2026 - Gulf Region Electronic Logbooks (ELOG) Newsletter: Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Rock Crab Fishery

June 19, 2026

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) reminds Gulf Region harvesters to report all mandatory information, as specified in the annex of the licence conditions, when completing their electronic logbook (ELOG) for each rock crab fishing trip, and to pay particular attention to the following details:

First trip of the season

  • Licence holders are required to enter information in their ELOG on the first trip of the season, when setting their traps. When returning to port with no catch on the first day, please take note of the following:
    • Immersion time: If the application does not permit zero (0) as an option, please indicate one (1) hour for immersion time.
    • Number of gear hauled: If the application does not permit zero (0) as an option, please indicate one (1) for number of traps hauled.

Reminder for those designated to fish under a First Nation or a community licence:

  • Anyone designated to fish under a First Nation or a community licence must have their personal GCKey and ELOG key.
  • Each designated harvester must enter their personal ELOG key into their personal ELOG application when fishing on behalf of an Indigenous group or a community licence.
  • When designated to fish under a First Nation, harvester(s) must enter the Indigenous group’s Fisher Identification Number (FIN) and licence number when submitting data into their personal ELOG application.
  • When designated to fish under a community licence, harvesters must enter their personal FIN and the associated community licence number when submitting data into their personal ELOG application.

Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Divisions and Grids:

  • As part of the ELOG requirements, the applicable NAFO divisions and grids must be selected when reporting fishing activity. To assist in identifying the correct grids, please refer to Annex A - NAFO Divisions and Grids for the Gulf Region – Rock Crab.

Further details regarding the information to report in the ELOG:

  • DFO Region: Select the Gulf Region for Lobster Fishing Areas (LFA) 23, 24, 25, 26A and 26B
  • Vessel Registration Number (VRN) and FIN: 
    • Make sure that the VRN and FIN correspond to the licence number indicated in the fishing effort section.
    • Do not include dashes (-) when entering the FIN.
  • Bait: Indicate the type of bait used for each fishing trip.
  • Species at Risk: Report all interactions.
  • Licence number: Must be 6 digits (add leading zeros if needed).
  • Catch: Complete for each trip, even with no catch.
  • Landing: Only one completed landing section per fishing trip.
  • Hail-In section: Complete for each fishing trip.

ELOG Support 

For assistance on how to get started with ELOGs, or to request a change to submitted ELOG data, please contact DFO through one of the following methods:

  • Phone: 1-877-535-7307
    • Monday to Friday, 08:00 and 18:00 (Atlantic Time)
    • Closed on holidays
  • Email: fishing-peche@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
    • Be sure to include your name and reference the Gulf Region in the email.

For technical support, installation, use and product support with your ELOG application, please contact your client application provider.

For more info: Electronic logbooks (ELOGs)

Annex A - NAFO Divisions and Grids for the Gulf Region – Rock Crab

"Map of the Gulf Region showing NAFO divisions and labeled grid quadrilaterals used for rock crab management, covering New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and parts of Quebec and Newfoundland, with a note that the map is for visual reference only and has no legal value."

 

 

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