Meet the fishers
Meet the Gulf of St Lawrence northern shrimp fishers
The holders of this MSC certificate are five shrimp processors from Québec that are members of the Association of Quebec Seafood Producers (AQIP), and two New Brunswick-based shrimp processors.
The five members of AQIP are Crevettes du Nord Atlantique Inc.,Crustacés des Monts Inc.,Fruits de Mer de l’est du Québec Ltée.,Tabatière Seafood and Pêcheries Marinard Ltée.
Produits Belle-Baie Ltée is a seafood processor located in Caraquet, New Brunswick; and L'Association Coopérative des Pêcheurs de l'Ile Ltée. of Lameque, New Brunswick, is a cooperative of harvesters that have also invested in processing facilities for northern shrimp.
Together, these seven companies sponsored the full assessment for MSC certification for this fishery.
This client group issued a statement about the fishery’s MSC certification, saying, “Gulf of St. Lawrence northern shrimp are already considered one of the highest quality in the world, free of chemicals. This MSC certification now proves that our fishery is among the most sustainable in the world. Certification is the culmination of a three-year joint effort of the primary partners in the fishery, including harvesters, processors, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and provincial partners. It affirms the close ties between Quebec and New Brunswick fishing industry members, and the commitment to the corrective action plan demonstrates our collective desire for an environmentally and economically sustainable fishery. The clients wish to especially thank DFO staff who contributed enormously to the project and to TAVEL Certification for leading us through this intricate process.”
Managed under Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), the fishery has numerous measures in place to ensure a minimal environmental impact and good management. Otter trawls fitted with Nordmore separator grates ensure reduced bycatch as fish pass through the grate and escape from the trawl. The captain of each vessel keeps a logbook recording the location and number of hours fished and an estimate of quantities caught. Since the early 1990s, at-sea observers have been in operation, in addition to all shrimp landings being monitored at dockside.
The Gulf of St. Lawrence northern shrimp trawl fishery’s season extends from April 1 to December 31 each year.
