Fishermen's group wants herring quota reduced

The P.E.I. Fishermen's Association is upset about the herring quota granted this year for the seiner fleet in part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

The Association wants Ottawa to reverse its decision to grant a 5,000-tonne quota to the offshore herring fleet.

Last year's catch for the seiners was just a fraction of that at 302 tonnes.

Herring is often used as bait, but is also a stand-alone food fishery.

P.E.I. Fishermen's Association president Mike McGeoghegan said the quota for seiners this year is far too high and has the potential to ruin a number of fisheries on the Island.

"If the herring fishery is damaged in any way. the crab, the tuna, the lobstersthey are all in jeopardy. This is a serious matter," said McGeoghegan.

"It should have been a smaller catch, less than half of what they were allotted. It's a huge concern for the inshore fishery that this is way too much at a real critical time too. The seiners need to go. They just do. They are too efficient a killing machine to let operate in the waters anymore."

Ottawa set the herring quota this year based on a pilot fishery last year. But fishermen say there isn't enough scientific data to justify a quota this big.

P.E.I.'s fisheries minister has also sent a letter to Ottawa calling for a reversal of the decision.