Approved July 31, 2019

 

1         Application 

This Conservation Harvesting Plan applies to Bluefin tuna licence holders from the Quebec fleet using vessels of less than 19.81 m.  

2         Fishing areas  

Based on valid Licence’s Conditions and subject to Variation Order, the authorized fishing areas for Bluefin tuna are: 4RST for Gulf fishing and 4Wd, 4VsW, 4X and 5 for Ex-Sector fishing.  

The fishing areas coordinates are listed in the Atlantic Fishery Regulations, 1985. 

3         Fishing closure 

3.1       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: http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2019/2019-03-06/html/sor-dors50-eng.html 

4         Fishing season 

As a result of discussions at the large pelagic advisory committee, the dates of management year has been changed in 2019. As annual allocations must be fished over a 12-month period, management year for the Bluefin tuna will now begin on June 24 for all fleets (direct or by-catch) and will end on June 23 of the following year. This change will allow greater flexibility regarding when fishers choose to catch their allocations. 

Traditionally, fishing activities by the Quebec fleet begin in August and end in November. The precise dates are communicated before fishing activities begin by means of a Notice to Fishermen on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada website, the address of which is at the end of this document.  

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         Quota 

The quota for the 2019-2020 directed fishery is 26.297 t of which 23.882 t represent the initial 2019-2020 quota and 2.415 t comes from the carry-forward of the uncaught quota from 2018. 

The fleet is authorized to carry forward a maximum of 10% of its initial quota of the current year excluding all quota carried forward from a previous year or received from a transfer. 

Any overrun will be deducted from the fleet’s quota the following year. 

Canadian fleets are not authorized to catch more than 35 t ex-sector, including inter-fleet transfers, when applicable. 

6         Management regime  

Competitive fishery management regime with distribution of the quota among participants through the number of issued tags. 

Since 2017, the total number of tags issued has been determined based on the allocation available at the beginning of the fishing season and the average weight of Bluefin tuna landed in the previous two years. As agreed at the Regional Advisory Committee meeting held on February 27, 2017 no additional tags will be issued during the fishing season. 

Some licence holders could obtain an additional tag before the opening of the fishing season after licence holders have obtained their first tag. Eligible licence holders will be determined based on the total number of tags available for the current season and their ranking on eligibility list (appendix 1). 

7         Fishing gear

Angling gear, tended lines or electric harpoon.  

A maximum of 4 lines is authorized of which no more than 2 lines may be tended simultaneously. 

Only one hook must be attached to each line. 

From 2019 greenstick fishing is allowed. This technique is defined as a fishing technique for tuna by trolling lures or baits along the surface of the water from a pole located on the fishing vessel. One end of the mainline is attached to the greenstick pole and the other end is attached to a bird and a float. Up to four individual trolling rod and reel lines may be attached to the greenstick mainline by breakaways, (such as rubber bands). Fighting the tuna is to be conducted by rod and reel. a hauler may be used for retrieval of the bird and float. 

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

Management measures to reduce interactions with North Atlantic Right Whales and to report any interactions with marine mammals are now in place in all Quebec fisheries. All the information on these measures has been published in the April 12^th, 2019 Notice to Fish Harvesters, available at the following link: 

https://inter-l01.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/applications/opti-opei/notice-avis-eng.php?region_id=4&sub_type_id=5&type=1&display_option=1.

 

8.1       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.). 

9       Marine mammal interaction reporting  

In order to comply with the implementation of the US Marine Mammals Protection Act (MMPA) regulations, licence holders must now 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:  http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/mammals-mammiferes/report-rapport/page01-eng.html

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. 

10     Hail-out   

Licence holders departing for a fishing trip from a port in the Gaspe Peninsula must contact the Operations Centre of the Catch Certification Program by phone at 1-888-641-6464 no later than 10 hours before each fishing trip and provide the information requested in the Licence Conditions. 

When landing in a port in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick or Nova Scotia, licence holders must hail-out to a dockside monitoring company legally designated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.   

11      At-sea Observer 

Gulf:Not applicable. 

Ex-sector: The At-Sea Observer coverage correspond to the percentage applicable in the fishing area where the fishing occurs.    

12      Dockside monitoring 

Before the beginning of a fishing trip, licence holders must have entered into an agreement with a dockside monitoring company legally designated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.  

Hail-in is required before arrival at the dock. 

Dockside monitoring is mandatory for 100% of landings. 

Landings in the Gaspe Peninsula must take place at one of the designated ports identified in the Designated Dockside Monitoring Ports list available on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada web site at: http://www.qc.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/peches-fisheries/surveillance/port-eng.html. 

13      Logbook / Combined Form / Bluefin tuna catch document 

A Logbook JB-TR-01 or a Combined Form FC-TR-02 must be completed by the licence holder for each fishing trip, regardless of whether one lands any Bluefin tuna, and submitted to the dockside observer or to any other person designated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, without exception and in sequential order or forwarded to his Fisheries and Oceans area office without exception and in sequential order. 

In addition to the Logbook or the Combined Form, a Bluefin Tuna Catch Document with the current year coding (BFTCD-CAN1X XXXX) must be filled out by the licence holder upon arrival to port for each Bluefin tuna is landed. The dockside observer will check the catch document when the landed Bluefin tuna is weighed. 

If the licence holder decides to sell his catch directly onto the retail market (i.e. restaurant), he must also enter the required information on the “electronic Bluefin Tuna Catch Documentation” (EBCD) system monitoring of Bluefin tuna catches. 

14      Electronic Monitoring System (EMS) 

Since 2017, an Electronic Monitoring System (EMS) capable of recording continuous video or photos of all fishing activities may be installed on board a fishing vessel, upon the request of a fishery officer. 

Licence holders must provide qualified installers identified by a Fishery Officer, access to the fishing vessel for the installation, removal and maintenance of the EMS, as well as for the installation or retrieval of the memory card/hard drive from the EMS. 

Before and while fishing, licence holders must ensure that the cameras lens are kept clean so the quality of the video or pictures is optimized. 

15      Vessel  

Vessels with an overall length less than 19.81 m may be used.  

Lease of a vessel registered outside of the Quebec Region is not authorized. Licence holders from the Quebec Region are authorized to use a vessel registered with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Quebec Region, and linked to a commercial fishing licence.  

16      Partnership (buddy-up) 

Partnership agreements for up to three (3) licences on the same vessel are authorized for fishing in the Gulf. All participants in a partnership agreement must hold at least one valid tag at the time the agreement is made.  

Prior to departure for a fishing trip, only one hail-out should be made for all licence holders participating in a partnership agreement. 

17     Other management measures 

17.1   Issuance of Licence Conditions and tags distribution  

As indicated in the letter sent to fishers on July 12, licence holders who will not be fishing Bluefin tuna in 2019/2020 must report this to DFO by July 22, 2019.  Licence holders who intend to fish Bluefin tuna in a given year, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence or ex-sector, must pay fees to obtaining tags (150 $ each), through the National Online Licensing System (NOLS). Once tags are paid, licence holders will be able to print their License Conditions. 

Stating in 2018, tags will be sent to the licence holders by registered post with signature.  

17.2   Eligibility list to obtain an additional tag 

At the Bluefin Tuna Regional Advisory Committee held on January 27, 2015, members recommended that the eligibility list for additional tags established by a random draw on July 26, 2013 (Appendix 1) is made permanent.  

The priority order of the eligibility list will remain the same in the case of a licence transfer. The new licence holder will retain the rank assigned to the previous licence holder during the draw.  

17.3   Bleeding and Tail cut 

When fishing, only an incision made between the second dorsal fin and the tail is permitted in order to bleed the fish. However, the removal of flesh from a Bluefin tuna in order to determine the fat content or cutting the tail is not permitted until the fish has been offloaded and weighed by a dockside monitoring company. 

17.4   Tag transfer 

Tag transfer or sale is prohibited. 

17.5   Inter fleet transfer  

The inter-fleet transfer procedure remains the same as in previous years. Only the identified fleet representatives may request a transfer. These transfers will be approved by the Atlantic Large Pelagics Advisory Committee Chair within 4 business days. The representative of the Quebec fleet is Mr. Michael Taker. 

17.6   Dart-Tag 

All Bluefin tuna shall be tagged immediately after the fish is caught. A tuna is considered caught when the fish is brought next to the fishing vessel which include swimming it to cool it down. Either a DFO issued Bluefin tuna tag OR a dart-tag with a unique number can be used. If a dart-tag is utilized on a temporary basis, a numbered and valid Bluefin tuna tag issued by Fisheries and Oceans Canada must be attached to the tuna before having it landed and weighted by a dockside monitoring company. Licence holders can order dart tags by contacting Floytag company at http://wwww.floytag.com. 

18     Mexican transfer 

In 2019, 3.08 tons transferred from Mexico is allocated under a Use of Fish collaborative agreement to the Quebec inshore fleet. The management of this allocation is delegated to the Regroupement des Pêcheurs professionnels du Sud de la Gaspésie. However, all the management measures described in this Catch Harvesting Plan aplies to fishing activities made under this allocation.  

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, the Striped Bass (St. Lawrence River population) and exceptionally the White Shark (Atlantic population). New species could be added during the course of the year. 

All incidental captures of species identified above must immediately be 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      Licence Conditions 

To obtain their Licence Conditions, licence holders 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.  

21      Posting of Notices to Fish Harvesters 

Notices to Fish Harvesters are available at the following web site address: http://www.qc.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/peches-fisheries/commerciale-commercial/index-eng.html. 

For questions regarding this CHP 

Please contact your area office.  

Magdalen Islands: 418-986-2095 

Gaspé–Lower St. Lawrence: 1-877-898-5559 

 

 

Approved by: 

Maryse Lemire 

Regional Director 

Fisheries Management 

Fisheries and Oceans Canada 

Quebec Region

 

 

 

 

Appendix 1

 

Eligibility list - Draw held July 26, 2013 (see the Original on the next page).

 

Rank Additional tag	Name	Rank Additional tag	Name
1	Welsh, Ryan	29	Eloquin, Dominic
2	Moreau, Marie Josée	30	Poirier, Gino
3	Dickson, Paul W	31	Dickson, Kendall
4	Lelievre, Christian	32	Lepage, Gino
5	Clark, Sidney	33	Pinel, Christian
6	Sweeney, Jean-Marc	34	Desbois, Guy
7	Sullivan, Boyd	35	Aucoin, Eudore
8	Arseneau, Jean Marc	36	Rankin, Anthony
9	Desbois, Nicol	37	Turbide, Real
10	Clark, Adam	38	Desbois, Daniel
11	CIE Hugh H.E. Journeaux	39	Hautcoeur, Alban
12	Dickson, Wayne	40	9321-9863 Québec inc. (Thériault, Yvon)
13	9333-5925 Québec inc. (Lelievre, Jean Elie)	41	Syvrais, Michel
14	Roussy, Stevens	42	Les pêcheries Gilles Chapados inc. (Chapados, Gilles)
15	Les pêcheries Mitch Girard inc.  (Girard, Mitch)	43	Eloquin, Réginald (succession)
16	Desbois, Richard	44	Eloquin, Denis
17	Eloquin, Francis	45	Caron, Kevin
18	Gionest, Luc	46	Turbide, Marco
19	Burke, Steve	47	Josey, Raymond
20	Huard, David Henri	48	Patton, Lyndon
21	Arsenault, Serge	49	AGHAMM
22	Pêcheries Yves Couture inc. (Couture, Yves)	50	Collin, Raymond
23	Duguay, Carol	51	Mckinnon, Stephen
24	Cormier, Denis J	52	Burke, Jeffrey
25	Sullivan, James M	53	Josey, Aaron
26	9316-3806 Quebec inc (Theriault, Luc)
27	Duguay, Gilles
28	Taker, Michael

 

 

Appendix 2

 

Eligibility list - Draw held August 30^th, 2017

 

Rank Additional tag	Name	Rank Additional tag	Name
1	Desbois, Nicol	31	Syvrais, Michel
2	Sweeney, Jean-Marc	32	Arseneau, Jean-Marc
3	Caron, Kevin	33	Lelièvre, Christian
4	Arsenault, Serge	34	Hautcoeur, Alban
5	Josey, Aaron	35	Les pêcheries Mitch Girard inc. (Girard, Mitch)
6	Éloquin, Denis	36	Taker, Michael
7	Pinel, Christian	37	Dickson, Paul W.
8	Burke, Steve	38	Roussy, Stevens
9	Sullivan, James M.	39	Poirier, Gino
10	Collin, Raymond	40	Aucoin, Eudore
11	Dickson, Kendall	41	Welsh, Ryan
12	Éloquin, Réginald (succession)	42	Desbois, Guy
13	Turbide, Marco	43	Desbois, Daniel
14	Clark, Adam	44	Turbide, Réal
15	Sullivan, Boyd	45	Burke, Jeffrey
16	Cie Hugh H.E. Journeaux	46	Éloquin, Dominic
17	9321-9863 Québec inc. (Thériault, Yvon)	47	Huard, David Henri
18	Lepage, Gino	48	Desbois, Richard
19	Rankin, Anthony	49	Duguay, Gilles
20	Moreau, Marie-Josée	50	9333-5925 Québec inc. (Lelievre, Jean Elie)
21	Gionest, Luc	51	Clark, Sidney
22	9316-3806 Quebec inc (Theriault, Luc)	52	Duguay, Carol
23	Eloquin, Francis	53	Josey, Raymond
24	Pêcheries Yves Couture inc. (Couture, Yves)
25	McKinnon, Stephen
26	Cormier, Denis J.
27	AGHAMM
28	Patton, Lyndon
29	Les pêcheries Gilles Chapados inc. (Chapados, Gilles)
30	Dickson, Wayne