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Canada reopens northern shrimp fishery after more than a decade

Responsible Seafood Advocate

Latest assessment finds shrimp population off eastern Newfoundland and Labrador is healthy enough to support commercial harvesting

northern shrimp
For the first time in more than a decade, Canada will reopen a commercial northern shrimp fishery off the coast of eastern Newfoundland and Labrador after federal scientists determined the shrimp population had largely recovered. Public domain photo via Wikimedia Commons.

For the first time in more than a decade, Canada will reopen a commercial northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) fishery off the coast of eastern Newfoundland and Labrador after federal scientists determined the shrimp population had largely recovered.

Canada’s fisheries minister, the Honorable Joanne Thompson, announced that harvesters will be allowed to catch 1,367 metric tons of northern shrimp in Shrimp Fishing Area 7 during the 2026-2027 season. The fishery was closed in 2015 after the stock was found to be in poor condition.

The reopening follows a new stock assessment that found the shrimp population in the area is now healthy enough to support a commercial fishery. According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the decision is intended to create economic opportunities for harvesters while maintaining the long-term sustainability of the stock.

“The shrimp fishery supports thousands of jobs on Canada’s east coast,” said Thompson. “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.”

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Shrimp Fishing Area 7 is located in the domestic portion of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Division 3L, off the coast of eastern Newfoundland and Labrador. The commercial fishery was closed by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization in 2015 after the stock was determined to be in poor health.

In 2025, Canada introduced a new stock assessment framework that redefined assessment areas to better reflect the shrimp’s biological distribution. Under the new system, the population in the South Stock Assessment Region, which includes SFA 7, was classified in the Healthy Zone.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada said it will continue monitoring the stock through regular assessments. Historic quota allocations will remain in place for the 2026-2027 season, except for the portion allocated to the Prince Edward Island Consortium, which will be held in reserve pending further review.

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