Fishery Notice
Category(s):
COMMERCIAL - Invertebrates: Prawn and Shrimp by Trap
Subject:
FN0444-COMMERCIAL - Prawn and Shrimp by Trap - South Coast / Fraser River - Areas 11 to 29, 111, 121, 123 to 127 - Closures and Fishery Continues
Closes 19:00 hours June 7, 2018 in Subareas 12-40, 16-10, 24-2, 24-3, 24-7, 24- 13, 24-14 and 28-1 Please be reminded that all vessels must have a DFO-approved vessel monitoring system reporting vessel location every 15 minutes. The vessel monitoring system is not to be turned off at night. Please refer to the 2018 conditions of the prawn and shrimp trap licence. Fishery continues 19:00 hours Monday June 7, 2018 until further notice for all species of shrimp, including prawns, by trap gear, in the following areas: Area 11 Subareas 12-1 to 12-29, 12-31 to 12-39, 12-41 and 12-42 except for the Robson Bight - Michael Bigg Ecological Reserve closure area (Section 3.3.5 of the Commercial Harvest Plan) Subareas 13-1 to 13-21, 13-23 to 13-34, 13-38 to 13-41 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 Subareas 16-1, 16-3 to 16-9, 16-12 to 16-17, 16-19 to 16-22 - Note Special Management Area in Salmon and Sechelt Inlets - Subareas 16-5 to 16-8 where reduced trap and string limits apply Subareas 17-1 to 17-10, 17-12 to 17-21 and that portion of Subarea 17-11 except within 4 nautical miles of Entrance Island 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 Subareas 23-1 to 23-3, 23-6, 23-8 to 23-11 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 Subareas 24-1, 24-4 to 24-6 and 24-8 to 24-12. Area 25 - Note advisory for Sponge Reefs in Tahsis Narrows (Section 3.3.25 of the Commercial Harvest Plan) Area 26 Subareas 27-1 to 27-6, 27-8 to 27-11. Subareas 28-4 and 28-5 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 29-2 within 2 nautical miles of Thrasher Rock, 29-3 within 2 nautical miles of Thrasher Rock and Subareas 29-4 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. 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. 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 - FN0444
Sent June 4, 2018 at 1518
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Printed from the Pacific Region web site on September 20, 2024 at 1759
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