Fishery Notice

This fishery notice amends FN0507 to include the category COMMERCIAL - 
Invertebrates: Shrimp Trawl.  The full corrected fishery notice is as follows:

The protection of coral and sponge reefs is a key component to a number of 
international commitments made by Canada through the Convention on Biological 
Diversity and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations 
Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.  In 2012, the Department formed an 
internal working group to assess the risks that fishing activities pose to 
glass sponge reefs in the Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound and to identify 
potential mitigation measures using the Policy for Managing the Impacts of 
Fishing on Sensitive Benthic Areas and the Ecological Risk Assessment Framework 
for Coldwater Corals and Sponge Dominated Communities. 

In 2014, the Department requested that fishers using bottom-contact fishing 
gear (prawn trap, crab trap, shrimp trawl, groundfish trawl and hook-and-line) 
voluntarily avoid nine areas containing glass sponge reefs in the Strait of 
Georgia and Howe Sound while the Department consulted on formal protection 
measures for the glass sponge reefs.  Consultations with First Nations, 
commercial, recreational fishers and conservation organizations on protection 
measures to protect these glass sponge reefs from direct impacts from bottom-
contact fishing included formal written correspondence, workshops and bilateral 
meetings.

After reviewing input from the consultation process, the Department decided to 
proceed with formal fishery closures and adhere to a protection zone of 150 
meters around all nine reefs. These closures will remain in effect until 
further notice.     

Should you have any questions regarding these closures please contact Aleria 
Ladwig, Ecosystems Approach Officer at Aleria.Ladwig@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or 604 666-
7089.

 
1.	Howe Sound - Defence Island Closure

That portion of Subarea 28-4 that lie inside a line:
begins at	49 34.10226N	123 17.07014W
then southerly to	49 33.73034N	123 16.56227W
then to	49 33.55333N	123 16.46213W
then to	49 33.43823N	123 16.75007W
then to 	49 33.70707N	123 17.20058W
then to	49 33.99325N	123 17.39112W
then to the beginning point. [Howe Sound - Defence Islands]


2.	Howe Sound - Queen Charlotte Channel Closure

Those portions of Subareas 28-2 and 28-3 that lie inside a line:
begins at	49 21.48625N	123 17.25380W
then southerly to	49 20.52826N	123 17.68980W
then to	49 20.40135N	123 17.95586W
then to	49 20.76471N	123 18.79410W
then to	49 20.98192N	123 18.58422W
then to	49 21.09791N	123 18.03659W
then to	49 21.50092N	123 17.73673W
then to	49 20.28750N	123 17.69304W
then to	49 20.22399N	123 17.50093W
then to	49 19.99250N	123 17.37656W
then to	49 19.80204N	123 17.44361W
then to	49 19.71950N	123 17.84042W
then to	49 19.93670N	123 18.10698W
then to	49 20.63669N	123 19.16177W
then to	49 20.57675N	123 18.71962W
then to	49 20.44081N	123 18.63665W
then to	49 20.06829N	123 18.81762W
then to	49 20.07623N	123 19.13524W
then to	49 19.71835N	123 19.18735W
then to	49 19.72629N	123 19.51443W
then to	49 20.25889N	123 19.82776W
then to	49 19.29610N	123 19.90469W
then to	49 19.91769N	123 19.84739W
then to	49 19.30693N	123 20.34401W
then to	49 19.64257N	123 20.42137W
then to	49 19.81885N	123 20.36125W
then to	49 19.94673N	123 20.09730W
then to the beginning point. [Howe Sound - Queen Charlotte Channel]


3.	Floreslope Hills Closure
That portion of Subarea 29-3 that lie inside a line:
begins at	49 09.63417N	123 23.04786W
then southerly to	49 09.38911N	123 22.62153W
then to	49 09.18709N	123 22.58736W
then to	49 09.21089N	123 23.56690W
then to	49 09.64617N	123 23.54250W
then to the beginning point. [Foreslope Hills]


4.	Outer Gulf Islands Closure
Those portions of Subareas 18-1 and 29-4 that lie inside a line:
begins at	48 54.93644N	123 19.58933W
then southerly to	48 54.28297N	123 18.52872W
then to	48 54.11361N	123 18.61914W
then to	48 54.06537N	123 18.77137W
then to	48 54.78681N	123 19.92873W
then to	48 54.90169N	123 19.79315W
then to	48 52.58776N	123 15.26125W
then to	48 52.51982N	123 14.53735W
then to	48 51.97086N	123 13.76794W
then to	48 51.79548N	123 13.94709W
then to	48 52.15008N	123 14.44390W
then to	48 52.03781N	123 14.67829W
then to	48 52.47936N	123 15.52078W
then to	48 51.60176N	123 13.23290W
then to	48 51.30936N	123 12.75108W
then to	48 50.91270N	123 12.93823W
then to	48 50.84351N	123 13.05892W
then to	48 51.16337N	123 13.66226W
then to	48 51.57907N	123 13.37758W
then to	48 50.99944N	123 12.39137W
then to	48 50.60753N	123 11.60286W
then to	48 50.09694N	123 10.95555W
then to	48 49.95855N	123 11.18244W
then to	48 50.85691N	123 12.65374W
then to	48 50.95894N	123 12.56616W
then to the beginning point. [Outer Gulf Islands]
 

5.	Gabriloa Island Closure
That portion of Subarea 17-11 that lie inside a line:
begins at	49 13.67172N	123 47.57734W
then southerly to	49 13.23536N	123 47.42896W
then to	49 13.18544N	123 47.88205W
then to	49 13.39078N	123 48.11865W
then to	49 13.62324N	123 48.16565W
then to the beginning point. [Gabriola Island]


6.	Parksville Closure
Those portions of Subareas 14-2 and 14-3 that lie inside a line:
begins at	49 21.68010N	124 19.76243W
then southerly to	49 21.51353N	124 18.89294W
then to	49 21.19060N	124 17.72250W
then to	49 21.06424N	124 17.72366W
then to 	49 20.72540N	124 18.38041W
then to 	49 21.43214N	124 19.81057W
then to the beginning point. [Parksville]


7.	East of Hornby Islands Closure
That portion of Subarea 14-6 that lie inside a line:
begins at	49 33.49033N	124 29.22941W
then southerly to	49 32.70101N	124 28.76020W
then to	49 31.65672N	124 29.43383W
then to 	49 31.66313N	124 29.89592W
then to	49 32.65114N	124 29.75177W
then to	49 33.34047N	124 29.93524W
then to	49 33.49787N	124 29.77256W
then to the beginning point. [East of Hornby Islands]


8.	Sechelt Closure
That portion of Subarea 29-2 that lie inside a line:
begins at	49 25.94834N	123 48.88892W
then southerly to	49 25.89870N	123 47.26564W
then to	49 25.37251N	123 46.49432W
then to	49 24.73434N	123 47.08282W
then to	49 24.90988N	123 47.95074W
then to	49 24.25327N	123 48.28276W
then to	49 24.84506N	123 49.91400W
then to the beginning point. [Sechelt]
 

9.	Halibut Bank Closure
That portion of Subarea 29-2 that lie inside a line:
begins at	49 21.76766N	123 41.50106W
then southerly to	49 21.17377N	123 40.04481W
then to	49 20.96071N	123 40.13939W
then to	49 20.80297N	123 39.86027W
then to	49 20.56479N	123 40.18241W
then to	49 21.60954N	123 41.84275W
then to	49 22.55471N	123 44.45585W
then to	49 22.18770N	123 42.16703W
then to	49 21.94531N	123 42.08682W
then to	49 21.67334N	123 42.64318W
then to	49 21.89472N	123 43.90771W
then to	49 22.17364N	123 44.74825W
then to the beginning point. [Halibut Bank]

Variation Order No 2015-266

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Aleria Ladwig (604) 666-7089

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0512
Sent June 5, 2015 at 1445

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Printed from the Pacific Region web site on May 18, 2024 at 0449