Historical and Current Knowledge of the Greenland Halibut from Québec Fixed-gear Fishers in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Fishing for Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) in the estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence (NAFO divisions 4RST) has been practiced mainly with gillnets by coastal fishers of Quebec and Newfoundland since the beginning of the 1970s. However, little information is available on the development of this exploitation, for example, on the evolution of the fishing practices. In 1997, a project on the Greenland halibut fishers’ knowledge was initiated with the aim of documenting the historical and current knowledge of this fishery. The specific objectives were to compile a qualitative database of information from the fishers and to integrate this information into stock status assessments. Semi-directed individual interviews were held with 21 fishers. The information collected touched on four themes: the fishing practices, the biology and environment of the Greenland halibut, the social dimension of the fishing activities, and the management and conservation of this species. The results presented here describe the changes in the fishing practices and strategies that took place between 1970 and 1997. We also examined the relationships between these changes, the prevailing socio-economic context, and the landings of Greenland halibut for the same period. In thirteen years, the Greenland halibut fishing has evolved from a traditional and subsistence fishery to an effective and competitive commercial exploitation.