Notices to Fish Harvesters

Approved March 10 2026

1 Application

This Conservation-based Harvesting Plan (CHP) applies to holders of commercial Clam licences of Area 1.

2 Fishing Area

2.1 Sub-area 1A

From the Pointe au Pic wharf to the east side of the mouth of the Betsiamites river, including the 5 following banks reserved exclusively for commercial harvesting:

N-04.1.1.1     (Baie des Chevaux)

N-04.1.2.1     (Banc Marie-Marthe [Île Laval])

N-04.1.2.2     (Baie Didier Sud)

N-04.1.3        (Baie des Plongeurs)

N-04.2.2        (Cran à Gagnon)

Excluding the following bank: N-01.1.4         (Baie des Petites-Bergeronnes)   reserved for recreational harvesting purposes

2.2 Sub-Area 1B

From the east side of the Rivière-aux-Rosiers to Pointe-des-Monts.

2.3 Sub Area 1C

From the east side of the mouth of the Betsiamites River to the east side of the Rivière aux Rosiers.

The fishing areas coordinates are listed in the Conditions of licence and are also indicated on the fishing areas maps, which are available at the following address:

https://inter-l01-uat.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/infoceans/en/commercial-fisheries

IMPORTANT:

It is important to recall the difference between a fishing area and a shellfish zone. The fishing areas that are indicated in the Conditions of licences specify the limits of the fishing territory. The shellfish zones refer to some parts of the coastal territory used by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in the context of the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program (CSSP).

The CSSP has developed an interactive mapping tool to visualize areas open or closed to bivalve shellfish harvesting in Canada. This tool is called SHELLI: (S)hellfish, (H)arvest, (E)xtents, (L)atitude, (L)ongitude, (I)nformation. It is available online.

Before fishing in a shellfish area, DFO reminds fish harvesters that it is their responsibility to check the status of shellfish areas to avoid fishing in areas that are closed. Information on the status of shellfish areas is available online on the SHELLI tool. A fish harvester may therefore hold a valid DFO fishing licence for a fishing area, but may not be authorized to fish there if the corresponding shellfish area(s) are not open for shellfish harvesting.

3 Fishing Seasons

In order to minimize the risk of fishing when the air temperature is below 0°C, the fishing season is open annually from March 15 to October 31. The fishing seasons established in this section represent the maximum fishing periods, subject among other things to Variation Orders and specific closure periods. Thus, the opening periods for one or more area(s), sub-area(s) or shellfish sector(s) may vary depending on specific circumstances and fisheries management considerations, particularly when quotas have been reached or when there is a high probability of exceeding them.

4 Number of licences and access

4.1 Number of licences available

Sub-area 1A:                        85 licences

Sub-area 1B:                        50 licences

Sub-area 1C:                        1 aboriginal communal licence

4.2 Access

Holders of a valid licence only have access to the sub-area or area assigned to them on the commercial fishing licence.

5 Management regime and allocations

5.1 Management regime

 

Competitive management regime.

5.2 Allocations

In order to limit fishing effort and thus protect the reproductive potential of each shellfish sector, the Ministry applies a total allowable commercial catch (TACC) specific to each shellfish sector open to commercial harvesting.  

Sub-area      Sector #        Name of the sector                                          TACC (t)

1A                   N-01.2.2        Batture à Théophile – Batture Bon-Désir           0,4

1A                   N-02.2            Îles Penchées                                                         5

1A                   N-03.1.2        Pointe à Émile                                                         1

1A                   N-03.2.1        Pointe à Boisvert                                                    0,5

1A                   N-03.2.2        Pointe de Mille-Vaches                                         6

1A                   N-04.1.1.1     Baie des Chevaux                                                 20

1A                   N-04.1.2.1     Banc Marie-Marthe – Île Laval                             12

1A                   N-04.1.2.2     Baie Didier Sud                                                      4

1A                   N-04.1.3        Baie des Plongeurs                                               10

1A                   N-04.2.1.2     Battures aux Gibiers Est                                       0,5

1A                   N-04.2.2        Cran à Gagnon                                                       5

1A                   N-04.4.1        Anse du Colombier                                                7

1A                   N-04.4.2        Anse à Norbert                                                       1

1A                   N-04.5.1        Anse Noire                                                               0,5

1A                   N-04.5.2        Îlets Jérémie                                                            15

1C                  N-05.1.3.1     Réserve Pessamit Sud                                          50

1B                   N-06.1.1        Pointe-aux-Outardes Ouest                                  30

1B                   N-06.1.2        Pointe-aux-Outardes Est                                       7

1B                   N-08.1.3        Rivière Mistassini                                                   3

1B                   N-08.3            Baie Saint-Nicolas                                                 1

5.3 Quota reconciliation

For each shellfish harvesting area, any TACC overrun for a given year is deducted on a one-to-one ratio from the TACC of the following year.Quota reconciliation favors compliance with harvesting limits. It contributes to the achievement of resource conservation objectives and increases industry’s accountability towards conservation objectives.

6 Catch management

6.1 Characteristics of authorized catches

 

Minimum size: 51 mm.The discarding of catches taken in accordance with the Fisheries Act and its regulations is prohibited.

6.2 Release of accidental catches

Retaining accidental catches is prohibited. Consequently, licence holders who accidentally catch a fish must immediately release it back into the water where it was caught, taking care to cause as little injury as possible if it is still alive.

7 Fishing gear

Manual pick-up

Sub-area 1A:                        manual tool only (excluding northern pike)

Sub-area 1B:                        manual tool only (including northern pike)

Sub-area 1C:                        manual tool only (excluding northern pike)

8 Reporting interactions with marine mammals

Fishing licence holders and fishing vessel operators must report all interactions with marine mammals that occur during fishing expeditions, including all sightings of entangled marine mammals, within 48 hours of the end of a fishing expedition. To do so, the licence holder must complete the marine mammal interaction form, available on the “Report a marine mammal or sea turtle incident or sighting” page of DFO’s website, and attached to the Conditions of licence, and submit it according to the instructions on the form.In addition, if you observe a dead or distressed animal, please contact “Marine Mammal Emergencies” at 1-877-722-5346 as soon as possible. If possible, please take photos or videos to help DFO assess the situation and identify the species.

9 Declaration and monitoring of fishing activities

9.1 Hail-out

 

Licence holders must contact Fisheries and Oceans Canada by email at: CPHONS-ASCNCP@dfo-mpo.gc.ca at least one hour before departure for each fishing activity (harvest) and provide their name, estimated date and time of departure, target species, and shellfish area.

9.2 Combined form / logbook

 

Licence holders must acquire their Combined Forms booklet from suppliers pre-qualified by DFO.The Logbook section must be duly completed for each fishing expedition. Completed forms must be sent to the Fisheries and Oceans office in Sept-Îles each week when fishing operations have taken place.

10 Features specific to the fishery

10.1 Participation clause

 

A participation clause could be applied if the number of licences allocated in either subarea 1A or 1B reaches or exceeds 75% of the maximum number of licences stipulated in this document.

The minimum annual participation criteria are:

1. a minimum catch of 454 kg (1,000 pounds) during the season; and
2. catches must be reported to DFO by December 31 of each year.

Participation criteria may be adjusted and additional criteria may be added.If a licence holder does not meet the participation criteria in a given year, the fishing licence may not be reissued the following year.

10.2 Coastal fisherman identification

Commercial shellfish harvesters in subareas 1A and 1B must wear a fluorescent orange vest measuring at least 2,500 cm2. The licence number must be clearly visible on the back of the vest. All harvesters must have their licence with them at all times.

11 Dumping of waste

Licence holders are prohibited from discharging into Canadian fishing waters any material that may be harmful to fish or fish habitat. Please refer to this Notice to Fish Harvesters.

12 Conditions of licence

To obtain their Conditions of licence, fish harvesters must access the National Online Licensing System (NOLS). For NOLS 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 question regarding this CHP

You may call at:

North Shore Sector: 1-800-463-1729

For additional information

Please visit the Fisheries page of our website.

 

 

Note: In the event of any discrepancy between the French and English versions of the CHP, the French version prevails.