Fishery Notice

The Shrimp Trawl fishery closes for the season as of 23:59 hours March 31, 
2020. The next fishing opportunities will be after June 1, 2020 in specific 
Shrimp Management Areas. Many areas will not open until stock assessments have 
been conducted and bulletins are available (SMA PRD, 124OFF, 125OFF, 23OFF and 
21OFF, 23IN, GSTE, 16, 18, 19 and FR) and shrimp biomasses are determined to be 
sufficient to provide a fishing opportunity.

A Fishery Notice will announce when S and FS licences for 2020/2021 Shrimp by 
Trawl are available for payment in the Pacific Region through the National 
Online Licensing System (NOLS). Licence holders will use NOLS to go online to 
view, pay for and print their commercial fishing licences, licence conditions, 
Observer Letter and/or receipts.

To obtain a copy of the current Shrimp Trawl Pacific Region Integrated 
Fisheries Management Plan (IFMP): Contact Dan Clark dan.clark@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or 
Guy Parker guy.parker@dfo-mpo.gc.ca  .

For transactions that are not available in the National Online Licensing System 
(e.g. Vessel replacements and nominations), licensing services will continue to 
be available either through telephone (1-877-535-7307), e-mail (fishing-
peche@dfo-mpo.gc.ca), or fax (604-666-5855). Please be sure to visit the 
Pacific Region Licensing website and subscribe to fishery notices for updates 
on the National Online Licensing System and licensing services: 
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/licence-permis/index-eng.html.

Notes:
This notice applies to the Shrimp Trawl fishery in Areas 11 to 29 and offshore 
Areas 121, and 123 to 127 inclusive and Areas 1 to 10, Subareas 11-1, 11-2 and 
Offshore Areas 101 to 111, 130, and 142.

In order to participate in future openings, the licence holder must make 
arrangements with the service provider for fishery in-season monitoring 
services. Vessels must have their "S" or "FS" licence renewed for 2020/21. Fish 
harvesters/Licence Holders/vessel owners will use the online system 
(https://fishing-peche.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/) to view, pay for and print their 
commercial fishing licences, licence conditions and/or receipts. 

Prior to annual application for either a category S or FS Shrimp by Trawl 
licence, please ensure:
a) Any Ministerial conditions placed on the licence eligibility are met.
b) Any conditions of the previous year's licence such as submission and 
approval of Shrimp Trawl Harvest Logbooks to February 28 and Hail Reports to 
March 31 (all landings reported) have been met.

To confirm logbook approval status please contact the Shellfish Data Unit at 
250-756-7022 or 250-756-7306.

To make arrangements for hails, fishery monitoring, at-sea observer services 
and to provide landings and obtain a landing hail number call the DFO approved 
Service Provider, Archipelago Marine Research, at 1-866-377-1400 (08:30 to 
16:30 hours, Monday to Friday only).

New fishery management measures for bycatch avoidance may be defined in the 
Integrated Fishery Management Plan. See the 2020/21 IFMP for details on 
specific fishery areas.

The mandatory by-catch reduction large mesh will be continued for all Otter 
trawl nets to reduce eulachon and other by-catch: the top (hood or upper belly) 
of an otter trawl net shall be comprised of a minimum 4.4 square meter (48 
square foot) panel of plastic lattice with minimum 4 cm square openings, such 
as is found in snow fencing, or large mesh netting hung on the square.

Shrimp Management Areas 27IN and 27OFF (Pacific Fishery Management Areas 27 and 
127) open upon request from a vessel master subject to the vessel master 
securing arrangements for a certified shrimp fishery observer for the first 
fishing trip to these areas. Contact the South Coast Fisheries Manager to 
request an opening.

Fish slips (sale slips) are required for all fish and shellfish caught and must 
be submitted within seven days of offloading.

Prior to commencing fishing and at least 24 hours prior to leaving port, the 
vessel master shall obtain a Fishing Hail Number by contacting the service 
provider at 1-866-377-1400 (08:30 to 16:30 hours, Monday to Friday only). 
Earlier arrangements to pick up at-sea observers before leaving port may be 
necessary. Hails can be made into one Shrimp Management Area only.

Other required reports (such as to obtain a landing hail number prior to 
landing) can be made to 1-866-377-1200, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Vessels fishing in an area open to prawn retention are restricted to an 
incidental, legal size, possession limit of 100 individual prawns (Pandalus 
platyceros) whole in the shell. When areas open to prawn retention, all prawns 
with eggs shall be released immediately and unharmed to the waters from which 
they were caught.

Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA) Closures to fishing with shrimp trawl nets are 
in place coast-wide. Fish harvesters are advised to familiarize themselves with 
these closures, contact the local DFO office or the DFO web site for more 
information. 

Sponge Reef closures in Areas 14, 17, 18, 28 and 29 are now in effect with 
eight new closures as of April 1, 2019. Coordinates and maps for these closures 
are available at: http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/protection/sponge_reef-
recif_eponge-eng.html.

Refer to 2020/21 Shrimp Trawl Integrated Fishery Management Plan for further 
details and management changes for this season or for further information 
contact:
South Coast: Dan Clark 250-756-7327
North/Central Coast: Coral Keehn 250-627-3021 or Steven Groves 250-627-3455
Fraser River: Marisa Keefe 604-666-6390

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0290
Sent March 23, 2020 at 1551

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Visit Fisheries and Oceans Canada on the Web at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Printed from the Pacific Region web site on May 14, 2024 at 0101