Notices to Fish Harvesters

Quebec – June 25, 2026

Fisheries and Oceans Canada informs the Bluefin tuna Quebec licence holders of the management measures for the commercial fishery in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Ex-sector that will be in place for the 2026 fishing season.

The fishery will take place from July 1 to November 15, 2026. An initial allocation of 29.265 t is granted to the Quebec fleet for the Bluefin tuna directed fishery.

Based on an average weight of 273 kg (601 lb) for the Bluefin tunas landed in 2024 and 2025 and the available quota of 29.508 t in 2026 (initial quota of 29.265 t and 0.243 t from the carry-forward of the uncaught quota of 2025), 119 tags will be issued at the beginning of the fishing season. Additional tags will be available once the transfer amount from Mexico to Canada is known for 2026. The permanent eligibility lists established by a random draw will be used to issue tags.

Licence holders must request their Conditions of licence by accessing the National Online Licensing System (NOLS). Tags are sent to licence holders by certified mail once fishers have paid the licence and tags fees. Therefore, licence holders should anticipate the time frame for tag delivery in order to plan their fishing operations.

To consult all the management measures, please refer to the 2026 Conservation Harvesting Plan available online at : Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Fisheries and Oceans Canada (dfo-mpo.gc.ca)

For more information:

For additional information, please refer to our website at the following address: Pêches commerciales (dfo-mpo.gc.ca)

Mathieu Pellerin

Resource management

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Quebec region

418-572-9957

Mathieu.Pellerin@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Magdalen Islands area: 418-986-2095

Gaspe- Lower North Shore area: 1-877-898-5559