Archived – Snow crab temporary allocations, area 12C and 15 - Quebec

Species and Area

Snow crab temporary allocations, area 12C and 15 – Quebec region

Dates of season

In zone 15, the season will run from April 12 th at 05h00 to July 12 th at 24h00 2010;
In zone 12C, the season will run from April 18th at 05h00 to July 18th at 24h00 2010;
The fishery could end sooner if the percentage of white crab in catches exceeds 20%;
There will be no extensions of the season for other than exceptional circumstances out of the control of the industry or the DFO (ex. late ice);

Total Allowable Catches and Sharing Arrangements (if applicable)

Distribution

A total volume of 100.23 tons of snow crab in area 12C and 55.275 tons in area 15 is granted for temporary allocations and will be distributed in equal parts between beneficiaries who meet the criteria for the season 2010.
A reserve of 2.36 tons will be kept awaiting the decisions of cases that could go before an

Management Measures

Eligibility Criteria

To be a core fish harvester;

To hold a groundfish license (except for fish harvesters from La Romaine and Kegaska);

To be a Lower North Shore resident (from Kegaska to Blanc Sablon);

Must have received a minimum revenue of 2000.00$ in 2009. This revenue must come from landings of its own fishing enterprise (excluding incomes from temporary allocation and seal hunt) and must have been recorded with DFO before December 31st, 2009;
Not hold or have held a regular snow crab and/or shrimp since 1995;

Conservation Measures

A maximum of 12 boats at a time will be authorized to fish in area 12C and 7 in area 15;

A maximum of 75 standards traps or 150 Japanese traps per boat is allowed;

The number of allocations transferred to a single boat will be limited to 20;

No boat will be authorized to change fishing zones prior to harvesting the totality of his allowable catches in the previous zone;

Fish harvesters must obtain the licence condition for the zone they intend to fish in prior to setting their gear in this zone;

Dockside monitoring of all landings at 100%;

Hail out is mandatory in 2010;

Presence of at sea observers at a 10% rate will be at the industry’s expense;

Species at risk: Pursuant to the Species at Risk Act (SARA), all by-catches of spotted wolfish, northern wolfish and leatherback Turtle must be returned to the water and released in the same location they were caught and, if the fish is still alive, with as little harm as possible. Moreover, information regarding interactions with species at risk must be provided in the Species at risk section of the logbook.

Management Measures of Temporary Allocations:

In order to diminish operation costs, allocation transfers or partnership arrangement (Buddy-up system) will be authorized. To take advantage of this option, fish harvesters can get the forms at the DFO office in Sept-Iles. Fish harvesters involved in this partnership agreement (maximum of 2 fish harvesters) are authorised to use the following number of traps:150 standards size traps or 300 Japanese traps. Landings will be accounted for according to the prorata of the individul quotas of the two fish harvesters involved in a partenership agreement.

The DFO is in charge of identifying and maintaining up to date the list of beneficiaries of temporary crab allocations.

Fish harvesters meeting eligibility criteria will have to make formal agreements with the dockside monitoring and at sea observers companies before contacting the DFO for the licence's issue. A two working days notice will be necessary for DFO to emit the license conditions.

Revisions committee

A regional revisions committee will be put in place awaiting calls received on or before April 19th, 2010, from fish harvesters that do not comply with the eligibility criteria.

Links to other information

Facts on Canadian Species