Herring season is back, but in measured proportions by DFO

The herring season will make a return to the North Coast in 2023, though the days of the giant harvests of the past are still the thing more of legend than a forecast for the short burst of fishing ahead.

A return to the fishing grounds coming after last years suspension of all herring fisheries in northern waters, but its return will be that of a limited volume.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced how the 2023 season will shape up yesterday,  releasing the details of the Integrated Fisheries Management Plan which will continue to focus on building the herring stocks back up over harvesting opportunities.

For the Prince Rupert District the rate of harvest will be at 5 percent or 1,786 metric tonnes.

PRD: FSC, Spawn on Kelp, and Roe herring opportunities (5% harvest rate) to a maximum of 1,786 tons. All MPs up to a 20% harvest rate met the conservation objective; the quota level is based on application of an MP that applies a 5% harvest rate and a lower operational control point at 30% of the unfished spawning biomass and a upper operational control point at 60% of the unfished spawning biomass. 

In this area, stock biomass and growth has remained low but steady, fluctuating around the LRP from around 2005 to 2018 and has recently increased in abundance. Spawning biomass in 2023 is forecast to be 40,009 short tons (range: 22,012–69,459 tons) and to be below the LRP with a 5% probability in the absence of fishing.

The Central coast has a slightly higher harvest rate set at 7 percent.

CC: FSC, and Spawn on Kelp herring opportunities (7% harvest rate) to a maximum of 1,440 tons. MPs with a 5% and 10% harvest rate met the conservation objective. 

This stock has shown a steady increase in spawning biomass since a low in the late 2000s through to 2019, with a decrease in spawning biomass in recent years. Spawning biomass in 2023 is forecast to be 20,565 short tons (range: 10,528-41,908 tons) and to be below the LRP with a 33% probability in the absence of fishing.

Some areas of DFO jurisdiction will remain closed this year,  however under the IFMP the First Nations fisheries for food, social and ceremonial purposes will move forward in all areas.

The last decade of landings has shown the ebb and flow of the industry, from the lows of 2011 to a peak in 2017, 2021 the last year for a fishery saw a slight increase from the year before.

When it comes to export, Japan remains the dominant market for British Columbia harvest herring, though the product on the North Coast has been trucked south for processing for close to a decade now. 

That downsizing of the local industry had a significant impact on local shoreworkers and fishing crews, as well as to make for a hit to the overall economic boost that the fishery delivered to the community in those past years of local processing.

The herring season will start later this month and carry on into March.

The full Integrated Fishing Management Plan can be reviewed here.

More notes on the North Coast and Haida Gwaii fishery can be explored through our archive page.