Management decision for 2026/27 Northern Shrimp Fishing Areas (SFAs) 4, 5, 6 and 7
Dates of season (subject to change)
SFAs 4, 5, 6 and 7 operate year round, from April 1 to March 31.
Total Allowable Catches (TAC)
SFA 4
The TAC in SFA 4 for Pandalus borealis decreased by 5% from 16,220 tonnes (t) in 2025/26 to 15,490t in 2026/27, which includes a 1,500t allocation for Use of Fish under Section 10 of the Fisheries Act.
The Pandalus montagui bycatch limit will remain at the 2025/26 level of 4,033 t.
SFA 5
The TAC in SFA 5 decreased by 11% from 2025/26 levels from 12,208t in 2025/2026 to 10,899 t in 2026-27.
SFA 6
The TAC in SFA 6 was decreased by 3% from 2025/26 levels from 13,363t in 2025/26 to 12,991 t in 2026/27.
SFA 7
A decision has been taken to reopen SFA 7, the domestic portion in Canadian fisheries waters of Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Division 3L. The 3L fishery has been closed since 2015.
A domestic TAC has been established for 2026-27 in SFA 7 at 1,367 t. This amount represents Canada’s historical 83.3% share of the 3L TAC.
Allocations
SFA 4 Borealis
| Fleet / Interest | 2026/27 Quota (t) | Percent share (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Offshore fleet | 10,660 | 76.2 |
| Inshore Fleet | 741 | 5.3 |
| Innu Nation | 1,190 | 8.5 |
| Nunatsiavut Government | 1,399 | 10 |
| NSRF | 1,500 | NA |
| Total | 15,490 | - |
SFA 5
| Fleet / Interest | 2026/27 Quota (t) | Percent share (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Offshore fleet | 4,146 | 38.04 |
| Northern Coalition | 3,052 | 28.0 |
| Innu Nation | 566 | 5.19 |
| Nunatsiavut Government | 1,079 | 9.9 |
| Imakpik | 302 | 2.77 |
| NunatuKavut Community Council | 678 | 6.22 |
| Inshore Aff Cod Harvesters (Cartwright to L’Anse au Clair) | 963 | 8.84 |
| Inshore Aff Cod Harvesters (Northern Peninsula) | 113 | 1.04 |
| Total | 10,899 | - |
SFA 6
| Fleet / Interest | 2026/27 Quota (t) | Percent share (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Offshore fleet | 3,000 | 23.1 |
| SABRI | 585 | 4.5 |
| Innu Nation | 221 | 1.69 |
| Fogo Island Co-Op | 143 | 1.1 |
| Inshore fleet | 9,042 | 69.6 |
| Total | 12,991 | - |
SFA 7
Domestic allocations are currently under review, with 9.4% of the TAC, previously allocated to the Prince Edward Island Consortium, being held in reserve pending further decision.
| Fleet / Interest | 2026/27 Quota (t) | Percent share (%) |
|---|---|---|
| NAFO regulatory area | N/A | 16.7 |
| Offshore fleet | 276.1 | 20.2 |
| Inshore fleet | 898.1 | 65.7 |
| Miawpukek First Nation | 64.2 | 4.7 |
| Reserve | 128.5 | 9.4 |
| Total Canadian TAC | 1,367 | - |
| Total | 1,641 | - |
Management measures
The 2026–27 TACs for SFAs 4 to 7 are based on harvest decision rules that were tested through a Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) process and supported by industry.
For the North Stock Assessment Region (NSAR), which includes SFA 4 and the northern part of SFA 5, TACs are set using a two-step harvest decision rule that:
- uses a 20% exploitation rate;
- phases in changes over four years; and
- limits TAC changes to no more than 25% from one year to the next.
For the South Stock Assessment Region (SSAR), which includes the southern part of SFA 5 and SFAs 6 and 7, TACs are set using a two-step harvest decision rule that:
- uses a 15% exploitation rate; and
- limits TAC changes to no more than 25% from one year to the next.
Science advice on harvest levels is developed at the stock level and then divided among fishing areas (SFAs) based on the proportion of fishable biomass in each area.
For the NSAR, a 5% catch utilization adjustment is added to the TAC and distributed across allocations in SFA 4 and SFA 5-North.
The TAC for SFA 5 combines the TACs calculated separately for SFA 5-North and SFA 5-South under the NSAR and SSAR harvest rules.
Single or multi-year planning
This information is applicable to the 2026/27 fishery only.
Links to other information
Northern Shrimp Integrated Fisheries Management Plan
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