Notices to Fish Harvesters

Harp and grey seal – North Shore season 2023 - CHP

Date of Notice

Approved December 12, 2022

1. Application

This Conservation-based Harvesting Plan (CHP) applies to the North Shore sealing fleet and covers the 2023 Grey seal and Harp seal hunt season.

2. Fishing Areas

Subject to any Variation order and based on valid licences, the fleet is authorized to hunt in the sealing areas 13 to 16. The fishing areas coordinates are listed in the Conditions of licence and are also indicated on the fishing areas maps, which are available at the following address:

Commercial Fisheries

3. Fishing closures

It is prohibited to hunt seals in the portion of area 16 corresponding to the waters of the Saguenay River, the St. Lawrence River and their tributaries, west of Pointe‑des‑Monts (67°23' W), during the period beginning May 1 and ending September 30. The Marine Mammal Regulations, available at the following address, identifies the areas permanently closed:

Marine Mammal Regulations (SOR/93-56)

4. Fishing seasons

The following seasons will be in effect for the duration of this CHP. They represent the maximum duration of fishing periods. Opening dates may vary according to particular circumstances such as industry requests and the TAC announcement while closing dates may be advanced according to factors such as the reach of quotas or when risks of exceeding them are high. Opening and closing fishing dates of each fleet will be confirmed through usual communication means, particularly Notices to Fish Harvesters or Variation Orders.

 

In addition to the dates appearing in the tables, take notice of the specification 1 described below these. Also, note that the licence classes are provided in section 15 of this CHP.

Harp seal, commercial use licence classes

  • Residence and licence classes : From Tadoussac to Natashquan including Anticosti Island, thus licence classes : Q200, Q201, Q220 and Q221

    • Area1 - 15 and 16
    • Opening date1  - Annually, from December 13th to April 11th
  • Residence and licence classes : From Kegaska to Blanc-Sablon, thus licence classes Q202 and Q222 
    • Opening date1  - Annually, from April 1st to May 14th
    • Area1 - 13 and 14

Area1 & Opening date1. Licence, Commercial licence holders of the North Shore area and Communal licence holders have access to all Harp seal harvest areas of the St. Lawrence Gulf. However, requests to open at dates or in zones which differ from those presented in this harvesting plan must be submitted to the DFO office in Sept‑Iles.

Harp seal, for commercial and personal use being limited to have in their possession a maximum of six Harp seals per year

  • Residence and licence classes : From Saguenay to Pointe-au-Pic and from Tadoussac to Natashquan including Anticosti Island, thus licence classes Q210, Q211, Q230, Q231 and Q233

    • Opening date - Annually, from November 15th to June 14th
    • Area - 15 and 16
  • Residence and licence classes : From Kegaska to Blanc-Sablon, thus licence classes Q212 and Q232 
    • Opening date - Annually, from

      • April 1st to June 14th;
      • November 15th to February 14th
    • Area - 13 and 14

Harp seal, communal licence class

  • Residence and licence classes : Aboriginal communal licence from Tadoussac to Blanc-Sablon, thus licence class Q250 

    • Opening date - Annually

      • Annually, from December 13th to April 11th

        • Area - 15 and 16
      • Annually, from April 1st to May 14th
        • 13 and 14

Grey seal, commercial, personal and communal license classes

  • Residence and licence classes : From Tadoussac to Blanc-Sablon, including Anticosti Island, thus licence classes Q200 to Q250  

    • Opening date - Annually

      • Opening date - According to regulation, from March 1st to December 31st
      • Area - 13 and 14

5. Quotas

5.1  Harp seal

The North Shore sealing fleet is granted 8% of the allocation available for the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

5.2 Grey seal

DFO will monitor the landings and the fishery (hunting) could be closed with short notice.

6.Management regime

The Harp seal allocation granted to the fleet is available to all licence holders from the North Shore area (competitive hunt).

With regards to Grey seal, the hunt is competitive and the allocation is available to all sealers from Eastern Canada.

7. Fishing Gear/span>

The gears authorized are the hakapik, club and firearm. Gear specifications, as well as the three-step killing process, are described in the Marine Mammal Regulations available at the following address: Marine Mammal Regulations (SOR/93-56), as well as in the sealers’ licences.

8. Management measures to minimize the risks of interactions with the North Atlantic Right Whale What to do if you observe a North Atlantic right whale

First of all, it is important to maintain a minimum distance of 100 meters from the animal and 200 meters if the whale is accompanied by a calf. Details regarding sightings of live and free-swimming right whales may be provided to DFO at: XMARWhalesightings@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or by phone at 1-844-800-8568. If you observe this species, please send us your contact information and information about the sighting (date, time, geographical position, number of individuals, etc.). If possible, you can also send us photos or videos.

If you see a right whale entangled in fishing gear, you should not under any circumstances attempt to release it on your own. The behaviour of an entangled individual is unpredictable and dangerous. You should contact "Marine Mammal Emergencies" at 1-877-722-5346 as soon as possible to share information that will help to organize an appropriate response by experts (time and position of the entangled animal, behavior of the individual, details on the weather and the state of the sea, etc.).

9. Marine mammal interaction reporting

In order to comply with the implementation of the US Marine Mammals Protection Act (MMPA) regulations, licence holders must provide information regarding all interactions with a marine mammal that occur during fishing expeditions including: bycatch, collisions and all sightings of entangled marine mammals. To do this, the Marine Mammal Interaction Form must be completed and submitted by email to DFO.NAT.InteractionsMM-InteractionsMM.NAT.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca within 48 hours after the end of a fishing trip.

A copy of the form is attached to the Conditions of licence and can also be downloaded and submitted online at the following address: Report a marine mammal or sea turtle incident or sighting

The information provided on this form will be used by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to estimate levels of accidental mortality and injury to marine mammals. This information will allow DFO to better assess the types of threats that may affect Canada's marine mammals and to develop mitigation strategies.

In addition, if you observe a dead or distressed animal, please contact Marine Mammal Emergencies as soon as possible at 1-877-722-5346. If possible, do not hesitate to take photos or videos that will allow DFO to assess the situation and identify the species.

10. Hails

Hail-out and hail-in are not requested. This measure could be modified according to circumstances.

11. Logbook

The Logbook is mandatory for all vessel captains and landsmen participants taking part in seal hunting activities. The Logbook must be sent to the DFO Office in Sept-Iles within 10 days after the end of a fishing/huntin

12. Boat

12.1 Principal boat

A vessel equipped with a motor 10 HP or more that is used for sealing must be recorded on a professional sealer’s licence. This professional sealer must be on board the vessel during sealing activities.

Only a boat less than 19.81 m (65 feet) in length may be used for sealing.

In the case of a vessel that is not registered as a commercial fishing vessel (VRN), the Seal Vessel Identification Number (SVIN) must be painted or securely affixed to the vessel by other means, in conformity with the licences specifications.

12.2 Auxiliary boat

The holder of a commercial sealing licence is authorized to use a maximum of two auxiliary crafts.

  • An auxiliary craft is a craft that is taken on board the vessel prior to leaving the port in order to use it, if required, to facilitate sealing operations.
  • In the case of auxiliary crafts, the Vessel Registration Number (VRN) or Seal Vessel Identification Number (SVIN) of the main vessel must be painted or securely affixed to the vessel by other means.

Section 26(2) of the Fishery (General) Regulations provides the criteria to be met for the identification of boats.

12.3  Boat leasing

Leasing of boats outside the Quebec Region is not authorized.

13. Closing of the hunt

In order to ensure that the quota is not exceeded, DFO will close the hunt as soon as its analysis shows that the quota will potentially be reached. Sealers must cease their activities as soon as the closure is announced, normally via the Coast Guard or the DFO staff, which includes the Fishery Officers.

14. Mandatory training on the three-steps process

In 2009, the Government of Canada strengthened the Marine Mammal Regulations to formalize already well-established humane harvesting practices. Regulatory amendments articulate a prescribed three-step process that is in keeping with international scientific standards and provides for a safe and humane harvest.

In order to harvest seals, it is mandatory to complete the training on the three-step killing process.

Please refer to your licence and to the Marine Mammal Regulations for details on the three-step process and other related management measures.

15. Licence classes

The licence classes used to open and close the current hunt on the North Shore Area are as follows:

  • Q200  Seal licence – commercial use held by a person residing in a community located between Tadoussac and Sept-Iles including these two communities.
  • Q201  Seal licence – commercial use held by a person residing in a community located between Moisie and Natashquan, including these two communities and Anticosti Island.
  • Q202  Seal licence – commercial use held by a person residing in a community located between Kegaska and Blanc-Sablon including these two communities.
  • Q210  Seal licence – commercial use held by a person residing in a community located between Tadoussac and Sept-Iles including these two communities and who is authorized to catch, retain or be in possession of a maximum of six Harp seals per year and the quantities of Grey seals set for the competitive fishery of this fleet.
  • Q211  Seal licence – commercial use held by a person residing in a community located between Moisie and Natashquan, including these two communities and Anticosti Island and who is authorized to catch, retain or be in possession of a maximum of six Harp seals per year and the quantities of Grey seals set for the competitive fishery of this fleet.
  • Q212  Seal licence – commercial use held by a person residing in a community located between Kegaska and Blanc-Sablon including these two communities and who is authorized to catch, retain or be in possession of a maximum of six Harp seals per year and the quantities of Grey seals set for the competitive fishery of this fleet.
  • Q220  Seal licence – commercial use held by a person who does not reside in a community located between Tadoussac and Sept-Iles including these two communities but who participates in the seal fishery from a vessel whose master resides immediately adjacent to one of these communities.
  • Q221  Seal licence – commercial use held by a person who does not reside in a community located between Moisie and Natashquan including these two communities and Anticosti Island, but who participates in the seal fishery from a vessel whose master resides immediately adjacent to one of these communities.
  • Q222  Seal licence – commercial use held by a person who does not reside in a community located between Kegaska and Blanc-Sablon including these two communities but who participates in the seal fishery from a vessel whose master resides immediately adjacent to one of these communities.
  • Q230  Seal licence – personal use held by a person residing in a community located between Tadoussac and Sept-Iles including these two communities.
  • Q231  Seal licence – personal use held by a person residing in a community located between Moisie and Natashquan including these two communities and Anticosti Island.
  • Q232  Seal licence – personal use held by a person residing in a community located between Kegaska and Blanc-Sablon including these two communities.
  • Q233  Seal licence – personal use held by a person residing in a community located between Pointe-au-Pic and Saguenay including these two communities.
  • Q250  Seal licence – aboriginal communal issued in accordance with the Aboriginal Communal fishing licenses regulations and held by an aboriginal organization residing between Tadoussac and Blanc-Sablon including these two communities

Please take note that it is the sealer’s responsibility to identify his licence class, in order to assure that he ceases all sealing activities when DFO will announce that the hunt is closed for this licence class.

16. Species At Risk Act

Pursuant to the Species at Risk Act, no person shall kill, harm, harass, capture, take, possess, collect, buy, sell or trade an individual or any part or derivate of a wildlife species designated as extirpated, endangered or threatened.

At the time this Conservation Harvesting Plan is promulgated, the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence species susceptible to being captured are the following: the Spotted Wolfish, the Northern Wolfish, the Leatherback Turtle and the Striped Bass (St. Lawrence River population). New species could be added during the course of the year.

All incidental captures of species at risk must be immediately returned to the water where they were captured and, if the animal is still alive, in the manner that causes it the least harm. All incidental captures of species at risk must be recorded in the « Species at Risk » section of the logbook. Furthermore, all interactions with species at risk, notably the North Atlantic Right Whale, the Blue Whale (Atlantic population), the Beluga Whale (St. Lawrence Estuary population) and the White Shark (Atlantic population), must be recorded in this section of the logbook.

These requirements are additional to any obligation to declare an interaction with a marine mammal using the prescribed form (see section Marine mammal interaction reporting).

17. Crew registry

Since April 1st, 2021, inshore commercial licence holders, and their approved Substitute Operators, must keep records of all the crew members working aboard the vessel on every fishing trip. These records must be maintained by the licence holder for a period of five (5) years. This requirement does not apply to pre-1979 corporation licence and to any licence issued under the authority of the Aboriginal Communal Fishing Licences Regulations. For further details, refer to the March 17th, 2021 Notice to Fish Harvesters atNew inshore regulation (2021-03-17) or contact the Licensing Office at 1-877-535-7307 or fishing-peche@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

18. Discharge of waste

In 2022, all commercial fisheries in Canada have a new condition of licence relating to the discharge of garbage from Canadian fishing vessels. The licence holder is prohibited from discarding in Canadian fisheries waters from their vessel any item that may be harmful to fish or fish habitat . Please refer to the following New condition of licence relating to discharge of garbage season 2022 (2022-03-29) (dfo-mpo.gc.ca)

19. Licences

To obtain their licences, licence holders must log-on to the National online licencing system (NOLS).

For NOLS assistance, please contact customer support by phone at 1-877-535-7307, or by email at the following address: fishing-peche@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

Approved by:

Maryse Lemire

Fisheries Management Regional Director

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Quebec

For any questions regarding this CHP

You may call at:

North Shore area: 1-800-463-1729

For more information

Please visit our website at the following address:

Fisheries

Date modified: