Fishery Notice

This fishery notice supercedes FN0507 and FN0512 and amends the Halibut Bank, 
Howe Sound - Queen Charlotte Channel, and Outer Gulf Island closure 
coordinates.  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 34.102N	123 17.070W
then southerly to	49 33.730N	123 16.562W
then to	49 33.553N	123 16.462W
then to	49 33.438N	123 16.750W
then to 	49 33.707N	123 17.201W
then to	49 33.993N	123 17.391W
then to the beginning point. [Howe Sound - Defence Islands]


2.	Howe Sound - Queen Charlotte Channel Closures

Those portions of Subareas 28-2 and 28-3 that lie inside the following  lines:]

Howe Sound - Queen Charlotte Channel 1
begins at	49 21.486N	123 17.254W
then southerly to	49 20.528N	123 17.690W
then to	49 20.401N	123 17.956W
then to	49 20.765N	123 18.794W
then to	49 20.982N	123 18.584W
then to	49 21.098N	123 18.037W
then to	49 21.501N	123 17.737W
then to the beginning point. [Howe Sound - Queen Charlotte Channel 1]

Howe Sound - Queen Charlotte Channel 2
begins at	49 20.288N	123 17.693W
then southeasterly to	49 20.225N	123 17.501W
then to	49 19.993N	123 17.377W
then to	49 19.802N	123 17.444W
then to	49 19.720N	123 17.840W
then to	49 19.937N	123 18.107W
then to the beginning point. [Howe Sound - Queen Charlotte Channel 2]

Howe Sound - Queen Charlotte Channel 3
begins at	49 19.296N	123 19.905W
then southerly to	49 19.918N	123 19.847W
then to	49 19.307N	123 20.344W
then to	49 19.643N	123 20.421W
then to	49 19.819N	123 20.361W
then to	49 19.947N	123 20.097W
then to the beginning point. [Howe Sound - Queen Charlotte Channel 3]

Howe Sound - Queen Charlotte Channel 4
begins at	49 20.637N	123 19.162W
then easterly to	49 20.577N	123 18.720W
then to	49 20.441N	123 18.637W
then to	49 20.068N	123 18.818W
then to	49 20.076N	123 19.135W
then to	49 19.718N	123 19.188W
then to	49 19.726N	123 19.514W
then to	49 20.259N	123 19.828W
then to the beginning point. [Howe Sound - Queen Charlotte Channel 4]

3.	Foreslope Hills Closure
That portion of Subarea 29-3 that lie inside a line:
begins at	49 09.634N	123 23.048W
then southeasterly to	49 09.389N	123 22.622W
then to	49 09.187N	123 22.587W
then to	49 09.211N	123 23.567W
then to	49 09.646N	123 23.543W
then to the beginning point. [Foreslope Hills]

4.	Outer Gulf Islands Closure
Those portions of Subareas 18-1 and 29-4 that lie inside the following lines:

Outer Gulf Islands 1
begins at	48 54.936N	123 19.589W
then southerly to	48 54.283N	123 18.529W
then to	48 54.114N	123 18.619W
then to	48 54.065N	123 18.771W
then to	48 54.787N	123 19.929W
then to	48 54.902N	123 19.793W
then to the beginning point. [Outer Gulf Islands 1]

Outer Gulf Islands 2
begins at	48 52.588N	123 15.261W
then easterly to	48 52.520N	123 14.537W
then to	48 51.971N	123 13.768W
then to	48 51.795N	123 13.947W
then to	48 52.150N	123 14.444W
then to	48 52.038N	123 14.678W
then to	48 52.479N	123 15.521W
then to the beginning point. [Outer Gulf Islands 2]

Outer Gulf Islands 3
begins at	48 51.602N	123 13.233W
then southerly to	48 51.309N	123 12.751W
then to	48 50.913N	123 12.938W
then to	48 50.844N	123 13.059W
then to	48 51.163N	123 13.662W
then to	48 51.579N	123 13.378W
then to the beginning point. [Outer Gulf Islands 3]

Outer Gulf Islands 4
begins at	48 50.999N	123 12.391W
then southerly to	48 50.608N	123 11.603W
then to	48 50.097N	123 10.956W
then to	48 49.959N	123 11.182W
then to	48 50.857N	123 12.654W
then to	48 50.959N	123 12.566W
then to the beginning point. [Outer Gulf Islands 4]

5.	Gabriola Island Closure
That portion of Subarea 17-11 that lie inside a line:
begins at	49 13.672N	123 47.577W
then southerly to	49 13.235N	123 47.429W
then to	49 13.185N	123 47.882W
then to	49 13.391N	123 48.119W
then to	49 13.623N	123 48.166W
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 21.680N	124 19.762W
then southeasterly to	49 21.514N	124 18.893W
then to	49 21.191N	124 17.723W
then to	49 21.064N	124 17.724W
then to 	49 20.725N	124 18.380W
then to 	49 21.432N	124 19.811W
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 33.490N	124 29.230W
then southerly to	49 32.701N	124 28.760W
then to	49 31.657N	124 29.434W
then to 	49 31.663N	124 29.896W
then to	49 32.651N	124 29.752W
then to	49 33.340N	124 29.935W
then to	49 33.498N	124 29.773W
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 25.948N	123 48.889W
then easterly to	49 25.899N	123 47.266W
then to	49 25.373N	123 46.494W
then to	49 24.734N	123 47.083W
then to	49 24.910N	123 47.951W
then to	49 24.253N	123 48.283W
then to	49 24.845N	123 49.914W
then to the beginning point. [Sechelt]
 
9.	Halibut Bank Closure
That portion of Subarea 29-2 that lie inside a line:
begins at	49 21.768N	123 41.501W
then southerly to	49 21.174N	123 40.045W
then to	49 20.961N	123 40.139W
then to	49 20.803N	123 39.860W
then to	49 20.565N	123 40.182W
then to	49 21.610N	123 41.843W
then to	49 21.673N	123 42.643W
then to	49 21.895N	123 43.908W
then to	49 22.174N	123 44.748W
then to	49 22.555N	123 44.456W
then to	49 22.188N	123 42.167W
then to the beginning point. [Halibut Bank]

Variation Order No 2015-293

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT: 
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/protection/sponge_reef-recif_eponge-eng.html

OR CALL Aleria Ladwig (604) 666-7089

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0571
Sent June 19, 2015 at 1421

Return to Main Menu

Visit Fisheries and Oceans Canada on the Web at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Printed from the Pacific Region web site on December 10, 2024 at 1614