The 2026–27 TAC (total allowable catch) decisions for the Northern shrimp fishery will be made following consultations with the Northern Shrimp Advisory Committee in March, including shrimp fishing area (SFA) 7 in NATO 3L, which has been under moratorium since 2015.
“SFA 7 is Canada’s domestic portion of Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Division 3L. Canada presented a new understanding of the stock structure for Northern shrimp at the NAFO Scientific Council meeting in September 2025. The assessment of stock status for Northern shrimp in the South Stock Assessment Region (SSAR) was healthy in March 2025. A decision on the fishery will be made following consultations with industry, stakeholders and Indigenous partners,” said Axel Rioux, Fisheries and Oceans Canada media relations (DFO).
“No decision on the fishery has been made. Should the fishery re-open, the TAC for SFA 7 in Canada will be determined based on the best available science and consultation with the Northern Shrimp Advisory Committee (NSAC) in March. In terms of opening and closing dates in Canada, management measures and gear requirements for domestic fleets would be consistent with those in other SFAs,” Rioux said.
“A Management Transition Working Group has been established to develop recommendations for the NSAC on management implications resulting from the new stock assessment for Northern shrimp. These recommendations will help inform a decision for the 2026–2027 fishery,” Rioux added.
According to DFO statistics, 28,285 MT of Northern shrimp was landed in 2025 in Newfoundland and Labrador, with a landed value of $139,823,408.
There are approximately 200 licence holders in SFA 6 and 7, most of which are N.L.-based. In SFA 8 to 12 (separate Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence fishery) there are 34 N.L.-based licences. In the offshore (SFA 0 to 7) there are 17 licences, as well as some special allocations to organizations, communities or entities including Indigenous organizations, said Rioux.
In SFA 4, the TAC was increased by 4.3 per cent from 15,553t in 2024/25 to 16,220t in 2025/26. In SFA 5, the TAC was reduced by 3.3 per cent from 2024/25 levels from 12,618t to 12,208t in 2025/2026. In SFA 6, the TAC was increased by 50.0 per cent from 2024/25 levels from 8,909t to 13,363t in 2025/26.
SFAs 4, 5 and 6 operate year-round, from April 1 to March 31.
