Fishery Notice

2018 Prawn and Shrimp by Trap Season Opening

Open 12:00 hours (noon) May 10, 2018 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 (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 (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 (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 (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 Tahsis Narrows (Section 3.3.25 of 
the Commercial Harvest Plan)
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 advisory for Glass Sponge Reefs (Section 3.3.29 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 3.3.30 of the Commercial Harvest Plan)
Areas 111, 121, 123 to 127 except for the Offshore Pacific Seamounts and Vents 
Fishery Closure (Section 3.3.33 of the Commercial Harvest Plan)

Subareas are described in the Pacific Fishery Management Area Regulations. 

Variation Order Number 2018-12
      

Note: 
This notice applies to South Coast and Fraser River Areas 11 to 29 and Offshore 
Areas 111, 121, and 123 to 127.  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 10, 2018, harvesters are permitted to set 
their gear and haul and reset it once only, provided they do so by 19:00 hours. 

Effective May 11, 2018, 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, 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 do not apply in the Special Management Areas (section 4.5.2 of the 
Commercial Harvest Plan). 
    
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, 2018. 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 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 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 10, 2018.
  
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 2018/19 Prawn and Shrimp by Trap Integrated Fisheries Management 
Plan at http://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/40676833.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:

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

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0308
Sent April 13, 2018 at 1653

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Printed from the Pacific Region web site on December 15, 2025 at 1548