2012 UPDATE OF THE CANADIAN BLUEFIN TUNA FISHERY AND CPUE SERIES

The Canadian commercial bluefin fishery generally occurs between July and November, and consists of two commercial fisheries targeting bluefin tuna migrating into Canadian waters: one off the coast of southwestern Nova Scotia (SWNS) and one in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (sGSL) (Figure 1, Figure 2). Catches for the SWNS fishery are localized along the northern edge of Georges Bank, Hell Hole, Fundy Bay, St. Margaret’s Bay, Halifax and Canso areas (Figure 1). Fish in the sGSL fishery are generally caught in waters north of Prince Edward Island and west of Cape Breton Island (Figure 1).