SEA URCHIN EXPERIMENTAL FISHING LICENCE
GASPE PENINSULA LOWER ST. LAWRENCE AREA

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) wishes to promote the development of the Gaspe Peninsula and Lower St. Lawrence area green sea urchin fishery and will issue new experimental dive fishing licences for areas and subareas 1, 2, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, 7C, 8A, 8B, 8C and 8F.

Licences issued under Section 52 of the Fishery (General) Regulations will only allow the harvest of the quantities deemed necessary to establish the existence of exploitable quantities in a given subarea.

Criteria and conditions

Individuals interested in participating in this experimental fishery will have to comply with a protocol, developed in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, aiming at establishing the available biomass and its distribution. Harvesters will also have to comply with all of the management measures set out in the Sea Urchin Management Plan for areas 1 to 8. In addition, coverage by the at-sea observer program will be mandatory during this experimental fishing phase.

Following this experimental fishery, exploratory fishing licences could be delivered in certain subareas. To be eligible for the subsequent issue of exploratory fishing licences, applicants must:

  • Be fish harvesters holding membership in an independent core group;
  • Have their permanent residence adjacent to the relevant fishing area.

Furthermore, under the New Emerging Fisheries Policy, the individuals who participate in this experimental phase could have priority if new exploratory licences were issued later.

Licence applications

Individuals interested in participating in this experimental fishery must send a written application to the resource manager at the Gaspé Peninsula Area DFO office, 120 Rue de la Reine, Gaspé (QC), G4X 2R2, by November 15, 2011.

The application must provide the following information:

  • Area or subarea of interest
  • Boat to be used
  • Period and duration of fishing (2012 season)
  • Use and destination of the product
  • Sources of funding (if applicable)

Fishing areas

The green sea urchin fishing areas and subareas are delimited by strait lines connecting the following points, in order:

AREA 1
From Miguasha to Bonaventure
48°05'59.1" N 66°20'45.9" O
48°05'04" N 66°21'30" O
48°03'16 N 66°19'21" O
48°01'30" N 65°50'00" O
47°51'42" N 65°29'10" O
48°02'18" N 65°29'10" O
AREA 2
From Bonaventure to Pointe au Loup marin
48°02'18" N 65°29'10" O
47°51'42" N 65°29'10" O
47°57'45" N 65°03'30" O
47°59'40" N 64°59'05" O
48°06'21.6" N 65°01'56.4" O
AREA 3A

From Ruisseau Chapados to Chandler
48°11'23" N 64°51'38" O
48°05'11.6" N 64°46'18.5" O
48°12'15" N 64°30'00" O
48°19'36" N 64°41'36" O
AREA 4A

From Chandler to Grande-Rivière

48°19'36" N 64°41'36" O
48°12'15" N 64°30'00" O
48°12'15" N 64°22'24" O
48°23'43" N 64°30'22" O
AREA 5A

From Cap Blanc to the museum point in Gaspé
48°30'00" N 64°13'15" O
48°20'39.8" N 63°32'42" O
48°30'00" N 63°00'00" O
48°43'00" N 64°13'30" O
48°50'30" N 64°24'30" O
48°50'11.7" N 64°28'24.3" O
AREA 6A

From Cap Gaspé to Pointe-à-la-Frégate
48°44'55" N 64°09'51" O
48°43'00" N 64°13'30" O
48°30'00" N 63°00'00" O
49°40'36.3" N 64°43'57.6" O
49°12'06.5" N 64°54'57.5" O

excluding area AP6 between the following points:

48°59'29.5'' N 64°22'20.4'' O
49°04'22.4'' N 64°14'23.3'' O
49°05'25'' N 64°16'50.5'' O
49°00'33.8'' N 64°23'57.3'' O
AREA 6B

From Pointe-à-la-Frégate to Ruisseau à Rebours
49°12'06.5" N 64°54'57.5" O
49°40'36.3" N 64°43'57.6" O
49°51'30" N 65°00'00" O
49°33'30" N 65°56'30" O
49°13'36.9" N 65°56'30" O

excluding areas AP3B, AP4 and AP5 between the following points:

49º13'42'' N 65º54'35'' O
49º13'42'' N 65º54'35'' O
49°13'36.9" N 65°56'30" O
49º19'00'' N 65°56'30" O
49º15'09.6'' N 65º26'00'' O
49º20'36.2'' N 65º26'00'' O
49º21'25'' N 65º35'30'' O
49°15'13.5'' N 65°35'30'' O
49º10'26'' N 64º48'54.2'' O
49º17'00'' N 64º44'00'' O
49°17'41.5'' N 64°54'44.4'' O
49°12'01.2'' N 64°54'44.4'' O
AREA 7A

From Ruisseau-à-Rebours to St-Joachim de Tourelle
49°13'36.9" N 65°56'30" O
49°33'30" N 65°56'30" O
49°24'24.2" N 66°25'00" O
49°09'33.9" N 66°25'00" O

excluding areas AP2 and AP3A between the following points:

49º10'21.5'' N 66º21'00'' O
49º19'00'' N 66º21'00.4'' O
49º19'00'' N 66°25'01.1'' O
49°09'33.9'' N 66°25'00'' O
49º19'00'' N 65°56'30" O
49°13'36.9" N 65°56'30" O
49º19'00'' N 66º00'50'' O
49º13'22.8'' N 66º00'50'' O
AREA 7B

From St-Joachim de Tourelle to Les Méchins
49°09'33.9" N 66°26'00" O
49°24'24.2" N 66°35'51" O
49°13'45.6'' N 66°58'25'' O
49°00'10.5'' N 66°58'25'' O

excluding area AP1B between the following points:

49°03'11.4'' N 66°50'00'' O
49°16'26.5'' N 66°50'00'' O
49°14'51'' N 66°55'00'' O
49°01'50'' N 66°55'00'' O
AREA 7C

From Les Îlets to Rivière Tartigou
48°56’31.4" N 67°10’00" O
49°09’45" N 67°11’00" O
48°52'41.3" N 67°54'25" O
48°45'18.4" N 67°47'55" O
AREA 8A

From East of Les Boules to the Pointe au Coques
48°42'00'' N 67°56'04'' O
48°42'00'' N 68°03'26,5'' O
48°39'28.6'' N 68°28'08'' O
48°33'07'' N 68°23'00'' O
AREA 8B

From Pointe au Coques to Cap du Corbeau
48°33'07'' N 68°23'00'' O
48°39'28.6'' N 68°28'08'' O
48°30'21.5'' N 68°51'27'' O
48°22'41'' N 68°43'39'' O
AREA 8C

From l’îlet au flacon to Cap à l’aigle
48°19'48" N 68°51'30" O
48°27'00" N 69°00'00" O
48°16'34.5'' N 69°00'00" O
48°11'29.5'' N 69°06'22'' O
AREA 8F

From St-André to St-Denis
47°40’30" N 69°43’53" O
47°43'54'' N 69°50'54'' O
47°38'56" N 69°56'33" O
47°34'32" N 70°03'27" O
47°30’34" N 69°57’26" O