Experimental fishing plan Unit 1 Redfish - Spring 2025

Preamble

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is providing an opportunity for Unit 1 Redfish harvesters to conduct experimental fishing in Spring 2025.

Participation in the experimental fishing plan does not provide priority access or priority consideration in any future access or allocation decisions related to the Unit 1 commercial Redfish fishery.

Participation in the experimental fishing plan will be authorized through a licence issued under Section 52 of the Fishery (General) Regulations.

Applicants may request an amount they plan to fish during this period. Catches will be deducted from the established allocations as appropriate for each management year. Allocations granted for this experimental fishery are valid only for the period from licence issuance to June 14, 2025. Experimental fishing allocations granted under this fishing plan that are not used by June 15 may not be used for other experimental purposes during the year.

Applications for experimental fishing projects will be assessed on a first come, first served basis, starting May 1, 2025.

Objectives

Experimental quota provides for the opportunity for obtaining new information related to the sustainable use of the Unit 1 Redfish fisheries resource.

The experimental quota will be allocated for the following purposes:

1. collecting data on Redfish catch rates in spring; and,
2. collecting data on bycatch profile in the Redfish fishery in spring.

Eligibility criteria

1. Existing groundfish mobile gear commercial or commercial communal fishing licence holders with access to NAFO divisions 4RST, 3Pn & 4Vn.
2. Proposals must be submitted from a proponent, regardless of the company/partnership configurations, that is majority owned (50%+1) by Canadians.
3. The proponent’s ability to comply with all measures set out in the licence conditions and management measures for the experimental fishing plan outlined below.

Management measures:

In addition to requirements set out in the licence conditions, the following measures will apply for the spring 2025 experimental fishing plan.

Area and depth restrictions

• In Divisions 4RST, fishing is authorized in the area between 59º and 65º longitude West.
• Fishing will be authorized in 4RST, 3Pn & 4Vn until May 31, 2025.
• Fishing will be authorized only in 4RST from June 1 to June 14, 2025, as 3Pn and 4Vn become part of Unit 2 on June 1.
• Fishing will be authorized at water depths greater than 183m (100 fathoms).
• Existing fishing and area closures in Unit 1 will be maintained.

Fishing gear

• Standard commercial gear specifications will apply (e.g. otter trawl with a minimum mesh size of 90 mm).

Bycatch protocol

• Small fish and bycatch protocol (i.e. procedures for monitoring and control of small fish catches and incidental catches in Atlantic groundfish fisheries) will apply.
• The groundfish by-catch limits for directed redfish fishing Unit 1 are:
  • 3Pn4RS and 4TVn Cod: 1%
  • 4T American plaice: 1%
  • 4T White hake: 1%
  • 3Pn4RSTVn Atlantic halibut: 1%
  • 4RST Greenland halibut: 1%
  • Other groundfish stocks or species: 5%
• Bycatches will be counted against respective bycatch caps and individual or fleet quotas for species under quota management.
• Mandatory release of all Atlantic halibut for those who do not have access to Atlantic halibut by-catch quota.
• Bycatch measures for all other species including species at risk will be specified in the conditions of licence.

Catch monitoring

• Industry-funded at-sea observer (ASO) coverage will be required on all trips for all vessels.
• Vessel monitoring system (VMS) reporting every 15 minutes will be mandatory on all vessels.
• Hail prior to departure is mandatory for all licence holders.
• When at sea, all licence holders are required to complete a daily catch report as per the licence conditions.
• Dockside monitoring is mandatory at 100% of the landings.

Application process

Eligible proponents may submit applications/proposals to the DFO email address: Elysabeth.Theberge@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Applications will be assessed on a first come, first served basis starting on May 1, 2025.

Incomplete or insufficiently detailed applications/proposals will either be returned with a request for further information or screened out subject to submission deadline constraints.

Once allocations are approved, licences will be issued by the relevant DFO regional offices.

Application form