The minimum commercially acceptable size of redfish landed in Canada is approximately 25 cm. Most of the catch is destined to be turned into fillets, skin on or off, which is the major product of shore-based plants, and they are marketed as ocean perch throughout North America. The resource is divided into seven separate stocks, each of which is managed separately. In 1983, the various stocks were fished. Federal research personnel from the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre in St. John's, Newfoundland, and the Marine Fish Division of the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, conduct annual research cruises to study and monitor these stocks.
Information concerning age and growth is collected, and estimates of abundance are made.
In addition, commercial catches are sampled for size, weight and age in order to keep pace with trends that become apparent within the industry. This information is carefully assessed and decisions are taken so that the fishery may be managed wisely and remain healthy over the long-term. The seven redfish stocks are in good condition at the moment, except for St. Pierre Bank. However, as more younger redfish become large enough to enter the commercial fishery, the St. Pierre stock is expected to show some recovery after a period of low abundance. The Gulf stock has also been at very low levels until very recently, but in the last two to three years the evidence points to a significant increase in young redfish reaching commercial size than was the case during the latter part of the 1970s.