Fishery Notice

On April 2, 2020 the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada issued a Fishery Management Order temporarily suspending the requirement for on board at-sea observers for 
45 days to help protect the health of observers and fishers from the spread of COVID-19. On the advice of the Groundfish Trawl Advisory Committee (GTAC) and for the 
duration of the Fishery Management Order, DFO is implementing an emergency Electronic Monitoring (EM) pilot program for at-sea monitoring in the groundfish trawl 
fishery. These measures are required to ensure continued comprehensive and independent catch monitoring of the groundfish trawl fleet.

Harvesters are hereby notified of the following changes to at-sea monitoring requirements for the groundfish trawl fishery, effective immediately. 

All vessels fishing under the groundfish trawl Option A licence conditions shall: be equipped with a functioning electronic monitoring (EM) system from Archipelago 
Marine Research, retain all rockfish catch for validation during offload, and hail out as a "Shoreside hake" trip.

If the Option A vessel:
a)has a receiving tank (RTV), the vessel master shall also include in the comment section that the vessel is a "RTV with EM."  
b)does not have a receiving tank, and is not on a directed hake trip, the vessel master shall; 
1.include in the comment section that the vessel is a "Option A trip." 
2.shall limit the vessel to fishing three of the following six management areas during a single trip:
§	-3C
§	-3D
§	-5A, 5B 
§	-5C
§	-5D
§	-5E 

Vessel owners requiring EM system installation or modifications to an existing system should contact Archipelago Marine Research as soon as possible to make 
arrangements. 

Option A conditions of licence have been amended to reflect these new requirements. Vessel owners/licence eligibility holders or a designated agent shall use the 
National Online Licensing System (NOLS) to access the amended conditions. Client support will be available via e-mail (fishing-peche@dfo-mpo.gc.ca) or toll-free 
telephone (1-877-535-7307). 

Notification will be sent via email to advise Vessel owners/licence eligibility holders that a change has been made to the licence holder's online account.  The 
amended licence conditions will be available to be printed at that time.  

Vessel owners/masters are reminded of the requirement to have a valid groundfish trawl licence amendment on board the vessel prior to fishing.

For more information please contact:
Robert Tadey  
Trawl Coordinator, Groundfish
Fisheries & Oceans Canada 
200 - 401 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 3S4
Tel: 604.666.3991 
Email: robert.tadey@dfo-mpo.gc.ca 

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0379
Sent April 14, 2020 at 1454

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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 15, 2026 at 0436