Just days after announcing the commercial mackerel fishery in Area 16 would close on Nov. 16, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans reopened the season Nov. 21.
In a memo to the Atlantic Mackerel Advisory Committee dated Nov. 20, committee chair Brian Lester says, “Upon further review, commercial catches in the fishery stood at 9.191 tonnes.”
Lester says the department will continue to monitor commercial mackerel landings daily, adding the season could close again on short notice.
The original closure order applied to all vessels and gear types.
The minimum length for mackerel in mackerel fishing area 16 when fishing for commercial and recreational purposes is 26.3 cm. The number of mackerel less than 26.3 cm in length retained during any one fishing trip must not exceed 10 per cent of the number of longer mackerel caught and retained during that fishing trip.
