Prince Edward Island Fishermen's Assoc.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

EKME: 3916502

MGCE: 3916757

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Notice to Fish Harvesters

May 25, 2018

2018 ROCK CRAB FISHERY IN LOBSTER FISHING AREA 25

Moncton – The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Gulf Region, wishes to advise the industry that the summer fishery for rock crab in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 25 will open, subject to weather conditions, at 07:00 a.m. on June 25, 2018 and will remain open until July 28, 2017. These season dates are in keeping with the practice of opening the fishery on the last Monday in June until the last Saturday in July.

The fall rock crab fishery will open five calendar days after the closure of the fall lobster fishery (unless the rock crab opening date would fall on a Sunday in which case it will open on the Monday) with the season closure being the last Friday of November. Opening and closing dates for this fishery will be published in a later Notice to Fish Harvesters.

Licence conditions will be valid for both the summer and fall fishery periods.

NEW management measures to be implemented for the 2018 fishing season:

A shift in the distribution of the North Atlantic Right Whales (NARWs) population in recent years has resulted in an increased presence of NARWs in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In an effort to minimize the risks of interactions with this species, other marine mammals and species at risk, DFO is announcing important management changes in the Gulf Region rock crab fishery.

Fishing Gear: Reducing the amount of rope floating on the surface of the water

The following requirements will be in place to minimize the length of rope floating on the surface of the water and to reduce the risks of entanglements:

- No rope attaching a modified lobster trap or crab trap to a primary buoy shall remain floating on the surface of the water after the modified lobster trap or crab trap has been set.

If using multiple traps per line:

- No rope attaching a modified lobster trap or crab trap to another modified lobster trap or crab trap shall remain floating on the surface of the water after the modified lobster trap or crab trap has been set.

If fishing with a primary and secondary buoy:

- A maximum of 3.7 meters of rope shall be used when attaching a primary buoy to a secondary buoy.

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Note: A primary buoy is defined as a buoy or other floating device attached to a trap. A secondary buoy is defined as a buoy or other floating device attached to a primary buoy.

Requirement to report lost gear

Licence holders will be required to report lost gear. This new management measure will help quantify the amount of gear lost annually and identify the need to increase efforts to retrieve gear that has been lost, which would reduce the risks of whale entanglements.

The following specific information must be reported to DFO by email (DFO.GLF.Gear-Engins.GLF.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca) within 72 hours of noticing that the gear has been lost:

- sequence number of tag attached to the modified lobster trap or crab trap that has been lost;

- vessel registration number or vessel identification number in the case of Aboriginal licence conditions:

- latitude and longitude of last known position of lost modified lobster trap or crab trap; and

- date the modified lobster trap or crab trap was last fished.

Marine mammal interaction reporting

In order to comply with the implementation of the US Marine Mammals Protection Act (MMPA) regulations, licence holders must now provide information regarding all interactions with a marine mammal including: bycatch, collisions and all sightings of entangled marine mammals that occur during fishing expeditions.

A Marine Mammal Interaction Form (included with licence conditions) must be completed and submitted by email to DFO.NAT.InteractionsMM-InteractionsMM.NAT.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca within 48 hours after the end of a fishing trip.

The information provided on the form will be used by DFO to estimate levels of accidental mortality and injury to marine mammals. This information will allow DFO to better assess the types of threats that may affect Canada's marine mammals and to develop mitigation strategies.

Requirement to report sightings of live whales

Sightings of live, free-swimming whales must be reported to DFO by telephone: 1-844-800-8568, or by email: XMARwhalesightings@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

All other management measures remain in place from the 2017 management plan and include:

Biodegradable

mechanisms The use of biodegradables mechanisms on all traps, including modified lobster traps, is mandatory. Please refer to your Licence Conditions for specifications on these biodegradable mechanisms.

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Data entry: The licence holder is responsible to enter into an agreement with a Dockside Monitoring Company for data entry of catch and effort information; a condition to this effect is included in all licences.

Logbooks: Crab Logbook/Landing Report are mandatory and must be completed as stipulated in the licence conditions.

Dockside Monitoring

Program: All of the catch must be weighed in kilograms at one decimal point on an approved scale.

Number of traps: Commercial licences – 100 traps.

Communal commercial licences – 100 traps.

Community licences – 100 traps.

Catch limitation: Commercial licences – 25,000 kg.

Communal commercial licences – 35,000 kg. Community licences – 35,000 kg.

Minimum size: Only male rock crab may be retained. No rock crab that is less than 102 mm in carapace size (width) may be retained.

DFO will continue to apply the principle that prioritizes the rock crab fishery as follows: by-catch in the lobster fishery, bait for the lobster fishery, directed rock crab fishery.

For more information:

Josiane Massiéra

Resource Management, DFO

Moncton, NB

(506) 851-7290

Diana Fillion

Resource Management, DFO

Tracadie, NB

(506) 395-7740

Kim Hill

Resource Management, DFO

Charlottetown, PEI