The Honorable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries, announced that, over a decade after it was closed, the domestic commercial Northern shrimp fishery is reopening in Shrimp Fishing Area (SFA) 7, off the coast of eastern Newfoundland and Labrador. She also announced the establishment of a domestic Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of 1,367 tonnes for the 2026–2027 season.
SFA 7 is the domestic portion of Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Division 3L and is managed by Canada. The remainder of Division 3L is managed by NAFO, as it is outside Canada’s Exclusive Economic Zone. NAFO placed a moratorium on Northern shrimp in Division 3L in 2015 after the stock was determined to be in poor health. In order to protect the stock and maintain the fishery for future generations, NAFO closed the commercial fishery.
In 2025, Canada introduced a new stock assessment framework, which redefines assessment areas to better align with the stock’s biological distribution. Under this new framework, the shrimp population in the South Stock Assessment Region, which includes SFA 7, was determined to be in the Healthy Zone, providing new economic opportunities for harvesters on Canada’s east coast while supporting sustainability. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) will continue to monitor the health of the Northern shrimp population through periodic stock assessments.
DFO’s priority is to balance conservation goals with economic considerations, and we are committed to supporting harvesters while ensuring the stock remains healthy for generations to come.
“The shrimp fishery supports thousands of jobs on Canada’s east coast. By reopening the commercial fishery in SFA 7, we are continuing to support the fishing industry on Canada’s east coast and everyone who makes a living from it,” said The Honorable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries.
- Northern shrimp have a wide geographic range in the Atlantic Ocean, and are found in coastal waters off Nunavut in the north, and as far south as Massachusetts.
- For the 2026–2027 fishing season, historic allocations will be maintained, with the exception of the portion of the TAC (9.4%) designated to the Prince Edward Island Consortium. This portion of the TAC will be held in reserve for the 2026–2027 season, pending further analysis of the most appropriate use of the available quota.
