June 25, 2012
DFO has announced the management plan for the LFA 25 Rock Crab fishing season.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
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 at
06:00 a.m. on June 30 and will close on July 28. These season dates are in keeping with the practice of opening the fishery on the last Saturday in June and closing it four weeks later.
The fall fishery will be open from 07:00 a.m. on October 16 and will close on November 30. These dates are in keeping with the practice of opening the rock crab fishing season 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.
Licence conditions will be valid for both the summer and fall fishery periods.
All other management measures remain as per the previous management plan and include amongst others:
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.
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.
First Nations communal commercial licences – 100 traps.
Community licences– 100 traps.
Catch limitation: Commercial licences – 25,000 kg.
Aboriginal communal commercial licences – 35,000 kg.
Community licences – 35,000 kg.
Minimum size: Only male rock crabs, with a minimum carapace width size of 102 mm, 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:
Monique Baker
Resource Management
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Moncton, NB
(506) 851-6234 Diana Fillion
Resource Management
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Tracadie-Sheila, NB
(506) 395-7740
Colin MacIsaac
Resource Management
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Charlottetown, PEI
(902) 566-7818 Leroy MacEachern
Resource Management
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Antigonish, NS
(902) 863-5670, ext. 2231
Telephone: (902) 566-4050
Fax: 902-368-3748
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