June 4, 2009
Fisheries & Oceans
Notice to Fishers
LFA 25 ROCK CRAB MANAGEMENT PLAN – 2009-2011
The following is an overview of the rock crab management measures resulting from consultations held between the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and industry representatives in April 2009. These management measures will be applicable for the duration of the plan.
1. MANAGEMENT MEASURES – 2009-2011
Season: Spring season- open at 6:00 am on the last Saturday of June (June 27th for 2009) and the fishery will close 4 weeks later (July 25th for 2009).
Fall season- open at 7:00 am 5 calendar days after the closure of the lobster fishery until the last Friday of November (November 27th for 2009).
Data Entry: Licence holders are responsible for making arrangements with dockside monitoring companies for data entry of catch and effort information; a condition to this effect is included in all licences.
Logbooks: Logbooks/Landing Reports are mandatory and must be completed as stipulated in licence conditions.
DMP: All of the catch must be weighed in kilograms at one decimal point on an approved and certified scale.
Number of Traps: Commercial licences - 100 traps
First Nations Communal Commercial licences – 100 traps
Community licences– 4 traps per eligible fish harvester up to a maximum of 100 traps
Catch limitation: Commercial licences – 25,000 kg
First Nations Communal Commercial licences – 35,000 kg
Community licences – 1,400 kg per eligible fish harvester up to a maximum of 35,000 kg
Minimum size: Only male Rock Crabs with a minimum width size of 102 mm may be retained in the directed fishery.
2. HAIL-IN:
Please take note that Pèse Pêche Inc.will no longer be offering dockside monitoring services for Rock Crab in South Eastern NB. Starting in 2009, Rock Crab fish harvesters from LFA 25 that land their catch in South Eastern NB are required to contact Seefish Dockside Monitors at 1-866-974-5757 in order to obtain dockside monitoring services as required by licence conditions.
3. PARTNERSHIPS:
In the PEI administrative area, with the recognition that actual effort is at 100%, and in an attempt to reduce the amount of traps in the water and expenses incurred by stakeholders, partnerships will be allowed in this fishery where both PEI fishing enterprises hold Rock Crab licenses for LFA 25. The following conditions will apply in a partnership:
· Both license holders must be present on the boat during rock crab fishery operations.
· The maximum number of rock crab traps permitted to be used by the partnership cannot be greater than the legal number of traps authorized for one license in the Rock Crab Fishery for PEI plus 50 percent of that number.
· Partnership requests must be submitted to your local Licensing Service Center and will be valid for a one year period
4. FISHERY ACCESS:
DFO will continue to honour the fundamental exploitation principle that prioritizes the fishery as follows: lobster by-catch, lobster bait and then directed rock crab fishery.
5. DURATION OF THE MANAGEMENT PLAN:
The duration of this plan will be 3 years (2009-2011). The plan will allow for the review and modification of the management measures when circumstances warrant it.
Management measures will be documented in an Integrated Fisheries Management Plan (IFMP).
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Shari Cormier
Resource Management Officer, Resource Management
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Moncton, NB
(506) 851-7255
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Glen J. Ferguson
Area Officer,
Eastern NB Area Office
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Tracadie-Sheila, NB
(506) 395-7740
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Colin MacIsaac
Chief,
Resource Management
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Charlottetown, PEI
(902) 566-7818
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