Fishery Notice
Category(s):COMMERCIAL - Salmon: Seine
COMMERCIAL - Salmon: Troll
Subject:FN0921-COMMERCIAL - Salmon: Seine and Troll - Fraser River Pink - Area B and H - Area 29 - 2019 ITQ Demonstration Fishery
In 2019, Area B seine and Area H troll Fraser River Pink harvest opportunities
will be managed as Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) demonstration fisheries.
Key elements of the Fraser River Pink ITQ demonstration fishery are as follows:
1. The Fraser River Pink ITQ will be determined by DFO by dividing the Area B
Fraser River Pink allocation (82.5%) by the total number of licensed vessels
for Area B (169) or 0.48817% per licence. The ITQ percentage is multiplied by
the available commercial Fraser River Pink TAC (determined by DFO in-season) to
determine the ITQ in pieces of salmon. The Area H Fraser River Pink ITQ will be
determined using the same formula, i.e. by dividing the Area H Fraser River
Pink allocation (10.0%) by the total number of licensed vessels for Area H (77)
or 0.12987% per licence. The quota share will remain fixed in-season (subject
to amendments for seasonal quota transactions).
2. The available commercial Fraser River Pink TAC will be distributed over the
course of the fishery (in increments) rather than all at once and will be
announced by fishery notice and adjusted if necessary following Fraser Panel
meetings (usually Tuesday and Friday) depending on abundance and stock
composition.
3. Sockeye encounter rates will be assessed for both Area B and H fleets. The
Sockeye encounter rates will be based on independent At-Sea Observer data.
Different encounter rates may be used for each fleet (B vs H)and time (daily).
Note: The same encounter rates will be applied to all vessels in each fleet in
each Area on a given day, except those vessel with a stationary Observer that
have an encounter rate less than the fleet average.
4. Quota will be transferable in whole or in part within each licence area
(e.g. Area B to Area B or Area H to Area H) as well as between licence areas
(e.g. Area B to Area H or Area H to Area B). Transfers to other gears are not
allowed.
5. Quota may be reallocated as a percent (for the season) or by pieces (e.g.
temporarily to cover an overage).
6. Overages must be covered by a quota reallocation within 24 hours of landing
and validation (the '24 hours rule'). Vessels are not permitted to recommence
fishing until all overages have been covered.
7. An increase in the TAC cannot be used to cover an overage. The quota being
transferred to a vessel in an overage situation must be quota that was
available prior to the TAC increase.
8. Overages as a result of a run downgrade must be covered by a quota
reallocation.
9. An overage occurring as a consequence of a decrease in the TAC will not have
to be covered if the fishery is closed for the duration of the season.
10. Licence eligibility holders are strongly encouraged to designate a signing
authority prior to the start of the fishery. This designation permits someone
else to authorize a quota transfer if the license eligibility holder is out
fishing and is unable to complete the required transfer application. The
designation and reallocation forms can be obtained by contacting:
A/Resource Manager Erika Watkins
250-286-5882
Erika.Watkins@dfo-mpo.gc.ca 11. Start and end fishing reports are a requirement for Area B and Area H and
must be completed according to conditions of licence.
12. Daily catch reporting for Area B and Area H must be completed according to
the conditions of licence (e.g. phone in by 08:00 hours of the day after
fishing for the previous day's catch, etc.).
13. Catch validation will be mandatory and individual licence eligibility
holders will be required to cover the cost of catch validation provided by a
salmon offload observer service provider authorized by the Department.
14. Catch prohibited on board the licensed vessel while fishing include:
- No salmon caught while fishing in a non-quota fishery shall be on board the
licensed vessel while fishing in a quota fishery.
- No salmon of any species that are not permitted to be retained under the
authority of this licence at the time and area being fished shall be on board
the licensed vessel.
- No quota species caught under the authority of another licence shall be on
board the licensed vessel. For clarity, all quota species on board the vessel
shall be counted again the vessel's Area B or Area H quota.
- Any fish that have been landed and validated.
15. Area B and Area H vessels will be permitted to move fish from one vessel to
another on the grounds. All vessels are required to document in the Offload
Catch Report section of the logbook or e-log, when fish has been pooled
(transhipped) onto another vessel or vessels. If a vessel transports and lands
fish from other vessels the catch is assigned to the landing vessel. Quota
reallocations must be made within 24 hours of landing if the landing vessel has
a quota overage.
A copy of the guidelines for the 2019 ITQ demonstration fishery is available in
Appendix 7 of the 2019 Integrated Fisheries Management Plan for Southern BC at
the following link.
IFMP Southern:
https://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/40799104.pdfAn Area B and Area H ITQ package is available at the following link and
includes the temporary reallocation forms and designation forms.
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/licence-permis/licence-commercial-permis-eng.html
For more information regarding the ITQ package please contact Jessica Ottley at
250-627-3007 or by email
Erika.Watkins@dfo-mpo.gc.caFOR MORE INFORMATION:
Christine Bukta 250-286-5888 or
Christine.Bukta@dfo-mpo.gc.ca Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0921
Sent September 13, 2019 at 0941