Canada Bay of Fundy Atlantic herring - purse seine

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Overview

This fishery was certified against the MSC Standard in 2016, and then voluntarily withdrew from the MSC process due to concerns about herring stock status. Industry stakeholders have continued working with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and others to address deficiencies identified in the MSC assessment. They aim to do so through a FIP framework until the fishery is deemed ready to re-enter the MSC certification process.

FIP Description 

This fishery was certified against the MSC Standard in 2016, and then voluntarily withdrew from the MSC process due to concerns about herring stock status.

FIP Objective(s) 

FIP stakeholders have been implementing management improvements with a goal to re-certify the fishery against the MSC Standard by September 2025.

FIP Type 
Comprehensive
FIP Stage 
Stage 4: Improvements in Fishing Practices or Fishery Management
Start and Projected End Dates
September 2020
September 2025
Update 
The FIP date was extended two years from 2023 to 2025. It is now expected the FIP may take the full five years to complete the workplan.
Next Progress Report Due 
Monday, March 31, 2025
Species 
Common Name 
Atlantic Herring
Scientific Name
Clupea harengus
Gear Type 
Purse Seine
Location
FAO Major Fishing Area
Area 21 (Atlantic, Northwest)
Exclusive Economic Zones
Country 
Canada
Geographic Scope 
NAFO Division 4VWX Herring in the Bay of Fundy
Landings
Estimated Total FIP Landings 
18,000 metric tons
Estimated Total Fishery Landings 
21,000 metric tons
Landings Date 
September 2023
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FIP at a Glance

View current status
September 01, 2020
4% 4% 93%
Progress Rating (A) Advanced Progress

Reserved for comprehensive FIPs that have achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within the past 12 months.

(B) Good Progress

A basic FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within 12 months.

(C) Some Recent Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months that has never achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result but has reported a Stage 3 activity within the first 12 months.
(D) Some Past Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months BUT has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old AND a Stage 3 activity has been reported within six months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
(E) Negligible Progress
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old, with no Stage 3 activity reported in the last six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months with no Stage 3 activity reported within 12 months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.

The ratings are currently derived by SFP from publicly available data on FIP websites, including FisheryProgress.org, and are determined using the following methodology: View PDF

C Some Recent Progress
Actions Complete

This pie chart represents completed environmental actions. Non-completed environmental actions may contain completed sub-tasks that are not illustrated here. For more information on environmental action progress visit the Actions Progress tab.

  • Complete
  • Incomplete
Next Update Due FisheryProgress requires a FIP to provide update reports every six months, and two missed reports will render the FIP inactive. If a report is overdue, this date will appear red.
Mar 2025
Target End Date
Sep 2025

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
Connors Bros Marine Corp
Organization Type 
Industry
Primary Contact 
Matt Walsh
Organization Name 
Ocean Outcomes
Organization Type 
NGO
Primary Contact 
Jocelyn Drugan
FIP Identification Number The FIP Identification Number is automatically generated by FisheryProgress when a FIP profile is created. While the number itself is not meaningful, they are used by NGOs, academia, and industry to refer to FIPs in a consistent way.
14267