Notices to Fish Harvesters

Approved March 16, 2023

1. Application

The present Conservation harvesting plan (CHP) applies to sea urchin licence holders of area 9 - Quebec Region

2. Fishing areas

Sea urchin fishing area 9 extends on the north shore of the St. Lawrence Estuary, from Pointe-au-Pic to Pointe-des-Monts. It includes:

• subzone 9-1 (mouth sector), which includes the Batture aux Alouettes, the
• Baie Ste-Catherine and Batture de la Pointe-aux-Vaches;
• the portion of the portion of Zone 9 outside of Sub-area 9-1, defined as “Zone 9 (excluding 9-1)”in this CHP.

Between St-Fidèle and Les Escoumins, the Area 9 overlaps part of the Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park (SSLMP). Some  restrictions, identified in this CHP, apply within the boundaries of the SSLMP.

2.1. Area of exclusion

Sea urchin fishing is prohibited at all times in the following areas:

• Sector 9A (Quai de Les Escoumins to Cap-de-Bon Désir).
• Sector 9B (La Baie des Rochers de Cap du Nid-de-Corbeaux jusqu’à l’Anse de Sable).
• Sector 9D.

The fishing areas coordinates and exclusion sectors 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 season

Area 9 and sub area 9-1: Fishing is authorized annually from March 20 to December 31 (dates subject to change).

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, if applicable.

It should be reminded that it is the responsibility of the captain to acquaint himself with the marine safety notices published by Environment and Climate Change Canada and Transport Canada as well as with the standards and best practices in marine safety and to take all measures necessary to ensure a safe fishery during the period where fishing is authorized.

4. Number of licences and access

• 4 commercial dive fishing licences with access to the entire area 9
• 2 exploratory trap fishing licences with limited access to the portion of Area 9 (excluding 9-1)..

5. Management regime

Individual fishing day allocations with Individual Maximum Catch Limit (IMCL) per day*fishing applicable to commercial fishing licence holders.

5.1. Fishing*day

One fishing*day corresponds to a fishing trip lasting a maximum of 12 hours. Fishing time is defined as the period between departure and return to the dock.

Only one sector or sub-area may be exploited during a fishing day.

Only one landing per fishing*day is allowed. Any additional landing will be considered as an additional fishing*day.

5.2. Fishing half-day

A fishing*half-day corresponds to a fishing trip of up to 5 hours and a maximum catch equivalent to half of the IMCL in force for the area or sub-area concerned. When these two conditions are met, the fisher must indicate on his logbook that he is using a fishing*half-day and indicate the reason for this, so that this information can be recorded by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

The concept of fishing*half-day is in place to take into consideration difficult climatic conditions, mechanical breakdown, or health problems of divers, which can affect the sea urchin fishery. The use of half a day of fishing will be allowed only for these reasons. Each licence holder will be entitled to a maximum of two fishing*half-days during a fishing season.

5.3. Catch limitation

Individual Maximum Catch Limit (IMCL) for commercial licence holders:

• Subarea 9-1: 4,200 kg per fishing*day;
• Zone 9 (excluding 9-1): 6,000 kg per fishing*day.

6. Quotas

6.1. Sub-area 9-1

A total of 80 fishing*days is allocated to holders of commercial fishing licences in Area 9. See Appendix 1 for the administrative list of individual fishing days.

6.2. Area 9 (excluding 9-1)

In the portion of Area 9 (excluding 9-1) within SSLLMP boundaries: 12 fishing*days per licence holder.

In the portion of Area 9 (excluding 9-1) outside SSLMP boundaries: 12 fishing*days per licence holder.

7. Minimum size

A minimum size of 50 mm (test width (shell) excluding spines) applies to all licence holders.

8. Fishing gear

Commercial dive fishing: At all times, a maximum of 4 divers is allowed, either diving and/or on board the boat.

Exploratory trap fishing: 100 whelk traps, with a maximum outdoor volume not exceeding 0.3 cubic metres (10.6 cubic feet) equipped with a biodegradable escape mechanism. 

8.1. Tagging

All traps used for fishing must have a single valid annual tag with a unique identification number. Fishers must obtain their tags from DFO approved suppliers. A list of these suppliers is available at the following address: Approved tag suppliers

It is prohibited to have untagged fishing gear on board a fishing vessel. In 2023, the original tags are green, and the replacement tags are orange.

8.2. Restriction

The use of traps is prohibited :

• at all times, in the part of Area  9 within the SSLMP boundaries; including sub-area 9-1 and;
• during the opening period of the commercial whelk fishery in Whelk fishing Areas 1 and 2. It is the licence holder’s responsibility to be aware of whelk fishing closure dates.

9. Management measures to minimize the risks of interactions with the North Atlantic Right Whale

Since 2017, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has put in place additional management measures to protect marine mammal including the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale from entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes. These measures take into account the best available scientific data and can be adapted if necessary to take into account future developments regarding interactions prevention.

The following requirements have been implemented in order to reduce the risk of entanglement of North Atlantic Right Whales:

9.1. Amount of Rope Floating on the Surface of the Water

The following requirements are in place to minimize the length of rope floating on the surface of the water and reduce the risk of North Atlantic Right Whales entanglements:

• A maximum of 6.4 metres (3.5 fathoms) of rope shall be used when attaching  secondary buoys to a primary buoy.
• At the exception of the rope used to attach secondary buoys, it is prohibited at all times to allow a rope to float on the surface of the water.

Note: A primary buoy is defined as a buoy or other floating device attached to a fishing gear. A secondary buoy is defined as a buoy or other floating device attached to a primary buoy.

9.2. Gear Marking

Licence holders using fixed gear must mark the rope used to attach a fishing gear to a primary buoy with colours specific to the region, targeted species and fishing area in which they are authorized to fish. This requirement is intended to facilitate the identification of the area where an entanglement has occurred. The following coloured markings are required for each fleet:

• Sea Urchin (whelk traps) Fleet - Green-White Twine colours for Marking

The gear marking requirement consisting of interlacing different coloured twine sections within existing rope must be implemented as follows:

1. The first colour to identify specific Region – to be interlaced on the same segment of rope as the second colour.
2. The second colour to identify target Species – to be interlaced on the same segment of rope as the first colour.

The above coloured twine markings must be permanently interlaced within the rope. Each coloured twine must be interlaced in the rope on a minimum length of 15 cm. The use of paint or tape is not an admissible alternative to twine.

The minimum requirements regarding the number and position of colour markings are detailed in the Conditions of licence.

For more information

All the information on gear marking measures has been published in Notice to Fish Harvesters, available at the following link: Notice to Fish Harvesters

9.3. Additional Identification of Buoys

In addition to the regulatory requirement to mark buoys with the vessel registration number (VRN), licence holders are required to add a sequential number on each primary buoy in order to be able to individually identify each fishing gear. This additional requirement will help identify and retrieve lost gear and could also help identify the sector where a NARW may have become entangled.

The sequential number shall be solid block Arabic numerals:

• Without ornamentation;
• Written in a smaller or bigger font size than the VRN so as to be capable of differentiating the number from the VRN; and
• In a colour that contrasts with the buoy’s colour.

9.4. Requirement to report lost and retrieved gear

Lost gear reporting

Lost fishing gear is defined as any active fishing gear previously set by the licence holder and fishing vessel operator which was sought but not found.

The licence holder or fishing vessel operator must report any of their lost fishing gear within 24 hours of returning to port at the end of the fishing trip. Reports of lost gear must be submitted to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) through the FISHING GEAR Reporting system available online at Fishing Gear Reporting System or by completing the Lost fishing gear form available online at Reporting requirements for commercial fisheries or in Annex of Conditions of licence, according to instructions on the form.

Retrieved gear reporting

The licence holder or fishing vessel operator must report the retrieval of any of their own previously reported lost gear within 24 hours of returning to port at the end of the fishing trip. Reports of retrieved gear must be submitted to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) through the Fishing gear reporting system available online at Fishing Gear Reporting System or by completing the Retrieval of previously reported lost fishing gear form available online at Reporting requirements for commercial fisheries or in Annex of Conditions of licence, according to instructions on the form. Retrieval can only occur during the validity period of the Conditions of licence and only in relation to the specific type of gear authorized to be used by the Conditions of licence.

9.5. 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 calve. 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, behaviour of the individual, details on the weather and the state of the sea, etc.).

10. 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.

11. Dockside monitoring

Prior to the start of a fishing trip, licence holders must have concluded an agreement with a Dockside Monitoring Company legally designated by DFO, a list of which is available at the following address:

Monitoring Programs

It is mandatory to make an hail-in call to a local dockside check company and dockside monitoring is mandatory for 100% of landings.

Landings must be made at one of the designated dockside monitoring ports listed on the list of Designated dockside monitoring ports published on the DFO website at the following address: Designated Dockside Monitoring Ports

12. Combined form / Logbook

Licence holders must acquire their booklet of Combined Forms from a prequalified supplier identified by DFO, whose list is available at the following address:

Prequalified logbook suppliers

The Logbook section must be duly completed before arrival at port on each fishing trip.

13. Vessel monitoring system (VMS)

Commercial dive fishing: All vessels must be equipped with an active VMS approved by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Each licence holder must register their approved VMS with DFO prior to commencing fishing activities. Data must be transmitted every 15 minutes.

The current list of DFO-approved VMS units and the procedure and form to register a VMS unit are available at the following address:

National Vessel Monitoring System

14. Incidental catches

No bycatch may be kept.

15. Boat

Leasing of boats from outside the North Shore is prohibited.

16. Fishing*days transfer

Full permanent transfers (100% of fishing days*) are permitted only between holders of commercial sea urchin fishing licences in Area 9. The commercial fishing licence of the holder who requested the transfer of his fishing days will then be automatically cancelled.

No partial permanent transfers (less than 100% of fishing days) and no temporary transfer of fishing*days are allowed.

17. Reassignment of licences

In the event of a licence reassignment, the proposed holder of a replacement licence must be a permanent resident of the Côte-Nord region.

18. Participation Requirement

An annual participation clause of 227 kg could be applied for the renewal of exploratory fishing licences. Catches must be registered with DFO by December 31 of the current year by a buyer registered with the Department.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 Wolffish, the Northern Wolffish, 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).

19. 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 at Notices to Fish Harvesters or contact the Licensing Office at 1-877-535-7307 or fishing-peche@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

20. Discharge of waste

Since 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 Notice to Fish Harvesters available at the following address:  New Condition Licence Relating Discharge Garbage Season

21.  Conditions of licence

To obtain their Conditions of licence, fish harvesters must access the National Online Licensing System. For National Online Licensing System assistance, please contact customer support by phone at 1 877‑535-7307 or by email at 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: 1-800-463-1729

For additional information

Please visit our website at the following address:

Fisheries

APPENDIX 1

ADMINISTRATIVE LIST

SEA URCHIN – SUB-AREA 9-1 - INDIVIDUAL FISHING*DAYS

2023-2025

Last Update : 2023-03-10

SEA URCHIN – SUB-AREA 9-1 - INDIVIDUAL FISHING*DAYS

LICENCE HOLDER	NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL FISHING*DAYS
CONSEIL DE LA PREMIÈRE NATION DES INNUS ESSIPIT	22
CONSEIL DES INNUS DE PESSAMIT	22
MORNEAU, JACQUES	18
SIMARD, FRANCIS	18
Total	80

NB: The number of individual fishing*days may vary following approval of permanent transfers according to the terms and conditions in force.