The petition expresses concern over recent decisions made by Fisheries and Oceans Canada regarding the management of the declining striped bass population in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The petition refers to Fisheries Management Order 2025‑01, which requires gaspereau fishers to retain up to 500 incidentally caught striped bass daily. It also refers to other recent decisions, such as increasing the Indigenous striped bass quota from 50,000 to 175,000 and renewing a pilot project that allows the bycatch of striped bass in lobster traps.
The petition states that these decisions contradict current population data, which estimates the striped bass population at 345,000. This number is barely above the limit reference point and falls within the cautionary zone. The petition claims that political pressure rather than science is influencing these decisions and requests the release of scientific evidence and internal advice supporting Fisheries Management Order 2025‑01.