2003 Swordfish and Other Tunas Management Plan

August, 2003

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Detailed management measures for 2003 are outlined below. These are amendments to the management measures established in the 2000-2002 Canadian North Atlantic Swordfish Fishery Integrated Management Plan, the balance of which are still in effect.

Management of this fishery is based on an April 1 - March 31 year rather than a calendar year and the Other Tunas Plan has now been merged with the Swordfish Plan.

The development of a full three-year plan is being deferred this year, in order to take into account a number of upcoming issues. These include new management measures for bigeye and albacore tunas anticipated at the Fall 2003 International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) meeting, a scientific review of the domestic bluefin conservation measures, and a review of the bluefin dead discard methodology by ICCAT's Standing Committee on Research and Statistics.

Allocation

Swordfish is harvested Atlantic-wide by three fleet sectors, notably a Swordfish Longline Fleet consisting of 77 licences, a Harpoon Fleet consisting of approximately 1,400 licences, and a unique Offshore Tuna Licence. The allocation for the 2003 fishery is as follows:

Licence holders	Amount in tonnes (t)
Swordfish Longline Fleet Sector	1,319
Harpoon Fleet Sector	139
Offshore Tuna Licence bycatch limit	5
Total	1,463

In addition, Canada receives a 20 tonne swordfish dead discard allowances in 2003, declining to zero thereafter. Dead discard allowances were introduced by ICCAT in 2000, to be phased out by 2004, to account for swordfish discards due to compliance with minimum size and predator-damaged fish.

Fishing Area and Season

The longline fishery opened on an interim basis on April 1, 2003. The Harpoon fishing season in 2003 will run from June 1 to October 31.

The authorized fishing area for Canadian pelagic longline vessels in 2003 is extended to include all waters west of longitude 45° W and north of latitude 5° N. In addition, under special provisions and until 15 tonnes of bluefin bycatch quota has been reached, fishing will also be authorized in an area of the central north Atlantic bounded by longitudes 45°W and 30° W, and north of latitude 10° N, known as "ICCAT Area 3". Western and Eastern bluefin tuna mixing is known to occur in this area.

Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS)

The 2003 Plan introduces vessel monitoring systems (VMS or "black box") to a larger component of the longline fleet, with phase-in to the full fleet by the 2005 season. Previously, VMS was required only on vessels larger than 24 metres operating outside of Canada's 200-mile limit, for international reporting purposes. VMS will be required on the following additional segments of the longline fleet in 2003:

• All longline vessels fishing outside of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) boundaries;

• All vessels accessing the 15 tonne bluefin bycatch quota in the central north Atlantic; and

• All vessels fishing swordfish longline licences and bluefin tuna licences concurrently on the Scotian Shelf.

These changes target improved domestic monitoring and control of time/area closures and of fishing activity in bluefin-sensitive areas.

Observer Coverage Levels

Observer coverage levels for 2003 are amended to 50 per cent for vessels fishing swordfish and bluefin licences concurrently on the Scotian Shelf and to 15 per cent for vessels fishing trolling gear, in addition to the standard fleet-wide observer coverage level of five per cent.

Closed Area

A small area of the Scotian Shelf known as the "Hell Hole" will be closed to all pelagic longline gear in 2003. The closure of the area west of longitude 65°30 W to longline gear prior to August 1 remains unchanged.

B-HQ-03-63E(a)