Conservation and Harvesting Plan for the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence fall herring fisheries

Moncton – Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is announcing today the fall Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence herring (Herring Fishing Areas 16A to G and 17) Conservation and Harvesting Plan.

On August 20, 2020, DFO announced that the Total Allowable Catches (TAC) will be 12,000 t for 2020. This decrease in the TAC for the fall herring fishery is necessary to promote stock rebuilding which is currently in the cautious zone of the Precautionary Approach framework to the healthy zone.

The quota will be distributed based on the existing fleet shares for the various fleets involved and the following allocations were established in order to reach the TAC of 12,000 t.

* For more details on inshore quota distribution rules, please refer to Annex 1.

Large Purse Seine fleet fishery on “the Edge” (4T)

This fishery, designed to target fall spawners during the month of May and June, will continue in the 2020 fishing seasons with the same parameters and management measures as in 2019. This fleet is authorized to fish their fall herring quota along the Edge in 4T during the spring season (May-June) using purse seine gear (Chart 4). A small fish protocol that reduces the remaining available quota according to the percentage of herring smaller than 23.5 cm (fork length) in the catch will be maintained. As in 2019, management measures will include: 20% independent at-sea observer coverage, 100% dockside monitoring, and mandatory vessel monitoring system to monitor this fishery. (See annex 2 for all details).

Quota reconciliation

Quota reconciliation in the Gulf herring fisheries will continue to be applied in 2020. Quota overruns from the 2020 fisheries will be deducted, in equal amounts, from the quota of the following year in the same Herring Fishing Area and season. Quantities will be rounded to +/- 10 kg.

Carry forward of quota

Considering that the HFA16 herring fall component stock is now in the cautious zone of the precautionary approach framework, the carry forward of the quota will no longer be possible. According to the Quota Carry-Forward Guidelines for Atlantic Canada, quota carry forward will be considered only when stocks are in the healthy zone. When stocks are in the cautious zone, quota carry forward will be considered if the stock is on a positive trend and the TAC is increasing.

Mesh size measurement

Mesh size as applicable in the herring fishery is defined in the Atlantic Fishery Regulations as follow:

• mesh size means, in respect of netting the total length of the twine measured along two contiguous sides of a single mesh, including the distance across the knot joining those sides but not including any other knots,
• See diagram below

Please note that the measurement is taken with the net pulled tight which would be harder to display in the diagram.

Herring dependant fish harvesters

Given the current status of the herring stock, herring dependant fishers are encouraged to continue to work with their respective organizations in order to identify options to improve their economic viability.

Information

2020 Conservation Harvesting Plan

Fall inshore gillnet fishery

• Dockside Monitoring Program (DMP) and weekend closures are a requirement in most fishing areas. (See Table 1)
• Gillnets are restricted to a maximum of 150 fathoms in length and 125 mesh deep with the exception of 16F which will be 100 fathoms in length, 16B which will be 125 fathoms in length and 16G Southside which will be 100 mesh deep. The minimum mesh size in all areas is 66.7 mm except 63.5 mm in 16A.
• Tagging of all gillnets in all HFAs is required in 2020, with one tag for every 15 fathoms of net.
• Other management measures are outlined in Table 1.

Baie des Chaleurs (HFA 16 B) fall fishery

Early Fishery

As in previous years, there is an early fishery in July (July 1-31), with a maximum of 185 t. Any uncaught quota will be transferred to the main roe fishery. Fish harvesters will be limited to one landing per day, with a maximum weight of 10,206 kg.

Main roe fishery

The season will open on August 23, 2020 with a quota of 6,135 t.

The fishery will be closed weekdays between 13:00 and 19:00 (Atlantic Daylight Time) and every weekend from 13:00 Friday until 19:00 Sunday (Atlantic Daylight Time). No nets will be allowed in the water during these closed periods.

The use of a maximum of one (1) set of nets only will be authorized.

Fish harvesters will be limited to one landing per day, with a maximum weight of 10,206 kg or with a maximum daily limit which will be self-managed by industry when participating in the pilot project.

Small Seiners

The purse seine fishery will be allowed in the Baie des Chaleurs from July 1 until July 31, 2020, and from September 1 until December 31, 2020 except west of a line between Grande-Anse (NB) and Paspébiac (QC) in order to limit catches of spring spawners.

The purse seine fishery will continue to be subject to a small fish protocol.

Summer fishery in a portion of HFA 16E

A summer herring fishery (starting on July 1, 2020) is authorized in a portion of HFA 16E with a set quota of 257 t. The objective of the summer fishery is to provide some fishing opportunities to herring fish harvesters who have had a very limited or non-existent fishery in the spring.

To allow for a reasonable distribution of the resource among fish harvesters, the fishery will only open in the waters inside a line from Fagan Point, N.B., to Cape Egmont, P.E.I., and the lobster line separating Lobster Fishing Area 25 and 26A from Victoria Harbour, P.E.I. to Pugwash, N.S. (Chart 1). The remainder of 16E remains closed until the opening of the roe fishery.

Fish harvesters will have to choose between a summer fishery or a fall fishery. Those opting for a summer fishery will be required to request summer herring licence conditions by calling 1-855-634-2355 or by e-mail at Gulfinfogolfe@dfo-mpo.gc.ca before being authorized to participate in the summer fishery. The fishery will open at noon (12:00 p.m.), Atlantic Daylight Time, on July 1, 2020.

Any uncaught quota from the summer fishery will be transferred to the competitive quota for both groups A and B of the main roe fishery.

Fall fishery in the 16C and 16E Herring Fishing Areas

Main roe fishery for Groups A and B

The main roe fishery will start on August 23, 2020 with an allocation of 399 t for both groups A and B. When this quota is reached, the remaining allocation will be divided between group A (New Brunswick fish harvesters) and group B (Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia fish harvesters).

The fishery will be closed weekdays between 11:00 and 19:00 (Atlantic Daylight Time) and every weekend from 11:00 Friday until 19:00 Sunday (Atlantic Daylight Time). No nets will be allowed in the water during these closed periods.

Fish harvesters will be limited to one landing per day, with a maximum weight of 9,752 kg or with a maximum daily limit which will be self-managed by the industry when participating in the pilot project (group A only).

Fall fishery in Herring Fishing Area 16F

The 16F fall fishery will start on September 7, 2020 with an allocation of 2,734 t (summer and fall fishery allocations). The fishery will close no later than on October 2.

The fishery will be closed weekdays between 12:00 (noon) and 18:00 (Atlantic Daylight Time) and every weekend from 12:00 (noon) Friday until 18:00 Sunday (Atlantic Daylight Time). No nets will be allowed in the water during these closed periods.

Fish harvesters will be limited to one landing per day, with a maximum daily limit self-managed by the industry.

Fishermen’s Bank and Northeast PEI (HFA 16G) summer/fall fishery

The summer and fall fishery in HFA 16G will occur in two distinct periods and zones within HFA 16G (Northside and Southside) to allow for a reasonable distribution of the resource among fish harvesters.

The fishery will be closed every weekend from 15:00 Friday until 15:00 Sunday (Atlantic Daylight Time). No nets will be allowed in the water during these closed periods.

Summer fishery

A summer fishery will commence on July 14, 2020 for both Northside and Southside of HFA 16G and fish harvesters will fish against a reserve quota of 448 t until the main roe fishery opens, or until the quota is caught.

Fall fishery

When the main roe fall fishery opens on September 6, 2020 these fish harvesters will fish against the remaining 16G quota but must remain within the defined areas, until the fishery closes. Any remaining quota after September 18, 2020 will be accessible to all harvesters in their chosen zone in a late fishery. The fishery will close no later than on October 9.

Fish harvesters will be limited to either one or two landings per day depending on the fishing area , with a maximum daily limit self-managed by the industry of 4,536 kg.

Purse seine fishery for vessel greater than 19.81 meters

• A cap on fall spawners of 2,064 t in the Baie des Chaleurs will be implemented.
• Catches of fall spawners during the spring fishery along the edge of the Laurentian channel will be counted towards the large purse seiner fall quota.
• The purse seine fishery for vessel greater than 19.8 meters will be allowed in the Baie des Chaleurs from July 1 until July 31, 2020 and from September 1 until December 31, 2020, except west of a line between Grande-Anse (NB) and Paspébiac (QC) in order to limit catches of spring spawners.
• The purse seine fishery for vessel greater than 19.8 meters will be closed from January 1 to December 31 in a portion of HFA 16G off the northeast coast of PEI (Chart 2)
• Uncaught quota from the spring will be transferred to the fall, and access to the northern portion of 4Vn (HFA 17) will be authorized starting November 1. However, the amount and the conditions under which the fishery will take place in 4Vn (HFA 17) will be addressed in the Maritimes Region Herring Management Plan.
• All vessels must be equipped with an operational Vessel Monitoring System during fishing activities.
• There will be a minimum of 20% at-sea observer coverage during fishing activities.
• The purse seine fishery for vessel greater than 19.8 meters will continue to be subject to a small fish protocol.

*  Atlantic Daylight Time
1 – If any quota remains from the early fishery, the remainder will be added to the roe fishery.
2 – A portion of 16E is open. Fish caught in that portion of 16E must be landed in that open area.

CHART 1

Summer fishery in a portion of HFA 16E

CHART 2

Closure of the commercial inshore herring fishery off northeast PEI (April 1 to June 30) and of the large purse seiners herring fishery (year round)

CHART 3

Northern portion of HFA 16G

Annex 1

Fall Herring Reserve Distribution Rules for the 2020 sharing plan

1. Each HFA will maintain its existing quota share at the end of the sharing plan.
2. Establishment of a 1,005 t reserve consisting of 80% of the HFA 16A allocation, 80% of the HFA 16D allocation, 80% of the HFA 17 allocation* and 18.548% of the HFA 16G allocation. (*HFA 17 will provide 80% (180 t) of its allocation on a risk management basis to supply the reserve)
3. The 1,005 t reserve will be initially allocated equally to HFA 16C&E (502 t) and HFA 16F (502 t).
4. The initial reserve distribution will be evaluated yearly to take in consideration any conservation concerns.

5. If the allocation for HFA 16A, 16D or 16G proves insufficient due to an apparent increase in abundance, the scenario will have to be revised.

*Risk managed

Annex 2

Large Purse Seine Fleet Fishery on “the Edge” (4T)

• All Gulf large purse seine licence holders are authorized to conduct fishing activities in the spring on the Edge of 4T (Chart 4). This herring fishery targets fall origins spawners
• The large purse seine fleet is authorized to fish their fall herring quota along the Edge in 4T during the spring season (May-June). Catches will be counted towards this quota.
• All vessels must be equipped with an operational Vessel Monitoring System during fishing activities.
• There will be 20% observer coverage at sea during the spring fishery along the Laurentian channel (“Edge fishery”).
• The maximum authorized by-catch of mackerel and capelin is set at 10% each of the directed species. The maximum authorized by-catch of groundfish is set at 5% of the directed species. Monitoring and sampling for by-catch species will be conducted at sea and the by-catch may be verified at dockside by fishery officers.
• A small fish protocol is in place to control the capture of juvenile herring during the purse seine fishery with a 100% dockside monitoring. The small fish protocol reduces the remaining available quota according to the percentage of herring smaller than 23.5 cm (fork length) in the catch.
• A scientific protocol has been developed to verify the spawning component of the herring caught. The proportion of spring and fall spawners in the catch will be determined by DFO. If at any time the amount of spring spawners in the catch reaches the spring allocation, the purse seine fishery will be closed until July 1.

CHART 4

Area where the large purse seine fleet « Edge » fishery will occur (area in blue)