December 13, 2010
To: All herring/mackerel bait licence holders
HERRING/MACKEREL BAIT LICENCE
Please note that everyone who receives licence conditions for a herring/mackerel bait licence will be required to maintain a monitoring document, and submit that document to a dockside monitoring company at the end of every month.
Failure to comply with this condition may disqualify the licence holder from obtaining a herring/mackerel bait licence in the next fishing season.
Please note: Some charts and maps have been removed. Please contact DFO for the full document.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada April 12, 2010
Notice to Fish Harvesters
2010-2011 TOTAL ALLOWABLE CATCH (TAC) AND HARVESTING
PLAN FOR THE SPRING INSHORE HERRING FISHERY IN THE
SOUTHERN GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE (HERRING FISHING AREAS
16A-16G)
MONCTON – Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has announced the 2010-2011 spring and fall
Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and the Harvesting Plan for the spring inshore herring fishery in the
southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. The decision on the TAC levels is based on the results of the
Regional Advisory Process held by DFO Science on March 9-10, 2010, as well as on consultations
with industry representatives following this meeting.
For the spring fishery, according to abundance indicators, the current adult biomass is estimated at
28,100 t, above the limit reference point (LRP) of 22,000 t, but below the upper stock reference
(USR) of 54,000 t. When the spawning stock biomass is below the USR, a harvesting strategy
compliant with the precautionary approach would reduce the exploitation rate to promote stock
growth to above the USR. DFO has set the 2010 and 2011 spring TAC at 2,000 tonnes. This
decision takes into account advice from industry to maintain a minimal catch level, while continuing
to ensure stock rebuilding. This catch scenario represents a 62% probability of a 5% increase in
biomass for the spring spawning component at the end of 2011. This TAC is accompanied with a
harvesting strategy and management measures aimed at maintaining catches below 2,000 t to
promote rebuilding, as well as measures to protect spawning in many areas of the southern Gulf.
The Department also wishes to inform industry that the bait fishery will continue to be the priority
market for the 2010-2011 spring fisheries. As such, if fishing activities are directed on other
markets, further management actions could be taken in order to reduce these activities. DFO is very
preoccupied with the status of the spring spawning component, and will continue efforts with
industry to rebuild the spring herring component.
For the fall herring fishery, given that the abundance indicators show that the biomass appears stable
and at a high level, the TAC will remain at 65,000 t for 2010 and 2011, the same level as 2009.
Monitoring of bait landings will continue in 2010-2011. Licence holders who wish to fish under the
authority of a bait licence will have to request conditions of licence from the local licensing service
center. As detailed in the conditions of licence, bait licence holders will be required to maintain a log
of catches and report these catches. The failure to submit logs for licence holders who request
conditions may disqualify the licence holder from obtaining a herring/mackerel bait licence in the
next fishing season. Spawning beds which are closed to commercial fishing will also be closed by
licence condition to bait fishing.
The small fish protocol applicable to the purse seine fishery will be reviewed by an industry working
group.
The sharing of the quota remains unchanged for 2010-2011: 76.83% for the inshore fleet and 23.17%
for large seiners.
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Spring and Fall Quota in the 2010-2011 herring fishery (t) as per traditional sharing
FLEET SPRING FALL
Inshore fleet Areas 16A-G 1,521 49,440
Inshore fleet in Area 17 16 650
Gulf large seiners 463 14.910
TOTAL 2,000 65,000
2010-2011 Inshore fleet quota distribution (in tonnes) in HFAs 16A to 16G
SPRING FALL
QUOTA (Area 16A-G) 1,521 49,440
QUOTA (Area 17) 16 650
TOTAL INSHORE QUOTA
(Areas 16A-G and 17)
1,537 50,090
Reserve (initially distributed) 0 1,787
Remaining reserve ** 762 93
TOTAL RESERVE 762 1,880
Basic allocation with no initial
distribution of reserve
Basic allocation with no initial
distribution of reserve
16A 4 136
16B 71 23,503
16C 130 8,692 (C & E)
16D 22 325
16E 454 see above
16F 7 8,508
16G 9 8,508
16A-G (June 1 – 30) 62 N/A
** Remaining reserve after initial distribution. For more details on inshore quota distribution rules, please
refer to Annexes I and II.
Following consultations with fleet representatives, the 2009 spring inshore management measures for
each Herring Fishing Area (HFAs) will be continued for 2010-2011. The fall inshore management
measures for each HFA and for the herring purse seine fleet will be announced at a later date.
For more information on the management of the herring fishery, see the Gulf Region Herring Fishery
Information Website at http://www.glf.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fam-gpa/herring-hareng/index-e.php .
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INFORMATION :
Colin MacIsaac
Resource Management
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Charlottetown (PEI)
(902) 566-7815
Michel Albert
Resource Management
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Tracadie (NB)
(506) 395-7718
Leroy MacEachern
Resource Management
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Antigonish (NS)
(902) 863-5670
David Courtemanche
Resource Management
Fisheries and Oceans
Gaspé, QC
(418) 368-5559
Sylvette LeBlanc
Resource Management
Fisheries and Oceans
Cap-aux-Meules, QC
(418) 986-2390
4
2010-2011 Management measures
Spring inshore gillnet fishery
· A Dockside Monitoring Program (DMP) with 100 % dockside verification will be required in
all HFAs except 16A and 16D, where a Catch Monitoring Program (CMP) with 100% radio
hail and 75% verification at dockside as well as a logbook will be in place. The DMP
companies will have to provide, on a daily basis to DFO, the amount of herring landed/hailed
per fisher.
· Weekly landing limits of 10,206 kg will be implemented in all HFAs except 16A and 16D,
where landings are minimal.
· Spawning areas will be closed in all HFAs except 16A and 16F (see Charts 1 to 6).
· No nets or herring will be allowed to be on board during a fishing trip between 18:00 and
04:00 every day in all HFAs except 16B (due to safety considerations), where no nets or
herring will be allowed to be on board during a fishing trip between 22:00 and 03:00 every
day, and 16D, where no nets or herring will be allowed to be on board during a fishing trip
between 21:30 and 04:00 every day.
· Landings are counted against the quota in the area where the fish is landed when the said area
is open. Landings are counted against the quota in the adjacent area when the fish is landed
in a closed area.
· Other management measures are outlined in Table 1.
Bait fishery
Bait licences are issued upon request to fishers who hold a licence for a species and gear that
requires bait. Since 2003, herring and mackerel bait licences have been combined to facilitate
enforcement work by fishery officers. With the bait licence, a fisher may only fish for their own
use up to a maximum of 50 fathoms of gillnets.
Monitoring of bait landings will be continued in 2010-2011. As detailed in the conditions of
licence, bait licence holders will be required to maintain a log of catches and report these
catches.
The minimum mesh size will be 57.1 mm from January 1 to June 30 and 66.7 mm (63.5 mm in
16A) from July 1 to December 31. In 2010-2011, the maximum quantity of herring or mackerel
or the combination of both species a fisher is permitted to catch and retain at any time is 907 kg
in total.
While fishing under the authority of a commercial herring, mackerel or gaspareau licence, bait
licences are not valid. Furthermore, a fisher cannot fish under the authority of a bait licence in
the same calendar day that they have landed herring, mackerel or gaspareau under the authority
of a commercial licence. It is strictly forbidden to sell any species of fish caught under the
authority of a bait licence.
5
CHART 3
Exclusion zone in the Grande-Entrée Channel in HFA 16D
The exclusion zone in the Grande-Entrée Channel is defined as the portion of Herring Fishery
Area 16D inside a line drawn from:
1. 47° 32' 30'' N - 61° 32' 39'' W
2. 47° 31' 16'' N - 61° 34' 26'' W
3. 47° 31' 40'' N - 61° 35' 48'' W
4. 47° 33' 26'' N - 61° 35' 48'' W
5. 47° 33' 31'' N - 61° 35' 48'' W
6. 47° 34' 00'' N - 61° 35' 48'' W
7. 47° 34' 39'' N - 61° 32' 46'' W
8. 47° 34' 37'' N - 61° 32' 43'' W
9. 47° 34' 06'' N - 61° 33' 00'' W
10. 47° 33' 31'' N - 61° 33' 27'' W
11. 47° 33' 25'' N - 61° 33' 43'' W
Note: Those point references are based on the geodesic system North American Datum 1927
(NAD27)
9
CHART 4
Closure of the spring commercial fishery on spawning beds in New Mills, Carleton and
St-Omer in HFA 16B (Grey zones)
Note: These point references are based on the geodesic system North American Datum 1983
(NAD83)
10
CHART 5
Closure of the spring commercial fishery on a spawning bed near Point Escuminac
(N.B.) in HFA 16C (Grey zones)
Note: These point references are based on the geodesic system North American Datum 1983
(NAD83)
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CHART 6
Closure of the spring commercial fishery on a spawning bed near Cape Jourimain (N.B.)
in HFA 16E (Grey zones)
Note: These point references are based on the geodesic system North American Datum 1983
(NAD83)
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ANNEX I - SPRING INSHORE FISHERY
Rules for the 2010-2011 sharing plan
1. Each HFA will maintain its existing quota share at the end of the sharing plan.
2. Establishment of a 762 t reserve taken by removing 400 t from the top of the total inshore quota before distribution to HFAs
according to actual shares and by removing 8 t of the HFA 16A, 235 t of the HFA 16C, 85 t of the HFA 16D, 20 t of the HFA
16F and 14 t of the HFA 16G allocations (Bringing those HFA’s to their 2007 catch level).
3. All HFAs will have access to the reserve when their basic allocation has been caught before June 1st.
4. On June 1, uncaught area quotas and remaining reserve are transferred to the June 1-30 quota. Starting on June 1, any fisher
may fish against the HFA 16A-G, June 1-30 quota.
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ANNEX II - FALL INSHORE FISHERY
Rules for the 2010-2011 sharing plan
1. Each HFA will maintain its existing quota share at the end of the sharing plan.
2. Establishment of a 1,880 t reserve consisting of 65% of the HFA 16A allocation, 80% of the HFA 16D allocation and 50% of
the HFA 17* allocation. (*HFA 17 will provide 50% of its allocation on a risk management basis to supply the reserve)
3. A 1,787 t (95%) portion of the reserve will be initially allocated to HFA 16C&E (893 t or 50%), HFA 16F (447 t or 25%) and
HFA 16G (447 t or 25%).
4. The initial reserve distribution will be evaluated yearly to take in consideration any conservation concerns.
5. Upon request, HFAs 16A and 16D will receive blocks of 10% of their yearly allocation from the remaining 93 t (5%) reserve
when their allocation has been caught prior to August 28.
6. HFA 16 B will receive any remaining reserve on August 29.
7. The fishery in HFA 16C&E, 16F and 16G will be closed once the allocation for the year (basic allocation) has been caught.
8. The fishery in HFA 16A, 16B and 16D will be closed when their basic allocation is caught and if the remaining reserve has
been exhausted.
9. The fall inshore fishery will be closed when the total inshore quota has been caught.
10. If the allocation for HFA 16A or 16D proves insufficient due to an apparent increase in abundance, the scenario will have to be
revised.
Telephone: (902) 566-4050
Fax: 902-368-3748
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