Notices to Fish Harvesters

 

 

 

 

 

Approved March 24, 2023

1. Application

This Conservation Harvesting Plan (CHP) for scallop applies to the fleet of scallop licence holders in Gaspé–Lower St. Lawrence areas 17A1, 17A2, 18B1, 18B2, 18C and 19A.

2. Fishing Areas

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:

Commercial Fisheries 

 

Subarea 17A1 : The portion of scallop area 17 delimited by straight lines between the following points in the order listed and ending at the coast :

1	48° 02' 13" N 69° 19' 12" W
2	48° 06' 18" N 69° 30' 00" W
3	48° 18' 48" N 69° 11' 54" W
4	48° 13' 27" N 69° 03' 12" W

Subarea 17A2 : The portion of scallop area 17 delimited by straight lines between the following points in the order listed and ending at the coast :

1	48° 13' 27" N 69° 03' 12" W
2	48° 18' 48" N 69° 11' 54" W
3	48° 27' 00" N 69° 00' 00" W
4	49° 09' 45" N 67° 11' 00" W
5	49° 09' 45" N 67° 11' 00" W
6	49° 13' 30" N 65° 08' 00" W

No person shall fish in protected areas PA1A, PA1B, PA2, PA3, PA4, PA9, PA10 and PA11 delimited by straight lines between the following points in the order listed:

PA-1A :

1	48° 56' 31,4'’ N	67° 10' 00'' W
2	49° 09' 45'' N	67° 11' 00'' W
3	49° 13' 45,6'' N	49° 13' 45,6'' N
4	49° 00' 11,5'' N	66° 58' 25'' W

PA-1B :

1	49° 01' 50'' N	66° 55' 00'' W
2	49° 14' 51''N	66° 55' 00'' W
3	49° 16' 26,5'' N	49° 16' 26,5'' N
4	49° 03' 11,4'' N	66° 50' 00'' W

PA-2 :

1	49º 09' 34'' N	66º 25' 00'' W
2	49º 14' 14'' N	66º 25' 00'' W
3	66º 25' 00'' W	66º 21' 00'' W
4	49º 10' 23'' N	66º 21' 00'' W

PA-3 :

1	49º 13' 25'' N	66º 00' 50'' W
2	49º 18' 18'' N	66º 00' 50'' W
3	49º 19' 00'' N	65º 56' 30'' W
4	49º 18' 57'' N	49º 18' 57'' N
5	49º 13' 37'' N	65º 54' 35’’ W

PA-4 :

1	49º 15' 15'' N	65º 35' 30'' W
2	49º 18' 31'' N	65º 35' 30'' W
3	49º 18' 12'' N	65º 26' 00'’ W
4	49º 15' 12'' N	49º 15' 12'' N

PA-9 :

1	48° 45' 18,4" N	67° 47' 55" W
2	48° 52’ 41,3" N	67° 54’ 30,6" W
3	48° 49’ 11,3" N	68° 03’ 26,5" W
4	48° 42’ 00" N	67° 56’ 04" W

PA-10 :

1	48°22’41" N	48°22’41" N
2	48°30’21,4" N	48°30’21,4" N
3	48°27'00" N	69° 00' 00" W
4	48°19'52,8"N	68° 51' 27,4" W

PA-11 :

1	48° 11' 29,5" N	48° 11' 29,5" N
2	48° 16' 34,5" N	69° 15' 06,3" W
3	48° 14' 56" N	48° 14' 56" N
4	48° 09' 05" N	69° 08' 46" W

Fishing is also prohibited in fishing sites where post-season surveys are conducted and where studies are carried out to measure the impact of the sea cucumber fishery on fish habitat. These sites are delimited by straight lines connecting the following points in the order listed and ending at the coast:

Closed site 1:

1	49º 14' 47'' N	49º 14' 47'' N
2	49º 18' 38'' N	65º 41' 00'' W
3	49º 18' 37'' N	49º 18' 37'' N
4	49º 14' 56'' N	65º 40' 00'' W

Closed site 2:

1	49° 15' 09" N	65° 36' 45" W
2	49°18’ 32" N	65° 36’ 45" W
3	49° 18’ 31" N	65° 36’ 00" W
4	49° 15’ 13" N	65° 36’ 00" W

Closed site 3:

1	49° 15’ 10" N	65° 26’ 00" W
2	65° 26’ 00" W	65° 26’ 00" W
3	49° 18' 11" N	65° 25' 15" W
4	65° 25' 15" W	65° 25' 15" W

Subarea 18B-1 : The portion of scallop area 18B delimited by straight lines between the following points in the order listed and ending at the coast :

1	49° 13' 30" N	65° 08' 00" W
2	49° 51' 30" N	65° 00' 00" W
3	49° 44' 00" N	64° 51' 00" W
4	48° 30' 00" N	48° 30' 00" N
5	48° 30' 00" N	63° 32' 00" W
6	63° 32' 00" W	63° 57' 30" W
7	63° 57' 30" W	64° 13' 30" W
8	64° 13' 30" W	64° 09' 51" W

Subarea 18B-2 : The portion of scallop area 18B delimited by straight lines between the following points in the order listed and ending at the coast:

1	49° 48' 00" N	64° 23' 00" W
2	49° 44' 00" N	64° 51' 00" W
3	64° 51' 00" W	63° 00' 00" W
4	48° 20' 00" N	62° 15' 30" W
5	49° 04' 00" N	62° 15' 30" W

Subarea 18C : The portion of scallop area 18 delimited by straight lines between the following points in the order listed and ending at the coast :

1	49° 08' 00'’ N	61° 40' 30'' W
2	49° 08' 00'' N	60° 00' 00'' W
3	47° 50' 00'' N	60° 00' 00'' W
4	48° 20' 00'' N	48° 20' 00'' N
5	49° 04' 00'' N	62° 15' 30'' W/td>

No person shall fish in protected areas PA-5 and PA-6 delimited by straight lines between the following points in the order listed:

PA-5:

1	49° 12' 07'’ N	64° 54' 57'' W
2	49° 17' 09'' N	64° 53' 02'' W
3	49° 00' 34'' N	64° 23' 57'' W
4	49° 17' 00'' N	64° 44' 00'' W
5	49° 10' 27'' N	64° 48' 54'' W

PA-6:

1	49° 00' 34'' N	64° 23' 57'' W
2	49° 05' 31'' N	64° 16' 42'' W
3	49° 04' 28' 'N	64° 14' 15'' W
4	49° 59' 30'' N	64° 22' 19'' W

Fishing is also prohibited in fishing sites where post-season surveys are conducted and where studies are carried out to measure the impact of the sea cucumber fishery on fish habitat. These sites are delimited by straight lines connecting the following points in the order listed and ending at the coast:

Closed site 4:

1	49º 12' 21'' N	64º 55' 45'' W
2	49º 17' 13'' N	64º 55' 45'' W
3	49º 17' 12'' N	64º 55' 00'’ W
4	49º 12' 07'' N	64º 55' 00'' W

Closed site 5:

1	49° 04' 36" N	64° 32' 15" W
2	49°12’ 05" N	64° 32’ 15" W
3	49° 11’ 46" N	49° 11’ 46" N
4	49° 04’ 28" N	64° 31’ 30" W

Closed site 6:

1	49° 01’ 56" N	64° 26’ 45" W
2	49° 09’ 46"N	64° 26’ 45" W
3	49° 09' 27" N	64° 26' 00" W
4	49° 01' 27" N	65° 26' 00" W

 

Subarea 19A

The portion of scallop area 19 delimited by straight lines between the following points in the order listed and ending at the coast:

1.	48°05'57" N  66°20'48" W	7.	48°12'15" N  64°30'00" W
2.	48°05'04" N  66°21'30" W	8.	48°12'15" N  64°02'10" W
3.	48°03'16" N  66°19'21" W	9.	48°21'00" N  63°32'00" W
4.	48°01'30" N  65°50'00" W	10.	48°40'30" N  63°57'30" W
5.	47°51'42" N  65°29'10" W	11.	48°43'00" N  64°13'30" W
6.	47°57'45" N  65°03'30" W	12.	48°44'55" N  64°09'51" W

No person shall fish in protected areas PA-7 and PA-8 delimited by straight lines between the following points in the order listed:

PA-7:

1	48°30'00" N	64°13'15" W
2	48°20'40,5" N	63°32'46" W
3	48°12'15" N	64°22'24" W
4	48°23'43" N	64°30'22" W

PA-8:

1	48°11'23" N	64°51'38" W
2	48°06'00" N	64°47'00" W
3	48°01'48" N	65°00'00" W
4	48°06'18" N	65°02'00" W

 

Restrictions

Subareas 17A1, 17A2, 18B1 and 18B2:

Fishing is prohibited at depths of less than 18.3 metres.

Subarea 19A:

From May 1 to August 15: No fishing is authorized at a depth less than 18.3 metres.

From August 16 to September 30: No fishing is authorized at a depth less than 27.4 metres.

3. Fishing closures

Under the Canada National Parks Act and the National Parks of Canada Fishing Regulations, no person shall fish scallop by any means, including dredging, within a limit of 152 m of the mean low tide mark of the shores of Forillon National Park.

1.  

                      3.1 Coral and Sponge Conservation Areas in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence  

On December 15, 2017, Fisheries and Oceans Canada created eleven coral and sponge conservation areas in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence in order to protect areas with high concentrations of sponges and sea pens.

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 conservation areas.

For more information and maps of the eleven coral and sponge conservation areas, please visit the dedicated DFO website: Coral and Sponge Conservation Measures in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence .

1.  

                      3.2 Banc-des-Américains Marine Protected Area

On March 6, 2019, Fisheries and Oceans Canada created, jointly with the Quebec government, the Banc-des-Américains Marine Protected Area (MPA) in order to the ensure the conservation and protection of this marine ecosystem.

Provisions of the Banc-des-Américains Marine Protected Area Regulations apply to licence holders. In order to comply with them, please refer to the clauses that apply to your fishing activities: Banc-des-Américains Marine Protected Area Regulations .

4. Fishing seasons

Subareas 17A1 and 17A2, 18B2 and 18C:

April 1 to November 30.

 

Subareas 18B1 and 19A:

May 1 to September 30.

 

Fishing schedule in subarea 19A:

From Cap-Gaspé to the Port-Daniel lighthouse, fishing is authorized from Monday to Friday inclusive from 5:00 to 18:00 and on Saturday from 5:00 to noon.

From the Port-Daniel lighthouse to Miguasha, fishing is authorized from Monday to Friday inclusive from 5:00 to 18:00.

The fishing seasons established above are in effect for the duration of this CHP. They represent maximum fishing periods, subject to , among other things, Variation Orders and specific closed seasons. Thus, openings and closings may vary according to particular circumstances and fisheries 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. Quotas

Subarea 17A1: 10.9 tons (muscle).

Subarea 17A2: 4 tons (muscle).

Subarea 18B2: 16 tons (muscle).

Subarea 18C: 11 tons (muscle).

6. Management Regime

Fishery under a competitive regime.

7. Minimum catch size

For all subareas except 18C:

Sea Scallop: The minimum shell size is 100 mm or a maximum count of 30 muscles/500 g.

Iceland Scallop: no minimum size.

8. Fishing Gear

Subareas 17A1, 17A2, 18B1, 18B2 and 18C :

The total width of the baskets must not exceed 7.3 m. The ventral side of the dredge must be equipped with a matrix consisting of unobstructed rings with a minimum diameter of 76 mm.

 

Subarea 19A :

The Digby dredge is the only authorized gear. The total width of the baskets must not exceed 7.3 m.

From May 1 to August 15: The dredge basket must contain rings with a minimum diameter of 89 mm.

From August 16 to September 30: The dredge basket must contain rings with a minimum diameter of 76 mm.

9. Management measures to minimize the risks of interactions with the North Atlantic Right Whale

Since 2017, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has put in place additional management measures to protect the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale from entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes. These measures take into account the best available scientific data and can be adapted if necessary to take into account future developments regarding interactions prevention.

The following requirements have been implemented in order to reduce the risk of entanglement of North Atlantic Right Whales:

1.  

                      9.1 Requirement to report lost and retrieved gear

 

Lost gear reporting

Lost fishing gear is defined as any active fishing gear previously set by the licence holder and fishing vessel operator which was sought but not found.

The licence holder or fishing vessel operator must report any of their lost fishing gear within 24 hours of returning to port at the end of the fishing trip. Reports of lost gear must be submitted to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) through the FISHING GEAR REPORTING SYSTEM available online at Sign in (dfo-mpo.gc.ca) or by completing the LOST FISHING GEAR FORM available online at Reporting requirements for commercial fisheries   or in Annex of Conditions of licence, according to instructions on the form.

 

Retrieved gear reporting

The licence holder or fishing vessel operator must report the retrieval of any of their own previously reported lost gear within 24 hours of returning to port at the end of the fishing trip. Reports of retrieved gear must be submitted to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) through the FISHING GEAR REPORTING SYSTEM available online at Sign in (dfo-mpo.gc.ca) or by completing the RETRIEVAL OF PREVIOUSLY REPORTED LOST FISHING GEAR FORM available online at Reporting requirements for commercial fisheries  or in Annex of Conditions of licence, according to instructions on the form. Retrieval can only occur during the validity period of the Conditions of licence and only in relation to the specific type of gear authorized to be used by the Conditions of licence.

1.  

                      9.2 What to do if you observe a North Atlantic right whale

First of all, it is important to maintain a minimum distance of 100 meters from the animal and 200 meters if the whale is accompanied by a calve. Details regarding sightings of live and free-swimming right whales may be provided to DFO at: XMARWhalesightings@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or by phone at 1-844-800-8568. If you observe this species, please send us your contact information and information about the sighting (date, time, geographical position, number of individuals, etc.). If possible, you can also send us photos or videos.

If you see a right whale entangled in fishing gear, you should not under any circumstances attempt to release it on your own. The behaviour of an entangled individual is unpredictable and dangerous. You should contact "Marine Mammal Emergencies" at 1-877-722-5346 as soon as possible to share information that will help to organize an appropriate response by experts (time and position of the entangled animal, behavior of the individual, details on the weather and the state of the sea, etc.).

10. Marine mammal interaction reporting

In order to comply with the implementation of the US Marine Mammals Protection Act (MMPA) regulations, licence holders must provide information regarding all interactions with a marine mammal that occur during fishing expeditions including: bycatch, collisions and all sightings of entangled marine mammals. To do this, the Marine Mammal Interaction Form must be completed and submitted by email to DFO.NAT.InteractionsMM-InteractionsMM.NAT.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca within 48 hours after the end of a fishing trip.

A copy of the form is attached to the Conditions of licence and can also be downloaded and submitted online at the following address:  Report a marine mammal or sea turtle incident or sighting 

The information provided on this form will be used by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to estimate levels of accidental mortality and injury to marine mammals. This information will allow DFO to better assess the types of threats that may affect Canada's marine mammals and to develop mitigation strategies.

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.

11. Hail Prior To Departure

Subarea 17A1:

The hail prior departure is mandatory and must be placed before 19:00 the day before each fishing trip.

12. At-sea Observer

Subarea 17A1:

The At-sea observers coverage is 5 % of fishing trips made by the fleet, spread over the whole area and the fishing period.

13. Hail-in

An hail-in call to a local dockside monitoring company legally designated by DFO is required before the arrival at port.

14. Dockside Monitoring

Subarea 18C:

Before starting a fishing trip, fishers must have an agreement with a dockside monitoring company legally designated by DFO.

Hail in is mandatory before arrival at the dock.

Dockside monitoring is mandatory for 100% of landings.

Landings must be made at one of the designated dockside monitoring ports, a list of which is available at Maps of small craft harbours .

15. Combined form/Logbook/Purchase slip

Fishers must obtain their Combined Forms booklet from a prequalified supplier. DFO's list of prequalified suppliers is available at http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/sdc-cps/nir-nei/log-suppliers-eng.htm.

The logbook section of your combined form must be filled out before arrival at the dock each fishing day and the completed form must be sent to DFO within seven days after landing.

DFO reminds fishers that all catches, including catches for personal consumption or direct sales, must be listed in the logbook.

16. Vessel Monitoring System

The use of a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) approved by DFO is mandatory. Each licence holder must register his DFO-approved VMS unit prior to the beginning of his fishing activities. Data transmission every 5 minutes is required.

The current list of DFO-approved VMS units and the procedure and form to register a VMS unit are available at the following address: http://dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fisheries-peches/sdc-cps/vessel-monitoring-surveillance-navire/index-eng.html

17. Conversion Rate

The following conversion ratio is used in order to convert the weight of scallop catches to round meat weight: 8.3.

18. Quota reconciliation

Quota reconciliation provides that any overharvest of a quota in one area in one season will be deducted from the quota for this area for the following season on a one-for-one basis.

19. 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.

At the time this Conservation Harvesting Plan is promulgated, the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence species susceptible to being captured are the following: the Spotted Wolffish, the Northern Wolffish, the Leatherback Turtle and the Striped Bass (St. Lawrence River population). New species could be added during the course of the year.

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), the Beluga Whale (St. Lawrence Estuary population) and the White Shark (Atlantic 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 Marine mammal interaction reporting).

20. Crew registry

Since April 1st, 2021, inshore commercial licence holders, and their approved Substitute Operators, must keep records of all the crew members working aboard the vessel on every fishing trip. These records must be maintained by the licence holder for a period of five (5) years. This requirement does not apply to pre-1979 corporation licence and to any licence issued under the authority of the Aboriginal Communal Fishing Licences Regulations. For further details, refer to the March 17th, 2021 Notice to Fish Harvesters at Notice detail - Online Publications Tool  or contact the Licensing Office at 1-877-535-7307 or fishing-peche@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

21. Discharge of waste

Since 2022, all commercial fisheries in Canada have a new condition of licence relating to the discharge of garbage from Canadian fishing vessels. The licence holder is 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 New condition of licence relating to discharge of garbage season 2022 (2022-03-29) (dfo-mpo.gc.ca)

 

22. Conditions of licence

To obtain their Conditions of licence, fish harvesters must access the National Online Licensing System. For National Online Licensing System 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 1-877-898-5559

For additional information

Please visit our website at the following address: Fisheries .