Approved: August 7, 2024
This Conservation Harvesting Plan (CHP) applies to all Gulf and Quebec Region groundfish licence holders with mobile gear vessels less than 19.81 metres regardless of homeport, fishing redfish in Unit 1 (Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) divisions 4RST, 3Pn & 4Vn (January-May)) during the period from May 15, 2024 to May 14, 2025.
When fishing in another NAFO division, the CHP for that division will apply. 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 Seasons
To respect the spawning period, fishing activities will not begin before June 15, 2024 and the season will end March 31, 2025.
- NAFO divisions 4RST will be open from June 15 to December 31, in the area between 59º and 65º longitude West.
- NAFO subdivision 3Pn and 4Vn will be open from January 1 to March 31.
2. Fishing Gear
From June 15 to October 31, all otter trawl gear type are permitted where the mesh size of the cod-end and lengthening piece are a minimum of 90mm.
From November 1 to March 31, midwater trawls will be required where the mesh size of the cod-end and lengthening piece are a minimum of 90mm.
3. Quotas
The inshore fleet shares will be as follows:
- Quebec: 3,579.8 tonnes
- Newfoundland and Labrador: 3,365.0 tonnes
- New Brunswick (Gulf Region): 463.3 tonnes
- Prince Edward Island: 275.4 tonnes
- Nova Scotia (Gulf Region): 270.2 tonnes
- Nova Scotia and New Brunswick (Maritimes Region): 208.3 tonnes
Total: 8,162 tonnes
4. Management Regime
This fishery will be managed as a competitive fishery.
5. Exclusivity of participation
A licence holder participating in the Unit 1 redfish fishery can only fish under one allocation at a time.
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, redfish.
While directing for redfish in Unit 1, the following by-catch provisions will apply:
- 4TVn Cod: 1% per fishing trip
- 3Pn4RS Cod: 1% per fishing trip
- 4T American plaice: 1% per fishing trip
- 4T White hake: 1% per fishing trip
- 3Pn4RSTVn Atlantic halibut: 1% per fishing trip
- 4RST Greenland halibut: 1% per fishing trip
- Other species of groundfish: 5% per fishing trip
Bycatch caps for 3Pn4RS cod, 4T White hake, 4TVn cod have been established to guide management of the Unit 1 redfish fishery:
- 3Pn4RS Cod: 2.7 tonnes
- 4T White hake: 2.5 tonnes
- 4TVn Cod: 2.1 tonnes
Once a bycatch cap is reached by the fleet, the Department will assess whether additional bycatch allowance can be re-allocated. If not, the Unit 1 redfish fishery may be closed for the inshore fleet for the remainder of the fishing season.
By-catch of groundfish species cannot be returned to the water unless a condition of licence authorizes to do so.
Should a species by-catch exceed the above percentages, a fleet or specified fleet sectors could be prohibited from fishing in certain fishing areas.
The Department monitors the dumping and discarding of groundfish at sea. If a fleet sector or an individual is suspected of dumping and discarding groundfish at sea, additional management measures including fisheries closures and/or legal proceedings, could be initiated. The industry funded at-sea observer coverage may also be increased.
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: 25 cm
- 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.
8. Dockside Monitoring
Dockside monitoring program (DMP) at 100% of the landings is mandatory.
9. Electronic Logbooks
The use of an electronic logbook (ELOG) is mandatory in 2024-25. Fish Harvesters must use a client application approved by DFO for use in their respective region. Furthermore, fish harvesters must obtain and install the ELOG Key in the client application in order to allow data transmission to the Department.
The fishing logbook or ELOG must be completed after each set, at each change in sub-division, and at least once a day, before returning to port. The ELOG must be completed for each fishing expedition and “closed” before arriving at port. A fishing expedition means a voyage that commences at the time a fishing vessel leaves a port to engage in fishing and terminates at the time fish caught during that period are offloaded. Hence, when a fish harvester goes back to port for a reason other than for offloading fish and leaves port again, the fishing expedition goes on until fish are offloaded.
To consult the list of client applications approved by the Department and to obtain your ELOG key, visit Fisheries and Ocean’s web page at the following address: Electronic logbooks (ELOGS).
To request a modification to data that has been transmitted to Fisheries and Oceans, you must communicate with the client support service at 1-877-535-7307.
10. At-sea Observer Coverage
From June 15 to October 31, the industry-funded At-Sea Observer Program covers at a minimum 25% of the redfish fishing trips.
From November 1 to March 31 the industry-funded At-Sea Observer Program covers 100% of the redfish fishing trips.
The at-sea observer coverage levels are in place to ensure the proper monitoring of by-catch and discarding at sea.
11. Hail prior to departure
A hail prior to departure is mandatory.
Fish harvesters are required to call the following new phone number: 1-833-699-2013 (toll free) or 1-506-431-3223 (satellite phone only) to make their new, modified or cancelled hail out.
12. At-Sea Report (Daily Hails)
When at sea, all licence holders are required to complete a daily catch report no later than noon (12 p.m. local time) by submitting by e-mail the form available online at the following address: Schedule II: DFO approved format.
13. Catch Monitoring & Test Fishery
The closures for small fish and by-catch will be for a minimum of 10 days. The cost of conducting all test fisheries will be borne by industry. If a fishery is closed, it will not re-open unless DFO assesses that it can be effectively monitored and controlled. If any particular fishery is closed twice during the year because of by-catch or small fish, the fishery may remain closed for the remainder of the year.
14. Vessel monitoring system
The use of a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) approved by DFO is mandatory. Each licence holder/fishing vessel operator must register his DFO-approved VMS unit prior to the beginning of his fishing activities. Data transmission every 15 minutes is required.
The current list of DFO-approved VMS units and the procedure and form to register a VMS unit are available at the following address: National Vessel Monitoring Service.
15. Other Management Measures
- From June 15 to October 31, fishing activities must be conducted at depths greater than 164 fathoms (300 metres).
- From November 1 to March 31, fishing activities must be conducted at depths greater than 100 fathoms (183 metres).
a. Crew registry
As of April 1st, 2021, inshore commercial licence holders, and their approved Substitute Operators, must keep records of all the crew members working aboard the vessel on every fishing trip. These records must be maintained by the licence holder for a period of five (5) years. This requirement does not apply to pre-1979 corporation licence and to any licence issued under the authority of the Aboriginal Communal Fishing Licences Regulations. For further details, refer to the March 17th, 2021, Notice to Fish Harvesters or contact the Licensing Office at 1-877-535-7307 or fishingpeche@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
b. Waste disposal
The licence holder/operator is prohibited from discarding in Canadian fisheries waters from their vessel any item that may be harmful to fish or fish habitat including but not limited to plastics, ropes, fishing gear, garbage bags, fuel, oil, rags, glass, bottles, metal, extruded polystyrene foam (e.g. Styrofoam) and tires.
16. Permanent closures of fishing areas
16.1 Closures for the protection of corals and sponges
On December 15, 2017, sensitive benthic areas were closed to all fishing in order to protect corals and sponges.
All directed fishing activities for redfish, including those conducted with midwater trawls, are prohibited in these conservation areas.
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.
16.2 Banc-des-Américains Marine Protected Area
On March 6, 2019, Fisheries and Oceans Canada created, jointly with the Quebec government, the Banc-des-Américains Marine Protected Area (MPA) in order to the ensure the conservation and protection of this marine ecosystem.
Provisions of the Banc-des-Américains Marine Protected Area Regulations apply to licence holders. In order to comply with them, please refer to the clauses that apply to your fishing activities: Banc-des-Américains Marine Protected Area Regulations.
16.3 Other Closures
The area closure in Division 4T, as defined in the Notice to Fish Harvesters issued on August 11, 2009, is maintained. Directed fishing for redfish is thus prohibited in the sector delineated by the following coordinates:
- 48° 36’ 44″ N , 62° 16’ 49″ W
- 49° 07’ 42″ N , 63° 47’ 19″ W
- 48° 58’ 22″ N , 64° 12’ 48″ W
- 48° 51’ 38″ N , 63° 51’ 20″ W
- 48° 22’ 10″ N , 62° 55’ 02″ W
- 48° 16’ 28″ N , 62° 16’ 49″ W
- 48° 36’ 44″ N , 62° 16’ 49″ W
Since July 27, 2017, a new closure area in Division 4T is in effect. Directed fishing for redfish is thus prohibited in the sector delineated by the following coordinates:
- 49° 12’ 50.40″ N , 65° 00’ 00″ W
- 49° 25’ 01.20″ N , 65° 00’ 00″ W
- 49° 25’ 00.22″ N , 64° 39’ 57.64″ W
- 49° 07’ 42.00″ N , 63° 47’ 19.00″ W
- 48° 58’ 22.00″ N , 64° 12’ 48.00″ W
- 48° 54’ 35.03″ N , 64° 00’ 42.29″ W
- 48° 45’ 23.17″ N , 64° 10’ 05.59″ W
17. 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 counted against the quota established for following fishing season. For example, quota overruns by a licence holder or by a fleet during a fishing management year 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.
18. 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 (threatened), Northern wolfish (threatened), Leatherback Turtle (endangered), the Striped Bass (St. Lawrence River population) and exceptionally the White Shark (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 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.
19. Conditions of licence
To obtain their Conditions of licence, fish harvesters must access the National Online Licensing System. For National Online Licensing System assistance, please contact customer support by phone at 1 877-535-7307 or by email at fishing-peche@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
20. Management measures to minimize the risks of interactions with the North Atlantic Right Whale
The Management measures to minimize interactions with North Atlantic Right Whales (NARW) can be found at the following address: 2024 fishery management measures.