Fisheries and Oceans Canada
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Recreational Halibut Experimental Fishery
February 2011
Q1 What is the purpose of the experimental halibut fishery and what is being tested?
A1 The experimental halibut fishery will test a market-based mechanism that allows an experimental licence holder to acquire additional halibut quota from the commercial sector to fish for recreational purposes, and to test enhanced catch monitoring of such a fishery.
Q2 How will this experimental fishery work?
A2 Experimental licences are being made available for one year on a trial basis. In addition to the regular tidal water sport fishing licence, recreational harvesters can obtain an experimental licence, on a voluntary basis, that will allow the licence holder to lease halibut quota from commercial harvesters, thereby giving them certainty for business planning purposes.. The additional quota associated with the experimental licence will allow individual recreational harvesters to fish beyond the current limits of a standard recreational license (a daily limit of 1 and possession limit of 2), up to the amount of additional quota acquired on the experimental licence.
The experimental licence will be subject to terms and conditions, which include enhanced monitoring requirements for participants. Through the implementation of this trial experimental fishery, Fisheries and Oceans Canada will work with stakeholders to set out the monitoring conditions.
Q3 How will recreational harvesters be able to access commercial quota? How will they be able to find commercial harvesters willing to sell quota?
A3 The Department will work with participants in the experimental program to direct them to the appropriate information. Fisheries and Oceans Canada annually publishes a list of 435 commercial halibut licence holders, including the person or company that holds the license and quota. In addition, quota brokers exist for groundfish fisheries that can assist recreational harvesters in accessing quota.
Q4 How much will it cost recreational harvesters to purchase additional quota? Will there be a limit on how much quota the recreational sector can purchase? When will it be available?
A4 Recreational harvesters will continue to have access to 12 per cent of the Canadian total allowable catch through the standard recreational fishery. There is no cost for the issuance of the experimental license. The experimental licence will provide a market-based transfer mechanism for acquiring additional quota, operated through a willing buyer and willing seller arrangement. Transactions will occur directly between the buyer and seller, and costs associated with the additional quota would be based on market value and be paid for by the recreational experimental licence holder. Fisheries and Oceans Canada is responsible for tracking the transfer of quota from one licence to another through its quota management system.
Q5 Is the Department concerned about commercial licence holders leasing out their quota without actually fishing?
A5 In 2006, the Department implemented the Commercial Groundfish Integration Program, which required that all commercial groundfish harvesters be accountable for their target and incidental catch.
The ability to transfer quota makes individual commercial groundfish harvesters responsible for all of their catch by transferring target and non-target quotas amongst themselves. This market-based transfer allows the catch of commercial groundfish species to remain within the prescribed conservation limits while also providing for an economically viable fishery.
As such, the ability to self-adjust within the fishery is critical to ensuring its long-term sustainability. Furthermore, the transferability of quota allows for new entrants to actively participate in the fishery without the initial high investment costs associated with the purchase of a commercial halibut licence and quota.
Q6 How will the experimental fishery affect the standard recreational fishery?
A6 The experimental fishery is voluntary and will exist in addition to the standard recreational fishery. The experimental fishery will not affect the standard recreational fishery: recreational anglers with a recreational tidal water licence will be permitted to catch 1 halibut per day, 2 in possession, beginning on March 1, 2011. The Department is responsible for ensuring that Canada stays within the domestic total allowable catch set by the International Pacific Halibut Commission, and fisheries will be monitored in-season to ensure they remain within their respective allocations.
Q7 When will the standard recreational fishery close for the 2011 season?
A7 The Department will continue to monitor catches of the recreational sector in-season. Based on previous seasons, we anticipate the season to last to October, however conservation remains a top priority and the Department is responsible for ensuring that all users stay within their allotted allocation. Any additional quota acquired through the new experimental fishery for 2011 will provide opportunities to extend the fishing season for the licence holder under the experimental fishery until they reach their newly acquired quota. It is our hope that Recreational Fishers, particularly tour operators, take advantage of this experimental license, so they can ensure their ability to have access to the fishery for as long into the season they need to for business planning purposes.
Q8 What will the Department do with the results of the experimental licence initiative?
A8 The Department will closely monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of various approaches being tested in this experimental fishery, including monitoring methods and transfer mechanisms—both of which will provide input into options for the long-term management of the fishery.
Q9 How do I apply for an experimental licence?
A9 An expression of interest will be made available on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada website in the coming weeks that will allow interested participants to express interest to participate in the experimental fishery. At the same time, the Department will provide further information on the objectives, scope and methodology for the experimental fishery.
Q10 How do I find out more about the experimental program?
A10 In addition to the expression of interest that will be posted on the website, Fisheries and Oceans Canada will be holding information sessions in local communities to provide additional details on the experimental recreational fishery. A list of dates and locations will be made available shortly.
Q11 Will First Nations be affected by the new experimental recreational fishery? Will they be consulted about the long-term management of the Pacific halibut fishery?
A11 First Nations representatives were included on the halibut allocation policy transfer mechanism committee that was established in April 2010 to discuss options for moving forward with the halibut fishery.
The experimental recreational fishery will not affect First Nations access to fish for food, social and ceremonial purposes, which will continue to be considered before the Canadian total allowable catch (as determined by the International Pacific Halibut Commission) is distributed between commercial and recreational harvesters.
Approximately 16 per cent of the commercial halibut total allowable catch allocation is designated to First Nations bands and tribal councils; this will also not be affected by the experimental recreational fishery. This allocation is made available to First Nations through the Allocation Transfer Program and the Pacific Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative, two programs that are in place to achieve environmentally sustainable and economically viable commercial fisheries where First Nations' aspirations are supported.
First Nations will be able to apply for an experimental recreational licence under the same terms and conditions that apply to other recreational users.
First Nations will have a prominent role to play in discussions about the future of the fishery, including allocations between commercial and recreational sectors. Information on the results from the experimental program will be shared with First Nations and all stakeholders to inform discussions on how best to move forward with the fishery.
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