Archived – 2J3KLPs Herring – Newfoundland and Labrador

Species and Area

Herring stocks are distributed along the eastern coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador and the southeast coast of Newfoundland. These fisheries have historically supported commercial, food and bait fisheries.

The herring fishing areas are Southern Labrador (Fishing Area 2), White Bay - Notre Dame Bay (Fishing Areas 3 & 4), Bonavista Bay - Trinity Bay (Fishing Areas 5 & 6), Conception Bay - Southern Shore (Fishing Areas 7 & 8), St. Mary's Bay -Placentia Bay (Fishing Areas 9 & 10), Fortune Bay and Pass Island to Cinq Cerf Bay (Fishing Area 11).

Season openings and closings (subject to change)

Season dates for the 2010-2011 herring fishery are established for each fishing area through consultations with fishing industry representatives.

TAC and Sharing Arrangements

The total allowable catch for 2J3KLPs herring is set at 13,970 tonnes for the 2010 and 2011 seasons, an increase from 13,080 tonnes in 2009. This increase reflects positive signs in the stock assessment in selected parts of the management area. The TAC will be allocated to the respective quota areas and fleets according to existing sharing arrangements.

2010 Allocations by Area

Stock Area	Quotas (change from previous plan)
Labrador	150t (status quo)
White Bay/Notre Dame Bay	2,640t (an increase of 440t)
Bonavista Bay/Trinity Bay	4,950t (an increase of 450t)
Conception Bay/Southern Shore	600t (status quo)
St. Mary's Bay/Placentia Bay	2,250t (status quo)
Fortune Bay	2,880t (status quo)
Pass Island to Cinq Cerf Bay	500t (status quo)

Commercial quotas are allocated by area and gear type taking into consideration bait requirements in other fisheries and fleet shares which have been established through the advisory committee process. Quotas within each gear sector and area are fished competitively.

Management Measures

Fixed gear fishers are permitted to fish only in their Fishing Area of residence (any one area of Fishing Areas 1 to 11). Mobile gear operators who reside on the Northeast coast may fish in any of Fishing Areas 3 to 8 (Cape Bauld to Cape Race). Mobile gear fishers living on the Southeast coast may fish in Fishing Areas 9 and 10 (Cape Race to Point Crewe) - see Map of ‘Fishing Areas’.

A number of measures are in place to minimize potential salmon by-catch in the commercial fishery, including:

• Monofilament netting material is prohibited in herring trap net leaders and gillnets.
• Trap net leaders with a mesh size greater than 2 inches and less than 7 inches are prohibited

Measures have also been taken in the herring bait fishery to minimize the potential for salmon by-catch.

• Bait nets are not authorized to be set during peak salmon run periods in most areas and where authorized, must be set parallel to the shore.
• Requirement for bait net to be set with the head ropes not less than one fathom below the surface.

All licensed herring fishers operating vessels greater than or equal to 35 feet length overall (LOA) and those operating mobile gear vessels, regardless of length, are required as a condition of licence to provide detailed logbook records of catch and fishing activity.

Purse seine licence holders will be required to carry an at-sea observer intermittently throughout the fishery at the request of the Department.

Fishers participating in the bait and commercial fisheries will be requested to provide information on their activities specific to Science program requirements.

The fishery (all fleets & areas) is subject to a Dockside Monitoring Program.

In accordance with the Atlantic Fishery Regulations (AFR), no person shall fish for, sell, or have in their possession any herring that is less than 26.5 cm fork length (10.5 inches); with the exception of up to 10% of small herring (by count) per fishing trip when the taking of small herring is incidental to the capture of larger herring.