Notices to Fish Harvesters

January 31, 2020

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) – In December 2019, Fisheries and Oceans Canada communicated the mandatory gear marking requirements for all non-tended fixed gear fisheries, as well as crab trap and lobster trap fisheries, in Eastern Canada starting in 2020. The Gulf, Maritimes, Newfoundland & Labrador, and Quebec Regions are hereby offering the following guidelines for fish harvesters to appropriately implement the gear marking requirements.

For pre-determined colours, see the attached document titled “Gear Marking Eastern Canada - for non-tended fixed gear fisheries – Mandatory Color Scheme”.

Interlacing coloured twine within existing rope (Annex 1)

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

1. A first colour to identify specific Region – to be interlaced on the same segment of rope as the second colour.
2. A second colour to identify target Species – to be interlaced on the same segment of rope as the first colour.
3. For lobster and snow crab fisheries only, a third colour to mark different fishing areas must be interlaced. The third colour must be interlaced immediately before or after the segment of rope containing the first two colours. The third colour must not be interlaced within the same segment containing the first and second colour.

The above coloured twine markings must be permanently interlaced within the rope.

Each coloured twine must be a minimum of 15 cm in length when interlaced.

The use of paint or tape is not an admissible alternative to twine.

When interlacing coloured twine within existing rope, at a minimum, gear marking will be required at the top, middle and bottom of the vertical line (aligned with minimum requirements in the US) or, in a few fisheries, within every 27.4 metres throughout the length of the rope (aligned with existing practice in Gulf and Quebec Regions).

The top, middle and bottom gear marking requirement will be included in all conditions of licence of non-tended fixed gear fisheries, as well as crab trap and lobster trap fisheries, in Eastern Canada. The option of marking gear within every 27.4 metres will only be included in conditions of licence for fisheries that were subject to mandatory gear marking prior to 2020 only.

Top, middle and bottom specification:

The coloured twine markings together represent a sequence. When inserting coloured twine markings at the top, middle and bottom, the rope used to attach a buoy to the fishing gear must have a minimum of three sequences dispersed on the rope in the following manner:

• Sequence #1 (i.e. top marking)
  • within two metres of the buoy
• Sequence #2 (i.e. middle marking)
  • When using rope shorter than 30 metres:
    • the marking must be further than three metres from the buoy and further than three meters from the fishing gear
  • When using rope with a length of 30 metres or more:
    • the marking must be further than 12 metres from the buoy and further than 12 metres from the fishing gear
• Sequence #3 (i.e. bottom marking)
  • within two metres of the fishing gear

 

27.4 meters specification:

When inserting coloured twine markings within every 27.4 meters of existing rope, the rope used to attach a buoy to the fishing gear must have a minimum of three sequences of markings dispersed on the rope.

Additional option – New rope with integrated coloured yarns (Annex 2 & 3)

For the purpose of this option (see picture in Annex 2 for rope components):

• yarn is defined as the product of two or more fibers spun together;
• strand is defined as the product of two or more yarns spun together;
• strands twisted or plaited together form a rope.

Use of a rope with integrated coloured yarns throughout its full length will be permitted, however it will have to comply with the following specific requirements:

• the integrated coloured yarns representing the regional and species colours will have to be interlaced within the same strand of a rope in order to reflect the corresponding colour combination;
• when a fishing area colour applies, the integrated coloured yarn representing the fishing area will have to be interlaced within a different strand than the regional and species strand;
• the colour of the rope will have to contrast with the integrated coloured yarns;
• no additional colours will be permitted in the rope.

This option will be included in all conditions of licence for non-tended fixed gear fisheries, as well as crab trap and lobster trap fisheries, in Eastern Canada.

If your fishery does not currently have fishing area specific markings, please be mindful that fishing area specific markings may be introduced to fisheries other than snow crab and lobster in the future. This will affect the integrated coloured yarns configuration required in the rope for fisheries that do not currently have fishing area specific markings only.

“Tracer” alternative to coloured marking – update

The “tracer” alternative communicated in the December 2019 Notice to fish harvester is still in its developmental stage.

It will not be supported as a gear marking requirement until it can be visible without having to cut into or open the rope to verify compliance with marking requirements. It will therefore not be part of the conditions of licence in 2020. Consideration will be given in the future to allow for the use of tracers should the need for external visibility be addressed.

Any fish harvesters affected by these latest developments can contact their DFO regional representative at the bottom of this notice.

Mandatory Colour Scheme update

• A third colour to mark the fishing area will also apply in the Quebec Region CFA 12 toad crab fishery to avoid a conflicting colour combination with new marking requirements.
• The December 2019 Notice to fish harvester indicated that certain fisheries grouped together (e.g. lobster, rock crab and Jonah crab) could be marked differently. Given that it would not allow the rope to be traced back to a specific fishery, regional conversations with affected harvesters would need to take place to determine if it could be appropriate to implement. The Mandatory Colour Scheme has been modified accordingly to remove this option.

Vertical line

Gear marking requirements are mandatory for all ropes used to attach the fishing gear to a buoy or any other floating apparatus used in the fishery (vertical line).

Gear marking requirements are not mandatory in 2020 for all other rope segments such as the rope from the primary buoy to the secondary buoy, and the rope segments between traps set on a same line. However, fish harvesters wanting to mark these rope segments may do so at their discretion.

Twine size diameter

There is no twine size requirement for the coloured markings. However, fish harvesters must ensure that the twine being used is distinguishable as a coloured twine insert.

Twine supplier list / availability

The following list of twine suppliers is provided for guidance only. It’s not meant to be comprehensive and may be amended. Please also note that each supplier may not have all the colours for Eastern Canada’s gear marking requirements, however this is confirmation that all colours are available through at least one supplier or a combination of suppliers.

Suppliers:

• acpgaspesie.com
• atlanticbraids.com
• blyacht.com
• canadacordage.com
• cancord.com
• entship.ca
• fipec.qc.ca
• hampidjan.ca
• knotandrope.com
• lamestpierre.com
• namss.ca
• novabraid.com
• polysteel.ca
• rainbownetrigging.com
• ropeshop.ca
• spartanmarine.ca

Shade colour

No specific shade has been identified for each colour, with the notable exception that both a blue and a navy blue are used to identify fishing areas in the Mandatory Colour Scheme. Fish harvesters are asked to stay as close as possible to the colours in the “Gear Marking Eastern Canada - for non-tended fixed gear fisheries, as well as crab trap and lobster trap fisheries, Mandatory Colour Scheme”.

Multiple area colour combination clarification

As with any other part of a fishing gear / equipment, for example a trap, the gear has to align with the requirements of the fishing area in which the licence applies. The rope requirements should align as well. The multiple area colour scheme offers a phasing out opportunity at best.

The multiple area colour combination does not apply for:

• substitute operator situations,
• new instances of shared gear / rope; and
• gear from a licence holder that might be shared/leased at some point by a licence holder from another fishing area

Fisheries and Oceans Canada will formally announce other management measures to protect North Atlantic Right Whales in February 2020.

For additional information

Steve Trottier
Regional Senior Advisor, Fisheries Management
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Quebec Region

GEAR MARKING EASTERN CANADA

for non-tended fixed gear fisheries, as well as crab trap and lobster trap fisheries

MANDATORY COLOUR SCHEME

MANDATORY COLOUR SCHEME (Region and Species colours)

GULF – Blue

• Toad crab : Purple
• Rock crab : Blue
• Lobster : Yellow
• Whelk : White
• Snow crab : Orange
• Gillnet – small pelagic : Grey
• Gillnet – groundfish : Brown
• Longline : Pink

MARITIMES – Black

• Rock crab : Blue
• Lobster : Yellow
• Whelk : White
• Snow crab : Orange
• Gillnet – small pelagic : Grey
• Gillnet – groundfish : Brown
• Longline : Pink
• Shrimp trap : Green
• Hagfish : Black^*
• Red crab : Red
• Jonah crab : Purple
• LFA 41 : ²

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR – Red

• Toad crab : Purple
• Crabe commun : Bleu
• Lobster : Yellow
• Whelk : White
• Snow crab : Orange
• Gillnet – small pelagic : Grey
• Gillnet – groundfish : Brown
• Longline : Pink
• Squid (trap) : Green
• Cod (trap/pot) : Red ^*

QUEBEC – Green

• Toad crab : Purple
• Rock crab : Blue
• Lobster : Yellow
• Whelk : White
• Snow crab : Orange
• Gillnet – small pelagic : Grey
• Gillnet – groundfish : Brown
• Longline : Pink

Multi-region fishery¹ – Yellow

• Snow crab : Orange

EASTERN CANADA COLOUR SCHEME PER FISHING AREA (third colour)

FOR LOBSTER & SNOW CRAB

 

As some of the interregional snow crab fisheries in the Gulf of St Lawrence already have some colour marking, efforts were made to avoid completely new colour schemes.

The following is the Eastern Canada break down of the colour scheme for lobster and snow crab fishing areas, per Region:

• the double stacked cells represent the regional colour (top) and species colour (bottom), with the single cell immediately to their right representing the fishing area colour.

 

Additional notes:

• Areas showing “none” in the single cell means that a third colour is not applied.
• Some harvesters fish in multiple fishing areas. Unless otherwise specified, the category “Multiplearea” includes these fish harvesters only. This was done so twines do not have to be interchanged between fisheries.

 

GULF REGION

Lobster Fishing Area Colours

Area	Regional Colour	Species Colour	Fishing Area Colour
23	Blue	Yellow	Red
24	Blue	Yellow	Green
25	Blue	Yellow	None
26A	Blue	Yellow	White
26B	Blue	Yellow	Black
Multiple Areas	Blue	Yellow	Yellow

Snow Crab Fishing Area Colours

Area	Regional Colour	Species Colour	Fishing Area Colour
12	Yellow	Orange	None
12E	Yellow	Orange	Yellow
12F	Yellow	Orange	Blue
19	Blue	Orange	Green
Multiple areas	Blue	Orange	Yellow

---

MARITIMES REGION

Lobster Fishing Area Colours

Area	Regional Colour	Species Colour	Fishing Area Colour
27	Black	Yellow	Blue
28	Black	Yellow	Grey
29	Black	Yellow	Brown
30	Black	Yellow	Yellow/Black Pattern
31A	Black	Yellow	Pink
31B	Black	Yellow	Purple
32	Black	Yellow	White
33	Black	Yellow	Orange
34	Black	Yellow	None
35	Black	Yellow	Green
36	Black	Yellow	Red
38	Black	Yellow	Black
41	Black	Red/White Pattern	None
Multiple Areas	Black	Yellow	Yellow

Snow Crab Fishing Area Colours

Area	Regional Colour	Species Colour	Fishing Area Colour
North-ENS	Black	Orange	None
23	Black	Orange	Green
24	Black	Orange	Black
4x	Black	Orange	Blue
Multiple Areas	Black	Orange	Yellow

---

NEWFOUNLAND & LABRADOR REGION

Lobster Fishing Area Colours

Area	Regional Colour	Species Colour	Fishing Area Colour
3	Red	Yellow	Red/White Pattern
4	Red	Yellow	Black/White Pattern
5	Red	Yellow	Yellow/Black Pattern
6	Red	Yellow	Orange
7	Red	Yellow	Green
8	Red	Yellow	Black
9	Red	Yellow	Brown
10	Red	Yellow	Grey
11	Red	Yellow	None
12	Red	Yellow	Red
13A	Red	Yellow	Blue
13B	Red	Yellow	Yellow
14A	Red	Yellow	White
14B	Red	Yellow	Purple
14C	Red	Yellow	Pink

Snow Crab Management Area Colours

Area	Regional Colour	Species Colour	Fishing Area Colour
2J North	Red	Orange	Navy Blue
2J South	Red	Orange	Blue
3A	Red	Orange	Black/White Pattern
3B, 3C, 3BC	Red	Orange	Yellow/Black Pattern
3D	Red	Orange	Black/Blue Pattern
4	Red	Orange	Yellow/Green Pattern
5A	Red	Orange	Red/White Pattern
6A	Red	Orange	Pink/Blue Pattern
6B	Red	Orange	Red/Green Pattern
6C, 8A	Red	Orange	Orange
9A	Red	Orange	Black
3LNO < 65’	Red	Orange	Purple
3NO > 65’	Red	Orange	Grey
11E	Red	Orange	Pink
11W	Red	Orange	Red
10A Inner	Red	Orange	Brown
10A Outer, 10B, 11S	Red	Orange	White
Outside 8 Mile	Red	Orange	Yellow
Area 12 Inshore	Red	Orange	Green
13	Red	Orange	None

---

QUEBEC REGION

Lobster Fishing Area Colours

Area	Regional Colour	Species Colour	Fishing Area Colour
15	Green	Yellow	Red
16	Green	Yellow	Green
17	Green	Yellow	Black
18	Green	Yellow	Blue
19	Green	Yellow	Brown
20A	Green	Yellow	White
20B	Green	Yellow	Grey
21	Green	Yellow	Orange
22	Green	Yellow	None
Multiple Area	Green	Yellow	Yellow

Snow Crab Fishing Area Colours

Area	Regional Colour	Species Colour	Fishing Area Colour
12	Yellow	Orange	None
12A	Green	Orange	Green
12B	Green	Orange	Blue
12C	Green	Orange	Pink
12E	Yellow	Orange	Yellow
12F	Yellow	Orange	Blue
13	Green	Orange	None
14	Green	Orange	White
15	Green	Orange	Orange
16	Green	Orange	Red
16A	Green	Orange	None
17	Green	Orange	Black
Multiple Areas	Green	Orange	Yellow

Toad Crab Fishing Area Colour

Area	Regional Colour	Species Colour	Fishing Area Colour
12	Yellow	Orange	Purple

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ANNEX 1

 

ANNEX 4

Coloured twine pamphlet

Canadian company pamphlet showing twine colours and patterns: