Fishery Notice

The Area B Harvest Committee has proposed a limited opportunity fishery in Area 
29 to determine if pink abundance and the sockeye encounter rate are at 
acceptable levels for initiating an individual transferable quota demonstration 
fishery for seines.  This limited opportunity fishery is for a maximum of two 
seine vessels operating at any given time.


Area 29
Open to fishing from 06:00 hours to 21:00 hours daily commencing Wednesday, 
September 9, 2015 until further notice in Subareas 29-6, 29-7, and 29-9.  
Vessels fishing in depths shallower than 45 metres must use shallow seine 
gear.  Shallow seine gear is defined as no deeper than 375 mesh (3-strip).  
There are no depth restrictions in place for those fishing areas south of Delta 
Port which is closed to crab fishing.  The fishery is directed at harvesting 
pink salmon and releasing sockeye, coho and chinook salmon.  Minimum bunt mesh 
size 70 mm. The use of power skiffs is permitted.  


Variation Order No. 2015-STN-SN-007, 2015-STN-SN-008, 2015-STN-SN-009

This limited opportunity fishery will be arranged through the Area B Harvest 
Committee and requires third party independent certified observers on board 
both vessels during fishing activities to monitor all salmon encounters.  This 
fishery will not proceed should undesignated seine vessels attend or attempt to 
participate in this fishery.

The Fraser River pink harvest will be managed as an Individual Transferable 
Quota (ITQ) fishery and will be based on available commercial total allowable 
catch (TAC).  There is no available commercial sockeye TAC.   Mandatory sockeye 
non-retention will be in effect and any sockeye encountered must be released 
with the least possible harm.  Although there is no sockeye TAC, sockeye 
impacts will be managed using a nominal ITQ of total allowable mortalities to 
account for sockeye release mortality. Survival rates of sockeye released in 
this fishery are expected to be high. 

Sockeye mortalities will be assessed against the ITQ of sockeye to limit 
overall sockeye release mortalities.  Initial individual quota amounts for 
sockeye will be based on a 1% mortality rule.  For example, an initial pink ITQ 
amount of 10,000 pinks will have an associated sockeye release mortality quota 
of 1% or 100 sockeye.  Fishing must stop before either the pink ITQ or sockeye 
ITQ amounts are exceeded.

Sockeye release mortalities will be calculated using estimates of sockeye 
encounter rates (as a percentage of encounters of sockeye and pink) will be 
based on independent observer information, the sockeye release mortality rate 
(25% for seine), and the validated pink salmon landing.  To calculate the 
release mortality of sockeye that will be assessed against your quota, multiply 
the number of pink landed by the sockeye encounter rate in the fishing area 
(for the day of fishing) and then by the release mortality rate.  Sockeye 
release mortalities will be determined and assessed against the vessels sockeye 
ITQ when the catch is landed.

The vessel must have sufficient allocations (ITQ) of pink salmon and sockeye 
salmon quotas to participate in this fishery.  The cumulative individual quota 
in pieces for each Area B licence is 1,493 pink based on a share of 0.49107% 
and a Canadian Commercial TAC (CCTAC) of 304,000 pink.  This commercial TAC is 
for the purpose of calculating the individual quota amounts for Area B and H 
vessels only. The initial ITQ allocation of sockeye mortalities is 15 per 
licence. Although there is no Area H commercial opening at this time, for ITQ 
transfer purposes the cumulative individual quota in pieces for each Area H 
licence is 400 pink based on a share of 0.13158% and the initial ITQ allocation 
of sockeye mortalities is 3 per licence.  The individual quota amount (in 
pieces) will change if the available commercial TAC changes in-season.  
	
The harvester will need to ensure they have adequate quota of pink salmon and 
sockeye quota for releases before fishing.  It is the responsibility of the 
vessel master to cease fishing when the vessel quota for Fraser pink salmon or 
Fraser sockeye mortalities is achieved. Please refer to the Area B and Area H 
Fraser River Sockeye and Pink ITQ Demonstration Fishery 2015 Guidelines 
document for further details.

The next update will be made Friday, September 11. 


NOTE:

1. The target species in this fishery is Fraser River pink salmon; the 
incidental catch of chum may be retained in the Areas open to fishing.  There 
will be non-retention of sockeye, coho, chinook and steelhead. This fishery has 
been designed to address stocks of concern constraints.

2. Seine vessel masters are reminded that logbook requirements, operating 
revival tanks and brailing are mandatory as condition of their licence and are 
legal requirements. 

3. Vessel masters must, prior to leaving for the fishing grounds, phone AMR at 
1-888-387-0007 and provide a start fishing report and announce their intention 
to fish.
 
4. At the end of each fishing day and prior to 08:00 hours of the next day, the 
vessel master must, as a condition of licence, record their catch information 
in their Salmon Log Book and report their catch by calling AMR at 1-888-387-
0007.

5. Within 24 hours of the end of a fishing trip and prior to commencing a 
subsequent fishing trip, the vessel master shall phone in an End Fishing 
Report.  Should a vessel master decide not to fish after having obtained a Trip 
Identification Number the vessel master shall phone in a Trip Cancellation 
Report. 

6. Catch validation is mandatory and individual licence holders are required to 
make their own arrangements with a landing observer service provider authorized 
by the Department.  Licence holders that plan to harvest pink salmon must 
register with the landing observer service provider in advance of the fishery 
to confirm arrangements.  For further information contact J.O. Thomas and 
Associates (ph: 1-866-930-4000).

7. Prior to any dockside landing of fish, the vessel master shall hail in to 
the designated landing observer service provider at 1-866-930-4000 between 
06:00 hours and 18:00 hours seven days per week and provide the following 
information:

- vessel name;
- vessel registration number;
- name and Fisher Identification Number of the vessel master;
- contact phone number;
- date, time, port and location of landing of the fish;
- name of fish buying station where fish are to be landed;
- product type;
- estimated number of pieces by species;
- area fished; and
- sub-area fished.

A landing observer shall be present during all landing of catch to record the 
number and weight of each species of salmon delivered.  All salmon shall be 
landed at one of the following locations:  Campbell River, French Creek, 
Greater Vancouver, Port Renfrew, Nanaimo, Port Hardy, Port McNeil, Quadra 
Island. 

The vessel master shall deliver only to packers designated for the quota 
fishery.  The vessel master shall retain a copy of the validation record 
provided by the packer at each delivery.

If the vessel leaves the quota fishery to fish in another fishery the catch 
shall be landed and verified by a landing observer prior to entering the other 
fishery.

8. Quota will be transferable in whole or in part within Area B as well as 
between Area H.  Quota may be reallocated as a percent (for the season) or by 
pieces (temporarily to cover an overage).  In all instances overages accrued in-
season must be covered by a quota reallocation. An increase in the TAC cannot 
be used to cover an overage.  The Quota being transferred to a vessel in an 
overage situation must be quota that was available prior to the TAC 
increase.    Reallocations associated with overages must be made within 24 
hours of landing. In addition, vessels will not be permitted to continue 
fishing (start fishing report) until all overages are covered.  The Department 
has outlined interim transfer guidelines for quota transfers outside of Areas B 
and H, as detailed in the 2015-16 Integrated Fisheries Management Plan for 
Southern BC Salmon.  Contact Christine Bukta at 250-286-5888 for more 
information.

9. Fishers are reminded it is an offence under Section 7 of the Marine Mammals 
Regulations to disturb marine mammals.  Fishers are advised to follow the Be 
Whale Wise: Marine Wildlife Guidelines for Boaters, Paddlers and Viewers (BWW) 
which are available from local Fisheries Offices or on-line at 
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/species-especes/mammals-mammiferes/view-
observer-eng.htm to avoid disturbing local killer whales and other marine 
mammals.

10. Fishers are requested to avoid fishing among birds and not to run the net 
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 Laurie Wilson with the band number and capture 
date and location at 1-866-431-2473 (BIRD) 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 laurie.wilson@ec.gc.ca.  Your names and vessel names do 
not need to be identified or included. 

11. 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).  Please include 
information such as the type of sea turtle seen (i.e. leatherback), the 
location, and time of sighting.


FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Barbara Mueller, 604-666-2370

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN1001
Sent September 8, 2015 at 1635

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