The History of the Gulf of St. Lawrence Shrimp Fishery

The northern shrimp fishery in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence (EGSL) began in the 1960s. Catches increased steadily and exceeded 30,000 tonnes annually from 2004 on. The 2013 fishery had 132 operators in five provinces and seven First Nations, and generated about 1,500 direct jobs for a landed value of over $40 million. The northern shrimp fishery in the EGSL progressed in five stages. The 1960s and 1970s were dedicated to exploration.  From 1982 to 1989, the number of operators increased substantially and DFO implemented the main management measures.  In the first half of the 1990s, commercial shrimping activities were consolidated as groundfish stocks declined. From 1996 to 2003, increasing shrimp abundance and participation of First Nations and groundfish fishers led to industry expansion. The fifth period beginning in 2004 was one of high shrimp abundance.  The challenges to managing the EGSL shrimp fishery are the sustainable and responsible harvest of a resource with natural abundance fluctuations, that is fished with mobile gear that impact the seabed and catch non-targeted species. Marine Stewardship Council certification was obtained in 2008 and has prompted the development of a precautionary approach for determining quotas and the assessment of ecosystem impacts of shrimp fishing.