Fisheries and Oceans

This summary covers the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans meeting on March 9, 2026, which studied the management of Atlantic mackerel. Appearing from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans were Céline Gaudet, Regional Director General for the Gulf Region; Bernard Vigneault, Director General of the Ecosystem Science Directorate; and Todd Williams, Senior Director of Resource Management - Operations.

Céline Gaudet stated that the 2022 closure of the commercial mackerel fishery was a difficult but necessary step to rebuild the stock, which remains in the critical zone. She noted that harvesters continue to support scientific assessments through sampling and observations, and that the department has acted on many of the 28 recommendations from the committee's 2023 letter, including reopening a small bait fishery in 2024. She did not provide specific details on job cuts at the Maurice Lamontagne Institute but committed to a written response.

Bernard Vigneault explained that the Canadian mackerel stock is a northern contingent, distinct from a southern contingent fished by the U.S., and that the recent U.S. quota increase is driven by the southern contingent, not the one in Canadian waters. He confirmed that the stock is in a critical state, with few large, older fish, and that the department has accelerated the next stock assessment to 2026 due to changes in U.S. management. He disagreed with the suggestion that the stock is abundant, arguing that mackerel aggregate in dense schools, making surface observations misleading, and that the egg survey remains the most robust assessment method.

Todd Williams provided data showing declining mackerel landings from 2017 to 2022, leading to the closure, and noted that the bait fishery was set at 440 tonnes for 2024 and 2025, with a possible review for 2026. He acknowledged that a bilateral stock management agreement with the U.S. has not been achieved despite ongoing engagement, and that the department has provided over $1.6 million for alternative bait solutions. He also stated that the rebuilding plan aims for recovery within 18 years from 2023, a timeline that some members criticized as too long.

The meeting began with a procedural debate on a motion to invite the Minister of Fisheries to appear on the Main Estimates, which was amended and adopted to have the minister appear for two hours by March 31. A separate motion expressing disappointment that the minister had not appeared for the committee's study on marine and coastal protections was also debated, with some members arguing it was irrelevant given the earlier motion, while others insisted it was necessary to hold the minister accountable. The committee then proceeded to the scheduled study on mackerel.