNW/ – Today, the Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries, announced an increase in Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for both the Atlantic mackerel fishery and the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence herring fall fishery.
DFO completed an updated Atlantic mackerel stock assessment for 2026, ahead of the usual two-year cycle. That peer-reviewed stock assessment showed that the stock has grown year-over-year by almost 50%, but still remains in the critical zone.
Informed by that peer-reviewed science, industry input, and socioeconomic considerations, the 2026 TAC for Atlantic mackerel will increase to 1,500 tonnes, including 1,400 tonnes for personal-use bait, 60 tonnes for bycatch, 20 tonnes to support scientific sampling and 20 tonnes as live bait for the bluefin tuna fishery.
DFO is setting three fishery openings for the Atlantic mackerel bait fishery: the first opened on May 27, and two additional openings are tentatively scheduled for August and October, with official dates to come in due course. A total of 466.67 tonnes of TAC will be released on each future opening date. As 220 tonnes were previously released on May 27, an additional 246.67 tonnes are being released immediately.
For the Atlantic herring fall fishery in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, DFO is increasing the TAC to 15,500 tonnes for 2026 and 2027, up from 8,500 tonnes in 2025. This increase reflects the improved health of the stock, as the latest peer-reviewed stock assessment shows fall spawning herring is now in the Healthy Zone. As part of this decision, DFO is also establishing a new allocation framework that distributes the TAC by sector rather than by fixed historical shares, so that fishing opportunities better align with herring abundance across the region.
Together, these decisions support stronger commercial fisheries in Atlantic Canada and Quebec. More access to mackerel and fall herring will help lower bait costs for harvesters and drive growth in the fish and seafood sector in rural and coastal communities. These decisions were informed by the latest peer reviewed science and reflect DFO’s commitment to managing fisheries sustainably as stock conditions change.
Quotes
“Our government is committed to maintaining strong, resilient, and sustainable Canadian fisheries. These decisions for Atlantic mackerel and Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence herring will support fish harvesters in eastern Canada at a time of increased uncertainty and unprecedented shifts in the global economy.”
The Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries
Quick Facts – Atlantic mackerel
- Atlantic mackerel is found in the Northeast and Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Northeast and Northwest Atlantic mackerel are genetically distinct, with no evidence of trans-Atlantic migration.
- Northwest Atlantic mackerel, found on the eastern seaboard, is composed of the Southern and Northern spawning contingents. Mackerel found in Canadian waters is only of the Northern contingent.
- DFO’s 2026 Atlantic mackerel stock assessment shows that the stock remains in the Critical Zone, although spawning stock biomass has increased since reaching a record low in 2021.
- Driven by conservation concerns, Canada’s Atlantic mackerel commercial fishery closed in 2022 to help the stock rebuild.
- A small personal-use bait fishery opened for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Quick Facts – Atlantic herring
- Atlantic herring in eastern Canada is composed of two genetically distinct stocks that spawn in spring and fall, respectively.
- DFO’s 2026 Atlantic herring stock assessment showed that the spawning stock biomass of fall spawning herring was in the Healthy Zone in 2025.
- Under the new allocation framework, the fall herring TAC will be distributed as follows: 6,500 tonnes in the North sector (areas 16AB), 3,000 tonnes in the Central sector (areas 16CE), and 6,000 tonnes in the South sector (areas 16DFG).
- The new framework replaces the historical fixed sharing arrangement to mitigate the risk of overexploitation in some areas and improve fishing opportunities in others. The TAC distribution for the inshore and mobile fleets remains the same.
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SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada
