Gulf of St. Lawrence shrimp (Areas 8,9,10 and 12)

Dates of season (subject to change)

The fishing season will begin on Sunday, April 1st 2012.

Total Allowable Catches and Sharing Arrangements

The 2012 total allowable catches (TAC) in each fishing area were determined with the decision rule of the Gulf shrimp precautionary approach (PA). The Gulf shrimp PA will also be used to set the 2013 TACs. The Total allowable catches (TAC) is 32,848 tonnes

TAC per fishing area:

  • Estuary: 1,053 tonnes
  • Sept Îles: 12.896 tonnes
  • Anticosti Island: 8,447 tonnes
  • Esquiman Channel: 10,452 tonnes

RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION FOR GROUP A FISHERS (WEST COAST OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR AND QUEBEC)

In Newfoundland and Labrador, traditional shrimp harvesters will receive 5,753t while an amount of 1,050t tonnes will be allocated to other fish harvesters.

For Quebec, traditional shrimp harvesters will receive 774 tonnes while 76 tonnes will be available for groundfish harvesters on the Quebec Lower North Shore.

RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION FOR GROUP B FISH HARVESTERS (QUEBEC AND NEW- BRUNSWICK)

Traditional Group B shrimp harvesters and First Nations will receive 21,716 tonnes while an amount of 2,726 tonnes will be allocated to groundfish dependant harvesters.

Note that in the context of the ITQ program of Group B, excluding the First Nations at this moment, the associations representing most of traditional fish harvesters of New Brunswick and Quebec have agreed that their ITQ temporary transfer will be done within the same province and this, until October 1st 2012

Also, traditional shrimp harvesters of Quebec have developed transitional administrative guidelines that would be used to manage ITQ of traditional shrimp harvesters of Quebec for this year starting today. Please communicate with your association for further details.

RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION FOR PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND AND NOVA SCOTIA

An allocation of 376 tonnes goes to core fish harvesters in each of these provinces: Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

General conservation measures applicable to all fishers

  • Use of the Nordmore grate is mandatory throughout the shrimp season.
  • Use of double liners over the Nordmore grate is forbidden during the season.
  • Any groundfish caught accidentally while fishing may be returned to the water. However, the following species must be returned to the water immediately and, where the fish is alive, in a manner that causes it the least harm: Atlantic halibut less than 85 centimetres, Northern wolffish, Spotted wolffish and Atlantic Leatherback turtle.
  • 100% independent dockside monitoring of all landings.
  • At least 5% presence of on-board observers at the industry’s expense.
  • The use of a vessel monitoring system (VMS) is mandatory.

Quota reconciliation in the Gulf shrimp fishery

As announced in 2011, the Department will apply the quota reconciliation in 2012 quotas and in the subsequent years. Therefore, any overharvest of a quota in one year, on an IQ, EA or in a competitive fishery, will be accounted for in advance of the following fishing season. The accounting will result in a quantity of fish equal to the quantity of the overrun being taken off the top of the quota or allocation (i.e., not allocated) of the respective licence holder or fleet before the next fishing season starts.

It is of the responsibility of the licence holder to respect the allocation he is granted (ITQ and IQ) while taking into consideration transfers and landings and to take the necessary arrangements before departing for a fishing expedition to have the necessary quota to cover its expected catches for this expedition.

Species at risk

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 Gulf of St.-Lawrence and the Atlantic species targeted by these measures are the following ones : Spotted wolffish, Northern wolffish, Leatherback Turtle and Striped Bass (St. Lawrence Estuary population). New species could be added in the course of 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. In addition, information regarding interactions with species at risk must be recorded in the Species at risk section of the logbook.