Archived – Atlantic halibut - Québec Lower North Shore fixed gear fleet, West sector

Species and Area

Atlantic Halibut – Lower North Shore, West sector, Quebec

Dates of season (subject to change)

The Atlantic Halibut directed fishery for the fixed gear fleet from the western sector of Lower North Shore (Kegaska to St. Augustin) will be open from July 30th to August 5th 2010.

Total Allowable Catches and Sharing Arrangements (if applicable)

As stipulated in the Notice to Fish Harvesters issued on July 27th 2010, the allocation granted to fish harvesters from Kegaska to St. Augustin is of 15.0 tons. According to recommendations by the Lower North Shore Fishery Association (LNSFA), the allocation will be managed through an individual harvest limit considering the 11 eligible fish harvesters which manifested their interest following the call for interest issued on July 16th 2010.

Management Measures

In 2010, a few changes have been brought to fishery’s management measures of which an increase of the minimal legal size for the Atlantic Halibut which is now of 85 cm and the implementation of a quota reconciliation program. Moreover, transfers, buddy-up, boat rental or fish harvester replacement will not be allowed except under exceptional circumstances. Major management measures are stipulated in the 2010-2011 Conservation Harvesting Plan joining the present Notice to Fish Harvesters.

Designated fish harvesters must obtain valid 2010-2011 Licence Conditions from the Sept-Îles DFO Licensing Office before directing their harvesting activities on Atlantic Halibut.

Conservation Harvesting Plan

This Conservation Harvesting Plan (CHP) applies to the Québec Lower North Shore fixed gear fleet of less than 19.8 m based from Kegaska to St. Augustin, or otherwise mentioned as the western sector, fishing Atlantic Halibut in NAFO divisions 4RST during the period from May 15th, 2009 to May 14th, 2010. When fishing in another NAFO division, the Conservation Harvesting Plan for that area applies. It is important to note that this Conservation Harvesting Plan is subject to change following ministerial decisions.

Directed fishing for any other groundfish species will require a separate harvesting plan.

The management measures during the fishery are as follows:

1. Protection of spawning fish and Concentrations of cod

The protection of fish during the spawning period and areas where there are concentrations of juveniles is a priority that the Department and the industry consider very important for the reconstruction of the cod stock in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The following conservation measures apply:

• Closure of all groundfish fisheries from April 1st to June 23rd in part of the NAFO Division 4R off shore from St. Georges Bay and Port au Port Bay known as a spawning area;
• Permanent closure of all groundfish fisheries from January 1st to December 31st in part of sub division 4T3 (Miscou Bank) known as a cod concentration zone;
• Permanent closure of all groundfish fisheries from January 1st to December 31st in sub division 4T5 (Shediac valley) known as a juvenile area.

2. Fishing gear

The use of longline is authorized with a maximum of 2000 hooks which must have an opening equal to or greater than to 15.4 mm.

3. Quota and fishing effort

The allocation of Atlantic Halibut granted to the fixed gear fleets of the North Shore correspond to 34.5 t. In addition, because of the 2010 sharing of the allowance coming from the temporary transfer from the Atlantic Halibut mobile gear fleets, established according to equal shares, the North Shore fleets of less than 19.8 m get an additional 17.1 t. In total, 51.6 t is available to fishing for the North Shore. In accordance with the temporary sharing in force in 2010 only between the fleets of the Lower North Shore and the Upper and Middle North Shore and established at equal shares, 25.8 t are reserved for each fleet. For the Lower North Shore fleet, 5.8 t are set-aside to cover the by-catches that are made while fishing other groundfish species and 20 t are allowed for a direct Atlantic Halibut fishery.

Fish harvesters’ representatives consulted could not come to an agreement regarding the access to the resource, sharing of the allocation and other management measures. Therefore, Fisheries and Ocean Canada announces the following temporary sharing, for 2010 only, of the 25.8 tons allocated to the Lower North Shore fleet:

• Quota allocated for by-catch: 5,8 tons
• Quota allocated to fish harvesters from Kegaska to St-Augustin: 15,0 tons
• Quota allocated to fish harvesters from Old Fort to Blanc Sablon: 5,0 tons

According to the will of fish harvesters’ organizations, subsequent discussions will take place to determine a permanent sharing between the fleet of Upper and Middle North Shore and the fleet of Lower North Shore based on historical landings. Such a sharing could also be considered between fleets of the western and eastern sectors of the Lower North Shore.

4. Conversion ratio

A conversion ratio of 1,15 is used to convert the weight of eviscerated catches to round fish weight.

5. Individual harvest limit

With reference to the Notice to fish harvesters issued on July 16th 2010, 11 fish harvesters from the western sector manifested their interest to participate to the Atlantic Halibut fishery. An individual harvest limit of 1186 kg (2614 pounds) of eviscerated Atlantic Halibut or 1363 kg (3006 pounds) of round Atlantic Halibut is in application. When this limit is attained, the fish harvester must withdraw his gear from the water in order not to surpass it.

6. Quota reconciliation

As announced during the last Gulf Groundfish Advisory Committee held last March, and in the Notice to Fish Harvesters issued on May 27th 2010, the quota reconciliation program is put in effect beginning this present season. As such, quota overruns incurred during the 2010-2011 season will be deducted by a factor of one-to-one on next year’s quotas.

7. Fishing season

Fishing will be authorized from July 30th, 2010 at 4:00 AM until August 5th,2010 at 9:00 PM (Eastern Daylight Time).

The date above could be changed depending on circumstances at the time, for example industry’s requests, reach of the quota or high probabilities to exceed it.

The industry and the Department could jointly approve a management approach aimed at adapting fishing effort with a residual quota following the fishing period indicated above.

8. Fishing Zones

The authorized fishing areas are:

4R 4S 4T1
4T2 ab 4T3 ab 4T4 4T6 4T9 ab	Except for the Miscou Bank

9. By-catch limits

By-catch is defined as the weight of a by-catch species divided by the weight of the directed species, in this case, Atlantic Halibut.

The by-catch limits of groundfish authorized while directing for Atlantic Halibut in 4RST are:

• Cod
  • The greater of 10% or 45 kg per fishing trip;
• White Hake
  • 10% by fishing trip;
• Shark
  • The lesser of 10% or 500 kg by fishing trip providing the fish harvester has conditions of license authorizing by-catch of shark;
• Other species of groundfish
  • 10% by fishing trip.

If by-catch limits by fishing trip are exceeded, the fishery may be closed and enforcement action might take place.

10. Small fish protocol

The minimum size of fish relative to the small fish protocol is:

• Cod 43 cm
• American plaice 30 cm
• Witch flounder 30 cm
• White hake 45 cm
• Winter flounder/yellowtail 25 cm
• Atlantic Halibut 85 cm
• Greenland Halibut 44 cm
• Redfish 22 cm 

You must return to the water immediately all catches of Atlantic Halibut less than 85 centimetres and, when the fish is still alive, in a manner that causes it the least harm.

Areas could be closed for specified fleet sectors when the number of undersized fish reaches or exceeds 15 % of the catch of any of the above species.

11. Logbook

The logbook is mandatory for all vessels. It must be completed adequately each fishing day.

12. Coverage at sea observers

Industry-funded at-sea observer coverage at a minimum of 10% applies for vessels less than 13.7 metres. For vessels greater than 13.7 metres, a minimum of 15% will apply.

Hail out is mandatory for all vessels.

13. Dockside monitoring

Dockside Monitoring Program (DMP) applies at 100%.

14. Catch monitoring and test fishery

Small fish and by-catch closures are of a minimum duration of 10 days. The cost of conducting all test fisheries is borne by industry. If a fishery is closed, it will not re-open unless DFO feels that it can be effectively monitored and controlled. If any particular fishery is closed twice during the year because of high levels of small fish or incidental catch, the fishery may remain closed for the remainder of the year.

15. Other management measures

Buddy-up, transfer of individual harvest limit, boat rental and fish harvester replacement are not authorized except under exceptional circumstances.

If a fleet sector or an individual is suspected of dumping and discarding groundfish at sea, in addition to other regulatory options, including fisheries closures and legal proceedings, the industry funded at-sea observer coverage may be increased.

16. Other considerations

Pursuant to the Species at Risk Act (SARA), no person shall kill, harm, harass, capture, take, possess, collect, buy, sell or trade an individual or any part or derivate of a wildlife species designated as extirpated, endangered or threatened.

At the time this Management Plan is promulgated, the Atlantic species targeted by these measures are the following ones: Spotted wolfish (threatened), Northern wolfish (threatened), Leatherback Turtle (endangered) and Atlantic Walrus (Northwest Atlantic population) (extirpated). New species could be added to the SARA within the year.

All by-catches of species identified above must be returned to the water and released in the exact capture location and, if the fish is still alive, with as little harm as possible. The information related to species at risk shall be collected for each fishing trip where such a species is caught. This information must be entered into the logbook and reported to fisheries and Oceans Canada immediately after the fishing trip.

Links to other information

Non-cod groundfish species in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (NAFO Areas 4RST, 3Pn)
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/decisions/fm-2010-gp/atl-059-eng.htm