Atlantic Fisheries Research Document 1996/116
An update on the Atlantic silversides fishery of Prince Edward Island, 1995
By D.K. Cairns
Abstract
Prince Edward Island is the main fishing area in North America for the Atlantic silverside (Menidia menidia). Since 1973, a commercial fishery based on traps set in coastal waters has produced landings averaging 130 tonnes annually, with a peak of 543 tonnes in 1994. The 1995 landings were 222 tonnes. Logbook records from six sites indicated a mean catch rate of 634 kg per trap per day. Fish aged 0+ comprised 88.3% by number of sampled catch. It is difficult to estimate sustainable harvest levels for silversides because of their sort life span. The large number of inactive licences poses a potential risk to silversides as fishing effort could rise sharply if market demand increases.
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