Notices to Fish Harvesters
SCALLOP – SUB-AREAS 16E, 16F AND 18A SEASON 2026 - CHP
Approved June 11, 2026
1 Application
The present Conservation-based Harvesting Plan (CHP) applies for Scallop license holders having access to sub-areas 16E,
2 Fishing areas
Sub-area 16E: From Point sur la Côte to Grande Pointe
Sector named “Field D” within the sub-area 16E
Sub-area 16F: From Grande Pointe to Corneille River
Sub-area 18A: Northwest of Anticosti Island (Cap Henri to Cap Observation)The fishing areas coordinates are listed in the Conditions of licence and are also indicated on the fishing areas maps.
3 Fishing closures
3.1 Coral and Sponge Conservation Areas in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence
All fishing activities that use bottom-contact gear or gear designed to come into contact with the sea bed, including but not limited to bottom trawls, dredges, gillnets, bottom longlines, bottom seines and traps, are forbidden in the Coral and sponge conservation areas of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence.For more information and maps of the eleven coral and sponge conservation areas, please visit the Coral and sponge conservation measures in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence page of DFO’s website.
3.2 Exclusion Sector
As of the 2026 fishing season, a scallop protection area has been established in Sub‑area 16E, as agreed in November 2024 by DFO and the licence holders. Dredge fishing for scallops is prohibited inside this area.
The protected area is bounded by rhumb lines and/or the shoreline connecting the following points, in the order in which they are listed:
Latitude Longitude
- 50° 15’ 35,5’’ N 63° 38’ 28,6’’ W
- 50° 12’ 28,6’’ N 63° 38’ 28,6’’ W
- 50° 12’ 07,4’’ N 63° 34’ 07,9’’ W
- 50° 07’ 53,8’’ N 63° 34’ 07,9’’ W
- 50° 07’ 18,8’’ N 63° 26’ 50,3’’ W
- 50° 12’ 13,0’’ N 63° 26’ 51,1’’ W
(boundary defined by the coastline between points 6 and 7)
- 50° 14’ 16,8’’ N 63° 36’ 12,1’’ W
- 50° 14’ 04,8’’ N 63° 36’ 08,0’’ W
- 50° 14’ 14,1’’ N 63° 36’ 02,1’’ W
- 50° 14’ 18,7’’ N 63° 36’ 59,6’’ W
- 50° 14’ 17,2’’ N 63° 36’ 50,8’’ W
(boundary defined by the coastline between points 11 and 12)
- 50° 15’ 35,5’’ N 63° 38’ 28,6’’ W
4 Fishing season
The fishery is authorized from June 15 to December 31.
The fishing seasons established in this section represent the maximum duration of fishing periods, subject among other things to Variation orders and specific closure periods. Thus, openings and closures may vary depending on specific circumstances and fishery management considerations.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 insure a safe fishery during the period where fishing is authorized.
5 Number of licences and access
5.1 Sub-areas 16E, 16F and 18A
Sub-area 16E: 9 access rights
Sub-area 16F: 9 access rights
Sub-area 18A: 9 access rightsEach of the sub-areas is accessible to all eligible licence holders during the established fishing season.
5.2 Access to other sub-areas
Sub-area 16D: All licence holders whose main residence is between Sept-Îles and Pointe-Parent inclusively also have access to Sub-area 16D.
Sub-area 16H: The 2 licence holders who historically formed Group A also have access to sub-area 16H.
Sub-area 18D: All licence holders whose main residence is between Tadoussac and Pointe-Parent inclusively also have access to Sub-area 18D.The management measures concerning sub-areas 16D and 18D are described in the CHP for sub-areas 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16G and 18D; the ones concerning sub-area 16H are described in the CHP for area 15 and sub-areas 16H and 16I. These documents are available on the Notices to Fish harvesters page of the DFO website.
6 Management regime and allocations
6.1 Management regime
Management under a system of individual, non-transferable fishing days. For each sub‑area, the allocation of fishing days is set forth in an allocation list provided in the appendix to this CHP and respects the ratio of the number of fishing days historically allocated.
6.2 Allocations
Sub-area 16E:
The total number of fishing days for the sub-area is set at 40, which represents a Status quo compared to the number of fishing days allocated under the 2024-2025 CHP.
A fishing day is limited to a maximum of 10 hours of fishing per calendar day; these hours must be within the period from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
As recommended by the Science Branch, each licence holder is authorized to fish a maximum of 50% of their fishing days within the area known as "bed D", the limits of which are set out in the Conditions of Licence.
Sub-area 16F:
The total number of fishing days for the sub-area is set at 25, which represents a Status quo compared to the number of fishing days allocated under the 2024-2025 CHP.
A fishing day is limited to a maximum of 10 hours of fishing per calendar day; these hours must be within the period from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Sub-area 18A:
The total number of fishing days allocated for Sub-area 18A is set at 136, which represents a Status quo compared to the number of fishing days allocated under the 2024-2025 CHP.
In sub-area 18A, fishing is authorized between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
7 Catch management
7.1 Characteristics of authorized catches
There is no minimum size requirement.
7.2 Discarding Incidental Catches
Any fish caught accidentally must be released immediately at the spot where it was caught, in a manner that causes it as little harm as possible if it is still alive.
8 Fishing gear
8.1 Characteristics of fishing gear
Scallop dredge with a total width of all baskets not exceeding 7.32 meters (24 feet).Rings used in the composition of the dredge baskets must respect the minimum diameter of 76 millimeters (3 inches).
8.2 Requirement to report lost and retrieved gear
The licence holder and fishing vessel operator must report any loss or recovery of fishing gear. Reports regarding the loss or recovery of gear must be submitted to DFO through the online Fishing Gear Reporting System or by completing and submitting the Lost Fishing Gear Form or the Retrieval of previously reported lost fishing gear form, wich are avaiblable online and attached to the Conditions of licence.
9 Marine Mammal interaction Reporting
Licence holders and fishing vessel operators must provide information regarding all interactions with a marine mammal that occur during fishing expeditions in accordance with the Conditions of Licence. To do so, the licence holder and fishing vessel operator must complete the section reserved for that purpose in their ELOG or the marine mammal interaction form available on the Report a marine mammal or sea turtle incident or sighting page and attached to the Conditions of licence, and it must be submitted as per the instructions provided on the form.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 Fishing Activities Declaration and Monitoring
10.1 Reporting of fishing effort and catches
10.1.1 Combined form / Logbook
Licence holders must acquire their booklet of Combined Forms from a prequalified supplier identified by DFO.The Logbook section must be duly completed before arrival at port and the completed form must be sent to DFO after each fishing expedition.
10.1.2 Electronic logbook
The use of an electronic logbook (Elog) is optional until further noticed. The client application used must be approved by Fisheries and Oceans Canada for the ELOG form – Logbook – Sea urchins, sea cucumbers, scallops. Furthermore, fish harvesters must have obtained and installed their Elog Key in their client application in order to allow data transmission to the Department.
The Elog must be completed for each fishing expedition and “closed” before arriving at port. A fishing expedition begins when a fishing vessel leaves a port to fish and ends when the fish caught is offloaded. Hence, when a fish harvester goes back to port for a reason other than for offloading fish and leaves port again, the fishing expedition goes on until fish are offloaded.
To consult the list of client applications approved by the Department and to obtain theirElog key, fish harvesters must visit the electronic logbooks (ELOGs) page of Fisheries and Ocean’s website.To request a modification to data that has been transmitted to Fisheries and Oceans, please communicate with the client support service at 1-877-535-7307.
10.2 Hail-in and Dockside Monitoring
When licence holders fish in one of the sub-areas covered in this CHP, prior to the beginning of a fishing expedition, they must have signed an agreement relative to hail-in with a dockside monitoring company legally designated by DFO.
Licence holders using an Electronic Logbook must communicate their unique Electronic Logbook Identifier to the Dockside Monitoring Company at the time of their hail-in and also provide it to the dockside observer.Licence holders must contact this same company at least one hour before the scheduled time of arrival at dockside for a landing.
11 Vessel Monitoring System (VMS)
The vessels must be equipped with an active vessel monitoring system (VMS) approved by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Each licence holder must register their approved VMS with DFO before the beginning of their fishing activities. Data must be transmitted every 5 minutes.The current list of DFO-approved VMS units and the procedure and form to register a VMS unit are available at the National vessel monitoring system page of DFO’s website.
12 Specific provisions applicable to the fishery
12.1 Use of boats
The lease of a boat whose owner’s primary residence is outside the Quebec region is prohibited.
12.2 Conversion rate
The following conversion factor is used to convert the weight of scallop catches (meat weight) to round weight: 8.3.
12.3 Simultaneous fisheries
No simultaneous fishing is allowed.
13 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.
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) and the Beluga Whale (St. Lawrence Estuary 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 9 - Marine Mammal interaction Reporting).
14 Crew registry
All independent core licence holder and their approved substitute designated operators must keep records of all the crew members working aboard the vessel on every fishing expedition in accordance with their Conditions of licence. This requirement does not apply to pre-1979 corporation licence holders, midshore licence holders nor to any holder of a licence issued under the authority of the Aboriginal Communal Fishing Licences Regulations. For further details, please refer to the March 17th, 2021 Notice to fish harvesters, New inshore regulations effective April 1, 2021, or contact the Customer support at 1-877-535-7307 or fishing-peche@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
15 Discharge of waste
The licence holder and fishing vessel operator are 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 Notice to fish harvesters: New condition of licence relating to discharge of garbage.
16 Conditions of licence
To obtain their Conditions of Licence, licence holders must log in to the National Online Licensing System (NOLS) and submit a request. For assistance with NOLS, please contact customer support by phone at 1-877-535-7307 or by email at fishing-peche@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
Note: In the event of any discrepancy between the French and English versions of the CHP, the French version prevails.
Approved by:
Maryse Lemire
Fisheries Management Regional Director
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Quebec
For any question regarding this CHP (lorsqu’applicable)
You may call at 1-800-463-1729
For additional information
Please visit our website at the following address:
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fisheries-peches/index-eng.htm.
APPENDIX 1
ADMINISTRATIVE LIST
SCALLOP – SUB-AREAS 16E, 16F AND 18A
INDIVIDUAL FISHING*DAYS (IFD) – 2026
|
16E |
16F |
18A |
||
|
LICENCE HOLDER |
Number of individual fishing*day (IFD) - including the ones realized on bed D |
Maximum of IFD of sub-area 16E that can be done on bed D on Field D |
Number of individual fishing*day (IFD) |
Number of individual fishing*day (IFD) |
|
ARSENAULT, LIONEL |
2 |
1 |
2 |
16 |
|
SCHERRER, DANIEL |
2 |
1 |
2 |
16 |
|
LES DISTRIBUTIONS BERTRAND DESBOIS INC. |
4 |
2 |
3 |
16 |
|
PECHERIES SHIPEK |
4 |
2 |
3 |
16 |
|
PECHERIES SHIPEK |
6 |
3 |
3 |
14 |
|
PECHERIES SHIPEK |
4 |
2 |
3 |
16 |
|
PECHERIES SHIPEK |
6 |
3 |
3 |
14 |
|
INNUS DE NUTASHKUAN |
6 |
3 |
3 |
14 |
|
INNUS DE EKUANITSHIT |
6 |
3 |
3 |
14 |
|
TOTAL |
40 |
20 |
25 |
136 |