Approved March 20, 2026
1. Application
This Conservation Harvesting Plan (CHP) applies to holders of Shrimp fishing licences in Shrimp Fishing Areas (SFA) 8, 9, 10 and 12, who are members of the Group A, Group B, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia fleets for the 2026 season.
2. Fishing areas
- SFA 8 : Esquiman
- SFA 9 : Anticosti
- SFA 10 : Sept-Îles
- SFA 12 : Estuary
Fishing areas coordinates are detailed in the licence conditions and on the map of fishing areas available at the following link: Fishing Areas for Shrimp.
Starting with the 2026 season, access to shrimp fishing areas for Group B licence holders will be limited to the zone or zones for which they hold a positive revised quota at the time they apply for their conditions of licence.
3. Fishing closures
3.1 Coral and Sponge Conservation Areas in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence
All fishing activities that use bottom-contact gear or gear designed to come into contact with the sea bed, including but not limited to bottom trawls, dredges, gillnets, bottom longlines, bottom seines and traps, are forbidden in the conservation areas.
For more information and maps of the (11) eleven coral and sponge conservation areas, please visit the dedicated DFO website: Coral and sponge conservation measures in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence.
3.2 Banc-des-Américains Marine Protected Area
Provisions of the Banc-des-Américains Marine Protected Area Regulations apply to licence holders. To comply, please refer to the clauses that apply to your fishing activities: Banc-des-Américains Marine Protected Area Regulations.
4. Fishing season
The fishing season will start on April 1, 2026 and close on December 31, 2026. This fishing season represents the maximum fishing period, subject to, among other things, Variation Orders and specific closed seasons. As such, the opening date may vary depending on specific circumstances and fisheries management considerations, including industry requests or the announcement of Total Allowable Catch (TAC). The specific dates will be confirmed via Notices to Fish Harvesters or Variation Order, at least 72 hours before the planned opening hour.
Also, it should be reminded that during the period in which fishing is authorized, it is the captain’s responsibility to acquaint the marine safety notices, among others by Environment and Climate Change Canada and Transport Canada, as well as the standards and the best practices in marine safety, and to take all measures to ensure safe fishing.
5. Management regime and allocations
Individual Quota (IQ) and Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) regimes.
5.1 Total allowable catches
2026 TAC per SFA in tonnes (t):
- Estuary (12): 995 t
- Sept-Îles (10): 917 t
- Anticosti (9): 2,009 t
- Esquiman (8): 1,498 t
- Total: 5,419 t
5.2 Allocations
Esquiman (SFA 8) allocation for Group A fish harvesters (Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec):
- 975.2 t are allocated to Newfoundland and Labrador Group A shrimp harvester under IQ regime. Quebec Group A shrimp harvesters under ITQ regime are granted 110.9 t. An allocation of 10.9 t is allocated to Lower North Shore fish harvesters.
Estuary, Sept-Îles, Anticosti and Esquiman (SFA 12, 10, 9 and 8) allocations for Group B shrimp harvesters (Quebec and New Brunswick):
- Group B shrimp harvesters and First Nations under ITQ are allocated 4 217.4 t before the distribution provided for in the Group B sharing calculation, i.e. 995.0 t for Estuary, 895.3 t for Sept-Îles, 1 961.5 t for Anticosti and 365.6 t for Esquiman.
- Since 2024, an exceptional approach has been used to calculate the sharing of the Group B allocation. This approach consists of modulating fixed quotas in proportion to the variation in TAC in each SFA. The other Group B allocation sharing and ITQ calculation methods remain unchanged.
Sept-Îles, Anticosti and Esquiman (SFA 10, 9 and 8) allocations for Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia shrimp harvesters:
- A total allocation of 52.3 t per province, i.e. 10.8 t for Sept-Îles , 23.8 t for the Anticosti zone and 17.7 t for Esquiman, is granted to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia fish harvesters.
5.3 ITQ management procedures
Please refer to the Notices to Fish Harvesters, the Quebec Regional Guidelines for the management of ITQ programs and the Administrative Guidelines of the ITQ program for the Group B Gulf Shrimp Fleet for information on current ITQ management procedures.
For Quebec licence holders, the suspension of shrimp ITQ permanent transfers from inshore shrimp harvesters (licence less than 19.81 m) to midshore shrimp harvesters (licence of 19.81 m to 30.48 m) is maintained.
5.4 Quota reconciliation
DFO applies quota reconciliation for the northern shrimp fishery in SFA 8, 9, 10 and 12. Thus, any individual quota overrun incurred by a licence holder in a season will be deducted from their individual quota for the following season on a one-to-one ratio. Shrimp harvesters are responsible for monitoring their quotas to ensure that catches from their fishing activities fall within their allocations.
6. Bycatch management
6.1 Release of accidental catches
Groundfish caught accidentally may be returned to the water. However, the following species must be immediately put back to the water and released in the exact capture location and, if the fish is still alive, in a manner that causes it the least harm: Atlantic Halibut less the 85 cm, Northern Wolffish, Spotted Wolffish, and Leatherback Turtle.
6.2 Bycatch Protocol
A protocol for monitoring the bycatch is implemented for the small groundfish (cod, redfish and Greenland halibut).
6.3 Mechanical bycatch separator
The use of mechanical devices designed to separate bycatch from the northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) catch on board vessels is permitted. When a mechanical bycatch separator is used, the following conditions apply:
- The automatic deduction factor to account for white shrimp and small bycatch is set at 1.5% instead of 2%.
- Fishing trips with an at-sea observer for licence holders using a mechanical bycatch separator will be included in the regular at-sea observer coverage required in the CHP.
- Licence holders who intend to use a mechanical bycatch separator must notify the region that issued their licence when applying for their conditions of licence through the National Online Licensing System (NOLS).
7. Fishing gear
The authorized fishing gear is the trawl. The use of the Nordmore grate is mandatory throughout the shrimp fishing season. The use of double liners over the Nordmore grate is prohibited.
7.1 Requirement to report lost and retrieved gear
The licence holder and fishing vessel operator must report any loss or recovery of fishing gear. Reports regarding the loss or recovery of gear must be submitted to DFO through the online Fishing Gear Reporting System or by completing and submitting the Lost Fishing Gear Form or the Retrieval of previously reported lost fishing gear form, which are available online and attached to the conditions of licence.
8. Marine mammal interaction reporting
Licence holders and fishing vessel operators must provide information regarding all interactions with a marine mammal that occur during fishing expeditions in accordance with their licence conditions. To do so, the licence holder and fishing vessel operator must complete the section reserved for that purpose in their ELOG or the marine mammal interaction form available on the Report a marine mammal or sea turtle incident or sighting page and attached to the conditions of licence, and it must be submitted as per the instructions provided on the form.
If you observe a dead or distressed animal, contact the Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network as soon as possible at 1-877-722-5346. When possible, do not hesitate to take photos or videos that will allow DFO to assess the situation and identify the species.
9. Declaration and monitoring of fishing activities
9.1 Hail-out before departure
A hail-out is mandatory for the Quebec and Gulf region fleets. Shrimp harvesters in these regions are required to call one of the following phone numbers: 1-833-699-2013 (toll free) or 1-506-431-3223 (satellite phone only) to make a new, modified or cancelled hail-out.
9.2 At-sea observers
At least 5% of fishing trips are covered by the at-sea observer program, at the industry's expense. A list of designated at-sea observer companies is available at the following link: List of Qualified and Designated Companies.
9.3 Catch and effort data declaration
Licence holders and fishing vessel operators must maintain an accurate record of their fishing activities and catches in their Combined Form/Logbook or in their Electronic Logbook in accordance with their conditions of licence.
Combined form / General fishing log
Fish harvesters must obtain their Combined Forms/Logbooks from a supplier prequalified by DFO, whose list is available at the following link: Prequalified suppliers.
The Logbook must be completed before arrival at port, and the completed form must be sent to DFO after each fishing trip.
Electronic logbook (ELOG)
The use of an ELOG is optional in 2026. The client application must be approved by DFO for the ELOG – Logbook – Shrimp (excluding the offshore fishery). Fiish harvesters must have obtained and installed their ELOG Key in their client application to allow data transmission to DFO.
The ELOG must be completed for each fishing trip and "closed" before arriving at port. A fishing trip begins when a vessel leaves port to go fishing and ends when the fish caught is landed. Hence, when a fish harvester returns to port for a reason other than a landing and leaves the port again, the fishing trip continues until a landing is made.
To consult the list of client applications approved by DFO and to obtain your ELOG Key, visit DFO at the following link: Qualified electronic logbooks (ELOG) client applications.
To request a modification to data transmitted to DFO, please contact Client Support by phone at 1-877-535-7307.
9.4 Dockside monitoring
A hail-in is required before the arrival at port, and dockside monitoring is mandatory for 100% of landings. Offloading must take place in one of the designated dockside monitoring ports. The list of designated ports is available at the following link: List of Designated Dockside Monitoring Ports (Quebec region) or in the appendix to the conditions of licence (other regions).
When using an ELOG, you must communicate your unique ELOG Identifier (ELOG-UID) to the Dockside Monitoring Company (DMC) at the time of your hail-in and also provide it to the dockside observer.
9.5 Vessel monitoring system
All vessels must be equipped with an active Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) approved by DFO. Each licence holder/fishing vessel operator must register their approved DFO VMS unit before the beginning of their fishing activities. Data transmission every 30 minutes is required.
The current list of DFO-approved VMS units, the procedures and forms to register a VMS unit are available on the National Vessel Monitoring System page.
10. Specific provisions applicable to the fishery
10.1 Buddy-up (partnership agreement)
Buddy-up agreement is authorized between two or several licence holders from the same group and the same province, provided that all licence holders are on board the vessel used for all fishing operations. To take advantage of a buddy-up (partnership agreement), licence holders must place their request via the NOLS before the beginning of the fishing season.
10.2 Temporary vessel registration
The minimum period of one (1) month applicable to temporary vessel registration (lease) will not be applied to licence holders from Gulf and Quebec regions in 2026.
11. 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 derivative of a wildlife species designated as extirpated, endangered or threatened.
At the time this CHP is promulgated, the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence (EGSL) 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 the White Shark (Atlantic population). New species could be added during the course of the year.
All incidental captures of species at risk must be immediately returned to the water where they were captured and in a manner that causes 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) must be recorded in this section of the logbook.
These requirements are additional to any obligation to declare interactions with a marine mammal using the prescribed form (see the section on Marine mammal interaction reporting).
12. Crew registry (fleet of less than 19.81 m)
All independent core licence holders, and their approved substitute designated operators, must keep records of all the crew members working aboard the vessel on every fishing trip in accordance with their conditions of licence. This requirement does not apply to pre-1979 corporation licence holders, to midshore licence holders or to holders of licences issued under the authority of the Aboriginal Communal Fishing Licences Regulations. For further details, refer to the March 17, 2021 Notice to Fish Harvesters at this link: New inshore regulations or contact Client Support at 1-877-535-7307 or fishing-peche@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
13. Discharge of waste
Since 2022, all commercial fisheries in Canada have a licence condition relating to the discharge of garbage from Canadian fishing vessels. The licence holder and fishing vessel operator are prohibited from discarding in Canadian fisheries waters from their vessel any item that may be harmful to fish or fish habitat. Please refer to the Notice to Fish Harvesters of March 29, 2022: New Conditions of licence relating to discharge of garbage.
14. Conditions of licence
To obtain their conditions of licence, fish harvesters must access NOLS. For NOLS assistance, contact Client support at 1 877-535-7307 or at fishing-peche@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
Note: In the event of a discrepancy between the French and English versions of the CHP, the French version shall prevail.
Approved by:
Maryse Lemire
Fisheries Management Regional Director
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Quebec