Capelin was traditionally fished in the St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence for use as fertilizer or bait. Today, its roe is primarily sold to the Japanese market. This extremely lucrative market has sent the capelin fishery skyrocketing. Landings have increased from some 700 tonnes to over 10 000 tonnes per year. Capelin's ecological significance has prompted Fisheries and Oceans Canada to step up efforts to protect this coveted resource. François Grégoire, a biologist at the Maurice Lamontagne Institute in Mont-Joli, Quebec, is in charge of assessing capelin stocks in the St. Lawrence Estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.