Conservation-based Harvesting Plan Whelk Areas 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9 2011 Season

Sept-Îles, March 30, 2011

Species and regions

Whelk areas 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9 – Quebec Region

Fishing areas:

  • Area 1 : Tadoussac to Pointe-aux-Outardes
  • Area 2 : Pointe-aux-Outardes to Pointe-des-Monts
  • Area 3 : Pointe-des-Monts to Pointe-au-Jambon
  • Area 4 : Pointe-Jambon to Cap Cormoran
  • Area 5 : Cap-Cormoran to Rivière-St-Jean
  • Area 6 : Rivière St-Jean to Baie-de-Grande Hermine
  • Area 7 : Baie-de-Grande Hermine to Rivière-de-l’Étang
  • Area 9 : North Anticosti Island

Season Dates (subject to change)

  • Area 1 : April 1st to September 25th
  • Area 2 : April 7th to September 15th
  • Area 3 : April 19th to November 13th
  • Area 4 : April 19th to October 18th
  • Area 5 : April 13th to October 5th
  • Area 6 : April 13th to October 5th
  • Area 7 : April 13th to October 12th
  • Area 9 : April 13th to October 12th

Total Allowable Catch (TAC)

  • Area 1 : TAC of 491 t
  • Area 2 : TAC of 109 t

Management Measures

Number of licences:

  • Area 1 : 11 licences
  • Area 2 : 6 licences
  • Area 3 : 7 licences
  • Area 4 : 29 licences
  • Area 5 : 21 licences
  • Area 6 : 16 licences
  • Area 7 : 7 licences
  • Area 9 : 1 licences

Whelk licence holders in Areas 5, 6 and 7 also have access to Area 9.

Minimum catch size:
70 mm in length.

Number of traps:
The maximum number of traps authorized in each area is 100 traps per fisher, with the following exceptions:
a) Current whelk licence holders, who are authorized to use 150 traps, will retain this privilege (grandfather clause). This grandfather clause will lapse if there is a change in licence holder.
b) Current whelk licence holders who have not registered any catches with DFO since 2000 will be authorized to use a maximum of 50 traps.

Volume of traps:
a) Current whelk licence holders authorized to use 50 or 100 traps may use traps with a maximum external volume of 0.3 m3 (10.6 ft3).
b) Current whelk licence holders authorized to use 150 traps will be able to use traps with a maximum external volume of 0.15 m3 (5.3 ft3).

Tagging:
Each trap must bear a valid tag obtained from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).

Hail in:
Obligation to hail in to a local monitoring company for Areas 1 and 2.

Log book:
The keeping of a log book is obligatory, and it must be sent to the Sept-Îles office of Fisheries and Oceans Canada on the Saturday of each week, when there have been fishing activities.

Area closure:
Areas 1 and 2 will be closed when the total allowable catch (TAC) is reached.

Incidental catches:
Incidental catches cannot be retained.

Multi-year committee:
Three-year management plan; the next advisory committee meeting will be held in 2012.

Species at Risk Act:
According to the Species at Risk Act (SARA) it is prohibited to kill, harm, harass, capture, take, possess, collect, buy, sell or trade an individual or a part thereof of a wildlife species that is listed as an extirpated species, an endangered or threatened species.

At the time of publication of this management plan, species occurring in the Atlantic and targeted by these measures are the following: Spotted wolfish; Northern wolfish; Leatherback turtle and Atlantic walrus (Northwest Atlantic population). Other species can be added over the course of the year.

All bycatches of the above-mentioned species must be returned to the waters where they were caught and, if the specimen is still alive, in a manner causing it the least harm possible. In addition, fishermen must fill in the (SARA) log book.

Licence Conditions

For obtaining licence conditions, please contact our sector offices. Two working days are required to issue a licence condition. Moreover, when applicable, every fisherman should reach a formal agreement with dockside monitoring companies before contacting the DFO for licence issuance.

For additional information

Jean Morisset
Acting Head, Resource Management, Aboriginal Fisheries and Species at Risk
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
North Shore Area
418 962-6314

Clément Beaudoin
Acting Area Head, Conservation and Protection
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
North Shore Area
418 962-6314

Hyperlinks leading to more information

Published management plans