Fishery Notice

2017 Prawn and Shrimp by Trap Season Opening

Prawn and shrimp by trap harvesters are advised that a shorter notification 
period of not more than 3 days will be given between the announcement and 
closure of areas to the commercial fishery in-season. It is the fish 
harvesters' responsibility to ensure that an area is open before setting gear 
and to ensure that the area has not closed while their gear remains in the 
water. Fishery notices and announcements are posted weekly on Friday and Monday 
(Tuesday following statutory holidays) throughout the season. Fishery notices 
of variation orders that open and close fisheries are available on the internet 
at: 
http://notices.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm   
Telephone answering machine recordings are available after office hours and on 
weekends for South Coast waters and Fraser River / Howe Sound at (250) 756-7233 
and for North and Central Coast waters at (250) 627-3455.

Open 12:00 hours (noon) May 11, 2017 until further notice for all species of 
shrimp, including prawns, by trap gear in the following areas: 

Area 11
Area 12 except for the Robson Bight - Michael Bigg Ecological Reserve closure 
area (Section 3.3.5 of the Commercial Harvest Plan) 
Area 13
Area 14 except for the Glass Sponge Reef Closures off Parksville and Achilles 
Bank (Section 3.3.8 of the Commercial Harvest Plan)
Area 15
Area 16 - Note Special Management Area in Salmon and Sechelt Inlets - Subareas 
16-5 to 16-8 where reduced trap and string limits apply.
Area 17 except for the Glass Sponge Reef Closure off Entrance Island (Section 
3.3.11 of the Commercial Harvest Plan) 
Area 18 except for the Satellite Channel Ecological Reserve closure area 
(Section 3.3.13 of the Commercial Harvest Plan) and the Glass Sponge Reef 
Closures around the Outer Gulf Islands (Section 3.3.14 of the Commercial 
Harvest Plan)
Area 19 - Note advisory for Sponge Reefs in Section 3.3.15 of the Commercial 
Harvest Plan in waters less than 40 m depth in Saanich Inlet and "VENUS" 
scientific array outside of Pat Bay at the location described in Section 3.3.16 
of the Commercial Harvest Plan. Note Special Management Area in Saanich Inlet - 
Subareas 19-7 to 19-12 where reduced trap and string limits apply.
Subareas 20-1 to 20-5 - Note moorage buoy advisory on Constance Bank at 
48º18.00 N and 123º 22.50 W in 117 meters in Section 3.3.19 of the Commercial 
Harvest Plan.
Areas 21 and 22
Area 23 except for the Pacific Rim National Park, Broken Group Islands closure 
area (Section 3.3.22 of the Commercial Harvest Plan); Note Neptune Project 
Advisory in Section 3.3.24 of the Commercial Harvest Plan; Note Special 
Management Area in Alberni Inlet - Subareas 23-1 to 23-3 where reduced trap and 
string limits apply.
Area 24
Area 25 - Note advisory for Sponge Reefs in Section 3.3.25 of the Commercial 
Harvest Plan in Tahsis Narrows in the vicinity of Mozino Point in waters less 
than 80 meters depth.
Areas 26 and 27 
Subareas 28-1 to 28-7, 28-9, 28-11 to 28-14 except for the Porteau Cove, 
Whytecliffe Park, and Point Atkinson Reef closure areas (Section 3.3.27 of the 
Commercial Harvest Plan) and the Glass Sponge Reef Closures around Passage 
Island and Defence Islands (Section 3.3.28 of the Commercial Harvest Plan). 
Note Special Management Areas in Howe Sound and Indian Arm - Subareas 28-1 to 
28-5 and 28-11 to 28-14 where reduced trap and string limits apply 
Subareas 29-1 to 29-7, 29-9 and 29-10 except for the Glass Sponge Reef Closures 
at McCall Bank, Halibut Bank, Passage Island, Foreslope Hills, and Outer Gulf 
Islands (Section 3.3.29 of the Commercial Harvest Plan).
Areas 111, 121, 123, 124, 125, 126, and 127

Subareas are described in the Pacific Fishery Management Area Regulations. 

Variation Order Number 2017-234
      

Note: 
This notice applies to South Coast and Fraser River Areas 11 to 29 and Offshore 
Areas 111, 121, and 123 to 127 inclusive.  Please refer to the North Coast 
notice for Areas 1 to 10, 101 to 110, 130, and 142.
On the first day of the fishery, May 11, 2017, harvesters are permitted to set 
their gear and haul and reset it once only, provided they do so by 19:00 hours. 

Effective May 12, 2017, hauling of prawn and shrimp by trap gear, line and 
buoys is permitted only once per day as a condition of licence in all areas of 
the coast. This is referred to as single hauling. 

In all areas, after opening day, all setting and hauling of prawn and shrimp 
traps will be permitted only between 07:00 hours (7:00 am) and 19:00 hours 
(7:00 pm) and hauling of traps will be permitted only once per day.
All in season area closures will be implemented at 19:00 hours unless otherwise 
announced. 

Vessel masters are advised to carefully consider stability and weather 
conditions when loading their vessels and packing gear. 

J.O. Thomas is the service company selected by industry to provide: trap tags, 
logbooks, hail out, set/haul data, and the in season at-sea observer program.  
The hail out number is 1-866-930-4000.
 
Every person working on a vessel that is fishing under a communal commercial 
licence must be designated by the First Nation that holds the licence. The 
designation must be made in writing and include the person's name and reference 
the communal commercial licence. The designation must be carried on-board and 
be produced on request of any Fishery Officer. First Nations licence holders 
interested in obtaining an example template to use to designate their 
harvesters may contact a DFO Resource Manager. 

All vessels must have a DFO-approved vessel monitoring system reporting vessel 
location every 15 minutes. 

Vessel masters are reminded that the Conditions of Licence require the string 
location and the haul time to be recorded in the harvest logbook "Time of Haul" 
column within ½ hour of hauling, and before the next string is hauled.   

The minimum size limit for prawns is 33 mm measured as carapace length. The 
minimum size for tailed prawns is 22 mm telson length.
  
Traps must be sorted and undersized prawns released as each trap comes on board.

All berried prawns must be released.

A total of 300 traps on 6 strings may be fished or 500 traps on 10 strings 
where traps have been reallocated prior to licencing. These trap and string 
limits do not apply in the Special Management Areas. 
    
Trap and string limits are reduced in Special Management Areas in: Howe Sound 
and Indian Arm (Subareas 28-1 to 28-5 and 28-11 to 28-14); Alberni Inlet 
(Subareas 23-1 to 23-3); Salmon / Sechelt Inlets (Subareas 16 -5 to 16-08); and 
Saanich Inlet (Subareas 19-7 to 19-12). In these areas, a total of 150 traps on 
3 strings may be fished or 250 traps on 5 strings where traps have been 
reallocated prior to licencing.

All traps shall contain a biodegradable escape mechanism ("rot cord") to allow 
bycatch to escape in event traps are lost.

The Sooke Harbour and Basin Coonstripe shrimp fishery in Subareas 20-6 and 20-7 
is anticipated to open 12:00 hours November 01, 2017. Fishers will be limited 
to 50 traps as a condition of licence. This opening will be confirmed by a 
Fishery Notice in late October. 

All "W" and "FW" licence eligibility holders other than those with zero trap 
allocations due to transfer may fish and report octopus.  All harvesters are 
required to accurately report information about the octopus catch. Closures to 
the harvest of octopus are described in the Commercial Harvest Plan.

Harvesters are reminded that section 25(1) of the Fisheries Act prohibits all 
pre-fishery fishing efforts or the setting of any fishing gear or apparatus 
prior to the opening time at 1200 h May 11, 2017.  
No prawns or shrimp that are not permitted to be retained under the authority 
of the commercial or communal commercial licence shall be on board the licenced 
vessel. 

All frozen and fresh product on board must be in a condition that it can be 
readily measured and identified by species. Freezing of whole or tailed product 
in solid blocks or tubs of ice will require that the harvester provide randomly 
selected samples to be thawed for inspection by Fishery Officers.

Solid-sided traps are not permitted.
  
Refer to the 2017/18 Prawn and Shrimp by Trap Integrated Fisheries Management 
Plan for the detailed commercial harvest plan, closure area descriptions, 
Special Management Area (SMA) restrictions and contact numbers for further 
information or clarification. 


FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Laurie Convey 250-756-7233
David Fogtmann 250-339-3799
Mike Kattilakoski 250-756-7315
Anna Magera 604-916-6743

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0389
Sent April 24, 2017 at 0925

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