Fishery Notice

Category(s):
COMMERCIAL - Salmon: Seine
Subject:
FN0672-COMMERCIAL - Salmon: Seine - Area A - Area 3 - Opening July 16-17, 2015 - Amendment to FN0669


Area 3 

This notice amends fishery notice FN0669 to change the opening dates from 
Friday July 17, 2015 and Saturday July 18, 2015 to Thursday July 16, 2015 and 
Friday July 17, 2015. The full text of the fishery notice is included below:


The seine fishery will open for 16 hours from 06:00 hours to 22:00 hours 
Thursday July 16, 2015 and 16 hours from 06:00 hours to 22:00 hours Friday, 
July 17, 2015 in a portion of the following areas:

A portion of subarea 3-3 within a one nautical mile ribbon boundary off the 
shore of Wales Island.

A portion of subarea 3-7 south of line starting from the southernmost point of 
Pearse Island to the northern most point of Truro Island thence due east to 
mainland shore.

Retention rules: 

Seine fisheries in the areas described above are allowed to retain sockeye, 
pink, coho and chum.

Non-possession and non-retention Rules:

Non-possession and non-retention of chinook and steelhead.

None of these species may be aboard a vessel that is engaged in fishing unless 
they are being revived in the revival tank immediately prior to release.
 
Variation Order number: 2015-NCSAL-37
Variation Order number: 2015-NCSAL-38

Start Fishing Reports:

All seine vessel masters are reminded of their conditions of licence that 
requires them to file a Start Fishing Report prior to beginning fishing by 
either phoning in to Archipelago Marine Research Ltd., which is the Catch 
Reporting Service Provider for 2015, or submitting the start fishing report 
through their e-log system. Start fishing reports are critical for the proper 
management of the fishery to help determine the number of seine vessels 
participating in an opening. As such, seine vessel masters may be requested by 
Fisheries Officers to provide the Trip Identification Number that they received 
after completing their Start Fishing Report.

Area A Salmon Catch Monitoring Program

The Area A Harvest Committee has selected J.O. Thomas as the service provider 
to deliver the 2015 catch monitoring program for Areas 3 and 6:

JO Thomas and Associates
734-2nd Avenue West
Prince Rupert, BC
1-888-624-2646

Landed Catch Validation:

For 2015, as a condition of licence, vessels that offload directly to shore-
based landing sites will need to complete their Daily Catch Report prior to 
landing. 

Should the vessel master be requested by the Service Provider, an offload 
observer shall be present during offloading of all catch to record the number 
of each species of fish delivered.

The vessel master shall provide an Offload Observer, a fishery officer or 
fishery guardian attending the landing, safe access to the vessel, the vessel's 
fish holds, freezers and other fish storage areas at any time during the 
landing and at the conclusion of the landing.

Designated landing sites:

As per the seine Conditions of License, harvesters may only deliver to 
designated landing sites.  Companies that have designated landing sites will be 
required to participate in the catch monitoring program.  Failure to 
participate fully will result in a loss of designation and harvesters will be 
unable to offload at your facility.  

The list of designated landing sites is as follows:

Aero Trading, 1080 Skeena, Port Edward, BC V0V 1G0
Canfisco Oceanside, 181 George Hills Way, Prince Rupert, BC, V8J 1A3
Canfisco Seal Cove, PO Box 550, Prince Rupert, BC, V8J 3R5
Coast Tsimshian Fish Plant, 100 Shashaak St, Lax Kw'alaams, BC, V0V 1H0
Canfisco Port Hardy, Jensen Road, Port Hardy, BC, V0N 2P0
Canfisco, Keltic Seafoods, Port Hardy BC, BC V0N 2P0  Grand Hale Marine 
Products, 293 Bayville Dr, Port Edward, BC, V0V 1G0 
Prince Rupert Seafoods, 245 Cow Bay Road, Prince Rupert, BC 
Tenerife Packing Company, 870 Skeena, Port Edward, BC V0V 1G0
N'usi Seafood, Bella Bella, BC V0T 1Z0

Companies wishing to be a designated landing site for seine fisheries occurring 
in Areas 3 and 6 or anyone wishing more information should contact Mark 
Potyrala at mark.potyrala@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or call @ 250-627-3457.

At-Sea Observers:

As a part of the 2015 pilot catch monitoring program, at-sea observers will be 
deployed into the Area 3 and 6 seine fisheries. When requested, all vessels are 
required to take on board an at-sea observer. Please see your conditions of 
licence for further details.


NOTICE TO ALL SEINE FISHERS:

Brailing and sorting your catch prior to placing fish in the hold is mandatory. 
Operating revival boxes are also mandatory, and may be used to revive fish 
prior to release. 

Vessel operators are reminded to keep wake and wash to a minimum in Prince 
Rupert Harbour, Porpoise Harbour and Venn Passage, and specifically the Digby 
Island and Metlakatla dock areas.

Vessel operators are reminded to display proper navigation lights and have them 
turned on from sunset to sunrise.  Failure to display proper navigation lights 
is a contravention of the Collision Regulations.

Fishers are reminded that a mandatory logbook and phone-in program is in place. 
Note that a phone report is required for all fishing activity even if no fish 
are caught. Failure to report zero catches may result in over estimation of 
total catch. See your conditions of licence for more information.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is interested in reports of sea turtles in BC 
waters. By documenting sightings we are able to learn more about how, when, and 
where these turtles are using our waters. If you see a sea turtle, please call 
this toll-free phone number: 1-866-I SAW ONE (1-866-472-9663) or e-mail 
sightings@vanaqua.org. Please include information such as the type of sea 
turtle seen (i.e. leatherback), the location, and time of sighting.

Fishers are requested to avoid fishing among birds and not to run the line if 
birds are near the net.  Fishers are requested to retain all dead birds which 
are entangled and to release live and unharmed birds by placing them in the 
water.  Please check all birds for metal bird bands (rings) on the leg.  If a 
bird is banded please contact Doug Bertram with the band number and capture 
date and location at 1 250-363-6735 or by the email below.  Handle birds with 
gloves, double bag dead birds and label each bird with date, time, and location 
and store them on ice.  Please call your local charter patrol to organize pick-
up or drop them off at a local DFO office.  Alternatively, please send 
photographs of birds with a reference object such as a coin, and the date, time 
and location to doug.bertram@ec.gc.ca.  Your names and vessel names do not need 
to be identified or included.

The 24 hour toll-free phone-in line for North Coast fisheries information is 1-
866-431-3474.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
            
Corey Martens, Prince Rupert manager -  250 627 3404

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0672
Sent July 15, 2015 at 1005