MCC submits feedback to the 2024/2025 herring IFMP

The David Suzuki Foundation and the MCC have repeatedly expressed deep concern regarding the state of herring spawning in the Strait of Georgia.

The herring fishery has undergone substantial truncation in both spatial and temporal extent, such that spawning is now minimal south of Dodd Narrows and concentrated in March. In 2024, the temporal extent of spawning in the SoG was among the briefest on record. We believe that the spatial and temporal trends in SoG herring spawning are indicative of substantial and ongoing change in the interaction of herring with the SoG ecosystem, with fishery effects potentially exerting influence in certain periods and areas.

We have repeatedly raised these and associated concerns with DFO, as have others. For us to be confident in DFO’s SoG herring decisions in the future, we will need to see evidence that DFO is directly engaging with the clear and ongoing changes to SoG herring spawning, and that DFO is deriving its harvest options with an understanding of the relevant trends and drivers.

For these reasons, we have made the decision to not endorse any harvest options for SoG
herring in 2024/2025.

Read our full input here.
https://www.mccpacific.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/MCC-2024-2025-Draft-Herring-Plans-Input-1.pdf