Fishery Notice

Effective February 14, 2024, all commercial and recreational bottom- contact (including midwater trawl) fishing activities are prohibited within a portion of Subarea 7-4 to protect a coral reef. This includes the following fishing activities:

Commercial:
Prawn and crab by trap, Shrimp and groundfish by trawl, Groundfish by hook and line, Groundfish by trap, mid-water trawl. 

Recreational:
Finfish
Shellfish

These closures will be in effect for the long term.

First discovered in 2021, Lophelia Reef is the first live cold-water coral reef found in Canadian Pacific waters, and is the only pristine Lophelia Reef known in Canada. It is a globally unique ecosystem. The reef is particularly vulnerable to high impact from bottom-contact fishing. Fishery Closures at this site are in alignment with DFO's Policy for Managing the Impacts of Fishing on Sensitive Benthic Areas. Following input from First Nations and stakeholder consultations, DFO has made the decision to proceed with closures for commercial and recreational bottom-contact and midwater trawl fisheries at this site.

Details are provided here: All geographical co-ordinates are provided in the North American Datum 83 (NAD 83) geodetic system. All lines joining the geographical co-ordinates of points are interpreted as rhumb lines.

The geographical coordinates of the closure is as follows:

That portion of Subarea 7-4 that lies inside a line commencing at a point in water at 52° 27.059' N, 128° 27.707' W then easterly to a point in water at 52° 27.087' N, 128° 26.342' W then southerly to a point in water at 52° 25.667' N, 128° 26.261' W then westerly to a point in water at 52° 25.638' N, 128° 27.638' W then northerly to the beginning point.


Variation Order No #s 2024-080 and 2024-RCT-08 are in effect


FOR MORE INFORMATION: 
Heather Brekke at Heather.Brekke@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or 236-330-2062

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0085
Sent February 2, 2024 at 1224

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Printed from the Pacific Region web site on July 26, 2024 at 2053