Fishery Notice

2019 Prawn and Shrimp by Trap Season Opening

Open 12:00 hours (noon) May 9, 2019 until further notice for all species of 
shrimp, including prawns, by trap gear in the following areas: 

Subareas 1-1 to 1-5 and 1-7
Area 2 except for the marine strict protection zones identified in the Gwaii 
Haanas Gina 'Waadluan Kiluhla Land-Sea-People Management Plan - Kwoon Cove to 
Gowgaia Bay, SGang Gwaay (Wailing Island), South Kunghit Island, Gangxid Xyuu 
Kun sda Kan 'Láas Kun (Lyman Point to Receiver Point), Kayjuu Kun (Benjamin 
Point), St'aa K'ii GawGa (Flamingo Inlet) - Head, GawGajaang (Louscoone Inlet) -
 Head, K'insiGid (Rose Inlet) - Head, GawGan (Huston Inlet) - Head, Suu Kaahlii 
sda SGwaay Kun Gwaay.yaay (Skincuttle Inlet to Burnaby Island), Gid Gwaa GyaaGa 
GawGa (Poole Inlet), Kuuniisii Xaw GawGa sda Gaaduu Gwaay (Matheson Inlet to 
Huxley Island), Gandaawuu.ngaay Xyangs sda Tllga Kun Gwaay.yaay (Juan Perez 
Sound to Lyell Island), Didxwahxyangs (Darwin Sound), T'aanuu K'aadxwah Xyangs 
sda Gwaay Xaa'ans (Klue Passage to Lost Islands)
Area 3
Subareas 4-1 to 4-9 and 4-12 to 4-15
Areas 5 to 10
Areas 101 to 110, 130 and 142 except for the Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte 
Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Marine Protected Areas (Section 3.3.30 of the 
Commercial Harvest Plan), the Bowie Seamount Marine Protected Area (Section 
3.3.31 of the Commercial Harvest Plan) and the Offshore Pacific Seamounts and 
Vents Fishery Closure (Section 3.3.32 of the Commercial Harvest Plan)

Subareas are described in the Pacific Fishery Management Area Regulations. 

Variation Order Number 2019-217

      

Note: 
This notice applies to North Coast Areas 1 to 10 and Offshore Areas 101 to 110, 
130 and 142. Please refer to the South Coast / Fraser River notice for Areas 11 
to 29, 111, 121 and 123 to 127. 

On the first day of the fishery, May 9, 2019, harvesters are permitted to set 
their gear and haul and reset it once only, provided they do so by 19:00 hours. 

Effective May 10, 2019, 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.
 
Vessel masters are required to permit a designated at-sea observer aboard the 
vessel. At-sea observers will select vessels and board and disembark the vessel 
from the dock or, at the at-sea observer's discretion, from his or her own 
transport vessel on the fishing grounds.

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. For each VMS unit installation, replacement, 
transfer to another vessel, or change to the licence holder, a completed 
National Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) Form (http://www.nfl.dfo-
mpo.gc.ca/e0010178) shall be forwarded by facsimile to 1 (709) 772-5787. 

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 are reduced in the Special Management Areas (Section 4.5.2 of the 
Commercial Harvest Plan). 
    
All traps shall contain a biodegradable escape mechanism ("rot cord") to allow 
bycatch to escape in event traps are lost.

All "W" and "FW" licence eligibility holders other than those with zero trap 
allocations may fish and retain octopus. All harvesters are required to 
accurately report information about the octopus catch. Closures to the harvest 
of octopus are described in Section 3 of 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 9, 2019.
  
No prawns or shrimp that are not permitted to be retained under the authority 
of the "W" or "FW" licence shall be on board the licenced vessel. 

Any entanglement in fishing gear of a marine mammal or collision between a 
vessel and a marine mammal shall be reported immediately to DFO by telephone at 
1-800-465-4336. 

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.

Refer to the 2019/20 Prawn and Shrimp by Trap Integrated Fisheries Management 
Plan at https://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/40780454.pdf
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:

Coral Keehn 604-627-3021
Laurie Convey 250-756-7233

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0368
Sent April 18, 2019 at 1238

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Printed from the Pacific Region web site on June 13, 2026 at 0758