Fishery Notice

Abandoned and lost aquaculture gear is a significant contributor to plastic marine debris. Winter storms and high tides are to be expected and licence holders must ensure their facilities are engineered, maintained, and inspected to prevent debris from entering the marine environment. 


Aquaculture operators- You are reminded to:

Understand and abide by the conditions of your Aquaculture Licence;

Ensure all gear is properly contained and secured so that it does not wash away, including when stored on rafts or floats;

Ensure all gear is in good working condition and is functioning as intended;

Regularly inspect facilities, tenures and surrounding beaches for lost gear, especially during the winter and spring storm season;

Recover any pieces of gear that have come loose or been lost;

Employ divers, drop cameras and/or remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to inspect and recover any lost gear from the seafloor in and around the licenced area; and

Ensure all exposed foam (eg. styrofoam) is fully removed from the environment and properly disposed of at a land based facility, such as a landfill or a marine plastics recycler. Exposed and degraded foam must not be stored on floats or rafts. 

Note: Tyvek/tarp style wrapping or urethane coating do not adequately contain foam. High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) air filled or HDPE encased foam are examples of durable raft floatation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Aquaculture Management Division:
Shellfish.Aquaculture@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or Marine.Finfish.Aquaculture@dfo-mpo.gc.ca  

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN1278
Sent November 27, 2020 at 1530

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Visit Fisheries and Oceans Canada on the Web at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Printed from the Pacific Region web site on May 16, 2024 at 1841