Minutes from the meeting on July 11, 2018

Attendees

ORGANIZATION	REPRESENTATIVES	PRESENT	ABSENT
INDUSTRY
INTERSECTORAL ASSOCIATIONS
Alliance des pêcheurs professionnels du Québec (APPQ)	Clovis Poirier		X
Fédération des pêcheurs semi-hauturiers du Québec (FPSHQ)	Marcel Cormier		X
Gaspé–Lower St. Lawrence Area
Regroupement des pécheurs professionnels du Sud de la Gaspésie (RPPSG)	O’Neil Cloutier		X
Regroupement des pêcheurs professionnels du Nord de la Gaspésie (RPPNG)	Jean-René Boucher	X
Association des capitaines-propriétaires de la Gaspésie (ACPG)	Jean-Pierre Couillard	X
Association des morutiers traditionnels de la Gaspésie (AMTG)	Marc Diotte	X
Association des crabiers gaspésiens	Daniel Desbois		X
Association des pêcheurs de crabe de la zone 17 (APCZ17)	René Landry	X
Magdalen Islands Area
Association des pêcheurs propriétaires des Îles-de-la-Madeleine (APPIM)	Mario Déraspe	X
Regroupement des palangriers et pétoncliers uniques madelinots (RPPUM)	Pierre Chevrier	X
Regroupement des pêcheurs professionnels des Îles-de-la-Madeleine (RPPIM)	Marcel Cormier		X
Groupe de pêcheurs de la zone F inc. (GPZF)	Bruno-Pierre Bourque		X
Rassemblement des pêcheurs et pêcheuses des côtes des Îles (RPPCÎ)	Charles Poirier	X
North Shore Area
Association des pêcheurs de la Basse Côte-Nord (APBCN)	Paul Nadeau	X
Regroupement des pêcheurs professionnels de la Haute et Moyenne Côte-Nord (RPPHMCN)	Frank Dubé	X
Comité de cogestion de la zone 16 inc. (CCZ16)	Serge Poirier	X
INDIGENOUS ORGANIZATIONS
Agence Mamu Innu Kaikusshet (AMIK)	Serge Langelier	X
Mi’gmaq Maliseet Aboriginal Fisheries Management Association	Catherine Lambert-Koizumi	X
Community of Ekuanitshit	Guy Vigneault		X
Observers
Mi’kmaq Maliseet Aboriginal Fisheries Management Association (MMAFMA)	Emmanuel Sandt-Duguay		X
Agence Mamu Innu Kaikusshet (AMIK)	Serge Langelier	X
Mi'gmawei Mawiomi Secretariat	Emmanuel Sandt-Duguay		X
HARBOUR AUTHORITIES
Port Authority Representative	Pierre Léonard	X
DFO
Permanent members
Regional Director General	Patrick Vincent		X
Regional Director, Fisheries Management Branch	Maryse Lemire	X
Director, Resource and Aboriginal Fisheries Management	Denis Gros-Louis	X
Area Director interim – Gaspé-Lower St. Lawrence	Érick Saint-Laurent	X
Area Director – North Shore	Andrew Rowsell	X
Area Director – Magdalen Islands	Cédric Arseneau	X
Regional Manager - Strategic Services	Évelyne Dufault	X
Casual members (as needed, depending on the items discussed)
Regional Director, Small Craft Harbours	Bernard Beaudoin		X
Regional Director, Science	Yves De la Fontaine		X
Regional Director, Ecosystems Management Branch	Nicole Bouchard		X
Speakers
	Julie Couët	X
	Yves Richard		X
	Anne Lagacé	X
	Jérôme Beaulieu	X
Observers
	Sylvie Pelletier (ARDG)		X
	Linda Tousignant	X
	Pascale Fortin		X
	Claudine Renaud		X
	Michel Plamondon		X
	Carolane Lepage	X
	Shannie Parent	X
	Suzie Boudreau	X
External observers
	Geneviève Myles	X
	Marcel Denis	X
	Yan Bourdages		X
	Michel Syvrais		X
	Curtis Stubbert		X
	Pierre Jenniss		X
	Claire Canet		X
MAPAQ
Permanent member	Rabia Sow	X

Topics

Welcome (Maryse Lemire)

Maryse welcomes everyone and explains the purpose of the summer teleconference, which is to share information before the annual meeting in the fall by updating and following up on topics from previous meetings, as well as upcoming issues. She mentions that topics of particular interest that require face-to-face meetings such as management measures for right whales, will be the subject of special meetings and will be put on the agenda for the liaison committee in the fall. The elements presented are not considered as being approved by the industry but to inform about discussion points at the liaison committee in December.

Maryse takes attendance and presents the agenda. Other Business remains open.

Follow-up – Actions (Maryse Lemire)

Maryse mentions that almost all the follow-ups for the last minutes have been completed; some were the subject of a presentation during the meeting. Only one element remains to be updated; information will be emailed in the coming days.

Update – Administrative directives and related licences (Julie Couet)

Julie presents the status of the file on administrative directives. The face-to-face meetings should start again by the end of August for implementation of the regional directives. The objective is to implement the new administrative directives for the 2019 season.

An analysis of the geographic criteria is currently being conducted to allow fishermen to have access security (no loss of certain licences in the sectors) while ensuring flexibility for the transfer of licences. The administrative directives will be functional, operational and legally viable. Here are some criteria chosen for the directives: mobility, stability of coastal economies, fairness and consistency in applying the geographic criterion, and transparency.

Questions and comments:

Mr. Déraspe wonders if we should try to keep licences in-region, and he asks if there is a lack of tools for DFO to implement the measures. Julie replies that the criteria are assessed based on residence and on what is done in Quebec and that we must look at several criteria to ensure flexibility as well as stability (avoid the exodus of licences).

Mr. Dupuis mentions that licences must not change regions.

Mr. Diotte mentions that it is important that licences remain in-region to support fishermen’s profitability.

Mr. Landry mentions that the terms "region," "sector" and "fishing area" must not be confused. This is another criterion to consider in the analysis. Julie responds that these elements are already part of the analysis.

Mr. Chevrier mentions that the allocation of licences in the regions must be respected. In his opinion, DFO’s administrative rules would be inconsistent with those established in the sectors by the industries. Julie responds that, to ensure greater flexibility, there needs to be more openness to permanent transfers between fleets.

Mr. Nadeau wonders if administrative directives will be standardized across Quebec or if there will be some disparity between sectors, since some realities and constraints differ between sectors and within sectors. He therefore wonders if there will be a geographic criterion for each fleet or if there might be disparities. Julie replies that analyses remain to be done but the goal is to have a product that considers the sectoral realities while being flexible and uniform.

Ms. Lambert-Koizumi indicates that First Nations must be considered, particularly for ease of access to related licences for Aboriginal licences. Julie specifies that this aspect is considered and that it is found in the Notice to Fishers from March 13 on the administrative directives.

Ms. Sow asks that the economic importance of landings in the regions be taken into account. Julie indicates that the landing pattern should be used in the geographic criterion.

Charles Poirier raises the point that documents regarding meetings are sent too late and the fishermen do not have time to prepare. He mentions that the documents should be sent at least one month before the meetings.

Amendment to the Fisheries Act and regulations regarding the independence of the inshore fleet (Julie Couet)

Julie mentions that the written information could not be provided because the consultation process for regulatory change was not formally initiated by the Minister. This initiation will take place within two to three weeks. A website will be set up for questions, which can also be emailed.

Julie mentions that the bill includes:

• new powers to suspend or cancel a licence if the holder is involved in an agreement that contravenes the Act or the regulations;
• new considerations that the Minister may take into account for decision-making; and
• clarifications on existing powers.

She notes that the main policies supporting the coastal fisheries concern owner-operators and fleet separation. To preserve the independence of the inshore fishing fleet, it is proposed that elements of these policies be incorporated into the Atlantic Fishery Regulations (AFR). The new provisions would not apply to individuals or fleets that currently have exceptions under coastal fisheries policies, and the AFR do not allow new exceptions.

Julie lists the objectives of the proposed amendments to the AFR:

• economically viable coastal fisheries;
• supporting the independence of licence holders in coastal communities and ensuring that they are the ones who are fishing;
• maintaining a separation between the harvesting and processing industry sectors (avoiding vertical integration).

Licences remain the property of the Crown. Special circumstances could allow limited transfer of rights and privileges. The bill proposes amending section 9 to allow the Minister to suspend or cancel the licences of holders who violate the Act or the Regulations.

Julie mentioned that a consultation process will be launched within two to three weeks and will continue until the end of September 2018. The regulations should be published in the Canada Gazette in late fall 2018 or early winter 2018.

Maryse indicates that at the launch of the consultation, the information will be emailed. Maryse mentions that a special meeting could be held to go through the amendments to the Act in order to guide the comments the industry would like to make.

Questions and comments:

Mr. Nadeau wonders what kind of consultation will be done. Maryse replies that a website is being created and will contain all the information (the site will be sent to the industry when it is ready). Mr. Nadeau wonders if the end of the consultations in September is official. Julie replies that the interest of the fishermen and the Department in implementing this project pushed the Minister to move the issue forward quickly.

Maryse mentions that the regional team will take action if there are major issues during the consultation period. National could take the comments. However, she indicates that it must be remembered that consideration of comments after the deadline will become more difficult as the drafting progresses. The regional team will be there for support and to transmit messages to the administration as needed.

Ms. Myles agrees with the holding of a special meeting.

Marine Protected Areas Network – American Bank (Anne Lagacé)

Anne Lagacé presents an update on the MPA file, particularly on the area of interest for the American Bank. The project resulting from a Canada–Quebec agreement was published in the Canada Gazette. Comments on the project are normally made over a period of 30 days but, given the summer period, comments made after 30 days may be considered. In the fall, after the comments are received, the decision on the amendment to the regulations will be made.

The American Bank has two areas. No fishing activity is allowed in Area 1 (except harvest for food, social and ceremonial purposes), while fishing for certain species using certain gear is allowed in Area 2.

With the intergovernmental agreement, the two governments will assess which marine protected areas could be put forward next. These sites will be the subject of consultations. The proposal for these sites, as well as the consultations, should be next fall. Following the consultations, the priority sites will be identified and will be discussed further.

Questions and comments:

Mr. Boucher wonders why directed groundfish fishing using gill nets is not allowed. Anne mentions that the impact analyses showed that the gill net used for fishing affects benthic beds significantly. Following Mr. Boucher’s request to see this study, Anne will find out if the study is available for distribution. She notes that the project has already been the subject of several meetings. A committee of external individuals was created following the Minister’s request to determine what a marine protected area should take into consideration. Mr. Boucher asks for the contact information of the people in this group. Anne will send the contact information to Maryse, who will distribute it.

Ms. Myles asks if there are fishermen on the advisory committee. Anne replies that there are not, but that the fishing industry was consulted. Ms. Myles adds that the priority sites will have to be the subject of a consultation before being proposed.
Mr. Diotte mentions that it would be important for the industry to be informed of the no-fishing zones so that fishermen can be notified.

Mr. Dubé wonders whether there was an economic study of the loss of revenue from the fishery closure inside the American Bank. Anne responds in the affirmative and says that details regarding the impacts of the American Bank are available on the Internet.
The majority of committee members want to ensure that the industry will be consulted and heard for future protected areas.

Monitoring program (Jérôme Beaulieu)

Jérôme is updating the projects implemented as part of the monitoring program, as well as future projects. After summarizing the policy, Jérôme lists the five projects selected for 2017–2018:

• Camera surveillance: It is recommended not to start the pilot project for the next season due to lack of information.
• Evaluation of impact of trawling for redfish
• Fisher-observer: A feasibility study has been carried out. However, it is not an opportune time to implement a pilot project in the shrimp industry. It must be confirmed with industry if the project is still relevant in a context where the goal of cost reduction would not be achieved.
• Electronic logbook: Training will be provided by the Comité sectoriel de main-d’oeuvre
• Zero discard study: A feasibility study was conducted, and the recommendation issued was to not implement mandatory landing.

Three projects are currently on the table for 2018–2019:

• Enhanced data quality for the At-Sea Observer Program
• Setting up a site to give the industry access to a technological information system
• Electronic logbook continuity: Training will be provided by the Comité sectoriel de main-d’oeuvre The first training session is planned on the North Shore in October and November 2018. The other sectors will be trained afterwards.

The industry is called upon to consider the project proposal criteria and then submit projects related to the monitoring program that would meet their needs. The proposed projects will have to make sure to exhaust the budget by the end of March 2019.

Questions and comments:

The industry is against installing cameras on fishing vessels.

Maryse mentions that the projects presented are not part of an external funding program. The projects are primarily feasibility programs established by DFO to develop tools to implement the fishery monitoring policy. Studies on potential new products would improve our effectiveness in fishery monitoring (data quality, cost reduction, etc.). The purpose of these studies is to achieve the objectives of the monitoring program with new technologies or new methods that would benefit fishermen. Nothing concrete will be implemented in the short term.

Maryse notes that these projects were presented to the liaison committee in December 2017. The goal is to receive project proposals from the industry that would be useful to them. The camera project was not an avenue that DFO was considering committing to. The projects were identified by the Department and were presented to the industry for comment. Maryse mentions that DFO did not receive any comments from the industry.

Ms. Lambert-Koizumi mentions that projects will be proposed by the industry for 2018–2019.

Ms. Sow mentions that the costs that have been added in recent years must be taken into account.

Striped bass recreational fishery (Jérôme Beaulieu)

Jérôme gives an update on the striped bass recreational fishery. New terms are in place for the 2018 season. Jérôme mentions that recreational fishing for striped bass is permitted in fishing area 21 in Quebec, east of a line connecting Forestville to Rimouski, and there is a daily catch and possession limit of three striped bass. All other terms and conditions of the recreational fishery apply.

Studies carried out by the Ministère des forêts, de la faune et des parcs and DFO are available.

A connection problem occurred; communication was cut between Quebec and the online participants.

Other Business – Suggestions for topics for the next liaison committee (Maryse Lemire)

The liaison committee members suggest that all the items discussed be on the agenda for the next face-to-face liaison committee, except perhaps for the item on striped bass, which can be replaced by an item on right whales.

Maryse mentions that the next liaison committee would take place in person during the first week of December (December 5–6 or December 6–7). There will be a follow-up to verify the availabilities of the industry. Discussions concerning the right whale will begin after the fishing season.

Follow-up on action items

Marine Protected Areas Network – American Bank

• If possible, send the analysis of fishing gear impact on seabeds to the members of the liaison committee.
• Send contact information for the National Marine Protected Areas Coordination Committee to the members of the liaison committee (interest for protection levels).
• Lead: Anne Lagacé

Amendment to the Fisheries Act and regulations regarding the independence of the inshore fleet

• Send relevant information to the industry about the consultation on the bill.
• Organize a special call to help the industry direct their questions and comments on the bill.
• Lead: Maryse Lemire