The PEI smelt fishery should be managed with caution. There is no directed fishery for shad on PEI and no bycatch is recorded in most years. Substantial catches were taken in cod gillnets in 1991 and 1992. Tomcod is not subject to a directed fishery on PEI, but the species is regularly taken in the smelt fishery. Reported landings in the past several years are a small fraction those recorded in the 1970s, but the cause of this decline is not known.
Atlantic sturgeon is taken sporadically and incidentally.