Notices to Fish Harvesters

Magdalen Islands – July 22, 2025

 

Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Quebec Region announces the 2025-2026 management measures for the Atlantic halibut fixed gear fleet from Magdalen Islands.

 

Fishing Season

The duration of the fishing season is 18 weeks, as follows:

Period 1:        From July 25 to October 31, 2025

Period 2:        From April 1 to April 28, 2026

 

Quota and management regime

The initial allocation of the fleet is 218.937 t, managed under individual transferable quotas (ITQ).

 

Temporary transfers

No temporary transfers are permitted.

 

Permanent transfers

No permanent transfer requests will be treated during the Atlantic halibut fishing periods for the Magdalen Islands fleet.

 

Quota reconciliation

Reconciliation will take place over several years if the overrun in a given year exceeds the initial amount allocated for the following year. Following quota reconciliation, a licence holder with a negative revised quota will not receive licence conditions and therefore will not be allowed to participate in the fishery during the current management year.

 

Permanent Licence Cancellation

Failure by the licence holder to comply with the revised quota may result in the permanent cancellation of the fixed gear groundfish licence issued to him.

 

Fishing gear

The number of hooks authorized varies according to the revised quota (after reconciliation or carry-over) held by the licence holder.

 

Electronic logbook

The use of the electronic logbook remains optional.

 

Vessel monitoring system (VMS)

All vessels participating in the fishery must be equipped with an active VMS approved by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Data must be transmitted every 5 minutes.

 

Re-embarkation of Fish

Licence holders who land their catch in a designated port located outside Groundfish Fishing Subdivision 4T2a are authorized to re-embark fish on board the fishing vessel in order transport it to a designated port within Groundfish Fishing Subdivision 4T2a. The re-embarked fish will be subject to a second dockside monitoring at the time of the second landing.

 

Other management measures

The other management measures remain unchanged.

 

Licence conditions

To obtain the Conditions of licence, fish harvesters must access the National Online Licensing System. For assistance with the National Online Licensing System, please contact Client Support by phone at 1-877-535-7307 or by email at  fishing-peche@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

 

For more information

 

You may obtain more information regarding management measures and fishing areas on our website at the following address: Notices to Fish Harvesters (dfo-mpo.gc.ca)

 

Denyse Hébert

Resource Management

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Quebec (Quebec)

Magdalen Islands Area : 418-986-2095