Transport Canada Has New Monitoring Tool

Researchers from the Institute Maurice LaMontagne are attempting to use Transport Canada’s navigation buoys as a monitoring tool to study mussels. Biologist Marcel Fréchette explained that the mollusks have fixed themselves to bridges. Since last year, the institute have been comparing data of the self-implantation to the data they already have on the Islands, Gaspesia and the North Coast, and to other data obtained from mussels that have been raised in experimental cages. The research in now underway on the mussels that are fixing themselves to the navigation buoys of Transport Canada, which should give a better knowledge of the geographical variations of the growth of young mussels, explained Mr. Fréchette.

The simplified version of the program's research project has followed the growth of the mussels taken from six different sites: from the Islands to Gaspé, Paspébiac, Blanc Sablon, Saint Pierre Harbour and Seven Islands. Marcel Fréchette foresees the project’s conclusion in 2009.

2007 Scallop Trade Growth Increase

This year the Magdalen Islands scallop fishermen experienced a reduction of fifteen percent in the number of days that they were permitted in fishing. However, in spite of the reduction the scallop trade is flourishing. There has been a growth in the abundance of the scallop from the day-to-day landings. The boats are bringing a volume of almost three times that which they had brought in last year.

Last year, the scallop fishery landed some 30 thousand pounds of the delicacy in 325 day season. This year they landed about 100,000 pounds of scallop in 275 day season or approximately three times more scallop this year over last. DFO biologist Hugo Bourdages explained the the rise in the amount of scallop this was because DFO reopened the ten mile limit, while closing the fishing off Millerand, Magdalen Islands. The reduction in the length of the fishery was to compensate DFO's decision to stop the re-sowing of the scallop spawn.

Hugo Bourdages notes that the recruitment of the stock of scallop is superior to the average for the past seven years; and this, some have given thanks to past sowings of the company 'Pétoncles 2000', which has contributed to increase this potential breeding stock. The yields of the 2007 fishing season still does not equal the 1995 summer season. To foresee the future of the fishery, Hugo Bourdages is currently trying to evaluate the abundance of the new cohorts of small scallop. New data has been taken and is being studied on the effectiveness of the use of dragnets, on board Calanus II. This data should also favor an absolute estimation of these pre-recruitments, rather than the traditional relative estimation.