Approved on July 10, 2023
This conservation harvesting plan (CHP) applies to all Eastern New Brunswick fixed gear licence holders fishing Atlantic halibut in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Divisions 4RST with vessels less than 19.81 meters in overall length from May 15, 2023 to May 14, 2024.
It is to be noted that this CHP is subject to change following ministerial decisions or annual review. Directed fishing for any other groundfish species will require a separate CHP.
The conservation measures during the fishery are as follows:
1. FISHING RESTRICTIONS AND CLOSURES
The protection of fish during the spawning period and areas where there are concentrations of juveniles is a priority that the Department and the industry consider very important for the reconstruction of the cod stock in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The following conservation measures will apply:
- Closure of all groundfish fisheries from April 1 to June 23 in part of the NAFO Division 4R offshore from St. Georges Bay and Port au Port Bay which is recognized as a spawning area.
- Closure by variation order of all groundfish fisheries from January 1 to December 31 in part of groundfish fishing areas 4T3a+b known as Miscou Bank which is a recognized cod concentration area. However, a portion of this area will be open for the directed Atlantic halibut fishery (see map below).
- The following map represents the Miscou Bank closure, as well as the portion of that area that is open to the directed Atlantic halibut fishery.
The lines joining points 1, 2, 3, 4 and 1 represent the area normally closed to all groundfish fisheries.
The lines joining points 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 2 represent the portion of that area that is open to the directed Atlantic Halibut fishery.
| Point | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 48°15'00" | 64°22'00" |
| 2 | 47°52'00" | 64°22'00" |
| 3 | 47°52'00" | 64°02'00" |
| 4 | 48°15'00" | 64°02'00" |
| 5 | 48°09'00" | 64°22'00" |
| 6 | 48°09'00" | 64°10'00" |
| 7 | 47°55'00" | 64°10'00" |
| 8 | 47°52'00" | 64°15'00" |
- Temporary closure by variation order for Atlantic Halibut directed fishery due to excessive by-catch of cod observed in a part of the area 4T that is bounded by straight lines delineated by the following points:
- 49°02’00" N 64°10’00" O
- 48°31’00" N 62°37’00" O
- 48°23’00" N 63°08’00" O
- 48°46’00" N 64°10’00" O
- 49°02’00" N 64°10’00" O
(Known as part of the sub-area 4T3a)
2. PARTICIPANTS
For the purposes of this CHP, fish harvesters who belong to the Eastern New Brunswick fixed gear fleet are fish harvesters having their homeport in the province of New Brunswick adjacent to NAFO Division 4T, and using Vessel Class A-70.
3. ALLOCATION
The Atlantic halibut remaining allocation for the Eastern New Brunswick fixed gear fleet will be 142.695 metric tonnes (t). This consists of an initial allocation of 138.888 t, in addition to the uncaught allocation of 3.807 t in 2022. Any overrun of the 2023 allocation will be taken on a one-to-one basis from the 2024 allocation of Atlantic halibut assigned to this fleet.
4. FISHING GEAR
LONGLINE ONLY
- Minimum hook size: opening must be equal to or greater than 15.4 mm.
- Maximum number of hooks: 175 per licence holder.
NOTIFICATION OF PRESENCE OF NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALES
After being given notice of a fishing area closure due to the presence of North Atlantic right whales by one or more of the following methods:
- broadcasting the notice over a commercial or marine radio station, a radio station operated by the Department or a radio station located on a vessel under contract to the Department that broadcasts in the area or in the vicinity of the area affected by the variation;
- transmitting the notice by electronic means to those persons;
- posting the notice on the web site of the Department or of the province;
- having a fishery officer or fishery guardian give oral notice thereof to those persons
The licence holder/operator must:
- Closely attend the fishing gears at all time in the affected area (s);
- Remove all the fishing gear from the water as soon as North Atlantic right whales are observed in the vicinity of the fishing gear and when it is safe to do so; and
- Remove all the fishing gear from the water before returning to the Wharf.
For the purpose of item 1.) closely attend means the licence holder/operator must stay at the fishing site at all times and be able to remove the fishing gear from the water once a North Atlantic right whale is observed in the vicinity of the fishing gear.
See section 15 and separate notice for more details
5. LANDING PORTS
For the proper management of the offloading of catches, dockside monitoring will only be offered at the following landing ports in 2023:
- Pointe-Verte
- Petit-Rocher
- Stonehaven
- Caraquet
- Miscou
- Petit-Shippagan
- Pigeon Hill
- Ste-Marie/St-Raphaël
- Shippagan
- Le Goulet
- Val-Comeau
- Tabusintac
- Neguac
- Escuminac
- Cap-Lumière
- Aboiteau
6. BY-CATCH LIMITS
By-catch is defined as the weight of a by-catch species divided by the weight of the directed species, in this case, Atlantic halibut. If the by-catch limits are exceeded, as listed below, the fishery may be closed. By-catch of groundfish species may not be released unless a condition of licence authorizes to do so. For management purposes, the individual by-catch limits of groundfish while directing for Atlantic halibut are as follows:
- Cod: Maximum daily limit 45 kg or 30%, whichever is greater
- White hake and American plaice: Maximum daily limit of 10%
- Other species of groundfish in 4RST: 25%
7. SMALL FISH PROTOCOL
The small fish protocol that will apply:
- Cod: 43 cm
- American Plaice: 30 cm
- Witch Flounder: 30 cm
- White Hake: 45 cm
- Winter Flounder / Yellowtail Flounder: 25 cm
- Atlantic Halibut: 85 cm
- Greenland Halibut: 44 cm
- Redfish: 22 cm
Areas will be closed for specified fleet sectors when the number of undersized fish reaches or exceeds 15% of the catch of any of the above species. Where there is a requirement by condition of licence to release undersized fish to the water, it will not be counted within the small fish protocol. Undersized fish may not be released unless a condition of licence authorizes to do so.
8. LOGBOOKS AND COMBINED FORMS
Logbooks are mandatory for all fish harvesters with homeports in the Gulf Region. They must be completed each fishing day.
Harvesters are requested to document every encounter with specific discarded species, as listed in the license conditions, by recording them in the comment section of the Fixed Gear (Groundfish) logbook. The species to be recorded include Winter flounder (blackback) less than 25 cm in length, Atlantic halibut less than 85 cm in length, Skate, Dogfish and Lumpfish.
9. DOCKSIDE MONITORING
Dockside monitoring program (DMP) will apply for 100% of landings.
10. OBSERVER COVERAGE
Industry funded at sea observer coverage:
- For vessels less than 13.71 metres: Minimum of 10% applies
- For vessels greater than 13.71 metres: Minimum of 15% applies
Fish harvesters are required to contact the DFO Vessel Hail-Out System at 1-833-699-2013 (toll free) or 1-506-431-3223 (satellite phone only), at least 10 hours before leaving on each fishing trip (mandatory hail-out).
11. CATCH MONITORING AND TEST FISHERY
In cases where fishing takes place over several days, there could be fishing closures for fleets due to excessive captures of small fish or bycatch. Small fish and by-catch closures will be of a minimum duration of ten days. The cost of conducting all test fisheries must be borne by industry. If a fishery is closed, it will not re-open unless DFO feels that it can be effectively monitored and controlled. If any particular fishery is closed twice during the year because of high levels of small fish or incidental catch, the fishery may remain closed for the remainder of the year.
12. FISHING SEASON
The following seasons will be in effect during the current management cycle. However, the actual opening date for the Eastern New Brunswick fixed-gear fleet is set for July 13, 2023 from 6:00 a.m. (Atlantic Daylight Time - ADT) until 6:00 p.m. (ADT) the same day. This period may be modified due to inclement weather or other uncontrollable circumstances. Any unused quota may be made available to this fleet before May 14, 2024, pending approval of an amended CHP.
- 4T1: May 15 to May 14 of the following year.
- 4T2 (a): May 15 to May 14 of the following year
- 4T2 (b): May 15 to May 14 of the following year
- 4T3 (a): May 15 to May 14 of the following year, except Miscou bank
- 4T3 (b): May 15 to May 14 of the following year, except Miscou bank
- 4T4: May 15 to May 14 of the following year
- 4T5: May 15 to May 14 of the following year
- 4T6: May 15 to May 14 of the following year
- 4T7: May 15 to May 14 of the following year
- 4T8: No directed fishery
- 4T9 (a+b): No directed fishery
You can obtain additional information concerning groundfish fishing areas and coordinates on our web site at Groundfish Fishing Areas
If, after the prescribed fishing period, the total catch is over 90% of the quota, the objective will be considered to have been reached and the fishery will not reopen. If, after the prescribed period, the 90% threshold has not been harvested, industry and departmental representatives will consider a reduced period of fishing to reach the objective.
13. CLOSURE FOR THE PROTECTION OF CORALS AND SPONGES
On December 15, 2017, sensitive benthic areas were closed to all fishing using bottom touching gears in order to protect corals and sponges. You will find the coordinates and a map of those closures on the following website Coral and Sponge Conservation Measures in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence
A portion of the closure called “Gulf-East” may be situated in 4T9a.
14. MARINE PROTECTED AREA
On March 6, 2019, Fisheries and Oceans Canada implemented the Banc-des-Américains Marine Protected Area (MPA) to protect and conserve its marine ecosystem.
Provisions of the Banc-des-Américains Marine Protected Area Regulations apply to the licence holder/operator. In order to comply with them, please refer to the clauses that apply to your fishing activities. (Banc-des-Américains Marine Protected Area)
15. PROTECTION OF MARINE MAMMALS AND NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALES
The management measures to minimize interactions with North Atlantic Right Whales (NARW) can be found at the following link: 2023 fishery management measures.
16. GEAR MARKING
Gear marking is in place in this fishery. Specific requirements are explained in the Notice to Fish Harvesters that was issued August 14, 2020 and details of these requirements can be found in your licence conditions.
17. SPECIES AT RISK ACT
Pursuant to the Species at Risk Act (SARA), 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 Management Plan is promulgated, the Atlantic species targeted by these measures are the following ones: Spotted wolfish, Northern wolfish, Leatherback Turtle, White Shark (Atlantic population) and Atlantic Walrus (Northwest Atlantic population). New species could be added to the SARA within the year.
All by-catches of species identified above must be returned to the water and released in the exact capture location and, if the fish is still alive, with as little harm as possible. The information related to species at risk shall be collected for each fishing trip where such a species at risk shall be collected for each fishing trip where such a species is caught. This information must be entered into the Species at Risk logbook and sent to Fisheries and Oceans Canada immediately after the fishing trip.
18. QUOTA RECONCILIATION
Quota reconciliation provides that any overharvest of a quota in one year, on an Individual Quota regime or in a competitive fishery, will be accounted for in advance of the following fishing season.
Quota overruns by a licence holder or by a fleet during a fishing management cycle will be deducted from quotas for the following season on a one-for-one basis.
In the month following the end of the fishing season, the Department makes any necessary changes to quotas for the current year based on quota overruns, if applicable.
19. OTHER MANAGEMENT MEASURES
The Department will continue to monitor the level of dumping and discarding of groundfish at sea. An industry funded sampling program is already in place to collect data to monitor small fish and by-catch. The sampling program will further be enhanced to include the collection of additional data to monitor discard of groundfish. If a fleet sector or an individual is suspected of dumping and discarding groundfish at sea, the industry-funded at-sea observer coverage may be increased. The Department will continue to apply quota reconciliation.