Prince Edward Island aquaculture leasing program application guidelines

These guidelines provide the information the applicant needs to complete the online “AQUACULTURE LEASE APPLICATION” form.

This form is specific to the following transactions:

• lease boundary amendments
• moving an existing lease
• conversion of lease type
• applying for a new lease

Please ensure that you provide all relevant information, as an incomplete application will result in delays in processing your application.

* Please note, the following application types are to be obtained directly from the PEI Aquaculture Leasing Division.

• holding site
• add a species approved for culture
• spat licence
• lease split
• lease transfer
• mortgage assignment
• estate reconciliation

To aid in the application process, please refer to the PEI Shellfish Aquaculture Leasing Policy regarding eligibility requirements and a description of each purpose listed below.

When responding to questions in each section below, note that some sections require a map. Maps should be digital replications and must clearly depict the required information. Please feel free to upload a map to assist in your responses in the other sections.

PART A - APPLICATION TYPE

For client eligibility requirements, please refer to the PEI Shellfish Aquaculture Leasing Policy.

Select an application type. Please be sure to choose the correct option. Descriptions of each type can be found below.

Note that the online application may not display all of the following application types.

Note that when you choose an application type, only the parts of the form you need to complete will be available to you. Parts of the form marked as mandatory must be completed. You can not proceed if you don’t supply the necessary information.

New (Bottom) – A lease that only allows for shellfish to be placed on the site. No gear of any kind is permitted.

New (Water Column) – A lease with authorization to use the water column to cultivate an aquatic species.

Boundary Amendment – A modification of the boundaries of a lease where there is a common footprint between the original and proposed amended lease location. An amendment may not result in any net gain in the acreage of the lease footprint.

Conversion of Lease Type – Converting the approved lease type, i.e., most commonly, converting a lease from bottom culture to a water column lease.

Moving a Lease – Moving a lease so that it shares none of the original footprint with the original lease.

Lease number – Please provide the lease number (e.g., OB-1234) for applications involving existing leases.

PART B - CONTACT INFORMATION

Indicate the applicant’s name.

Applicants must be 18 years of age or older. You may be requested to provide proof of age. Please refer to Section 6 of the PEI Shellfish Aquaculture Leasing Policy for a complete list of eligibility criteria.

The contact’s name will be the sole point of contact throughout the application process. If the application is approved, the indicated contact will continue to be the sole point of contact for administrative purposes. This contact includes paying lease fees, responding to lease compliance issues, and general communication with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). The contact name can be changed by contacting DFO.

You must fully complete the contact information for the application to be processed. Fisheries and Oceans Canada will use various means to communicate with you depending on the situation or reason for the communication. It is your responsibility to inform the Aquaculture Leasing Division of DFO of any change in contact information throughout the application process or as an ongoing client.

PART C - SITE INFORMATION

Water Body – River or Bay where the application is.

County: The county (Prince, Queens or Kings) where the application is.

Requested Acreage: The acreage of new footprint the application will cover. For boundary amendments this will not include the acreage of the existing lease that will remain in the same location.

Upload a digital map clearly showing the proposed footprint of the new lease and the length of each side of the lease. If possible, please indicate the coordinates of proposed lease corners on the map.

PART D- WATER COLUMN LEASE SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN & SPECIES

Part D is to be completed for the following:

• new water column lease
• boundary amendment of a water column lease,
• move a water column lease
• apply to convert a bottom lease to a water column lease

PART D-1

In the SPECIES TO BE CULTURED AND SOURCE OF SEEDSTOCK section, identify the species you wish to culture. If you wish to culture multiple species, there will be an opportunity to indicate that below.

In the field titled “How are you stocking your lease,” identify all intended sources of shellfish that will be placed on the lease.

If you check “Seeding with Juveniles” or “Other” you must choose an option in the “Source of Seed” section. Otherwise, there is no requirement to select an option in the “Source of Seed” field.

Ensure that you check all boxes that apply in this section. For example, if you purchase seed from a hatchery, check “Seed Supplier” AND “Hatchery.” If you collect the seed yourself, check “Collected.”

To help identify which boxes to check, here are definitions of the options:

Natural Set

Shellfish seed that sets on the lease with no intervention by the leaseholder.

Collected

Shellfish seed actively collected using a collector on a lease or a spat collection licence.

Seed Supplier

An individual or company that provides seed to leaseholders.

Hatchery

A land-based facility that produces shellfish seed.

Nursery

A land-based or water-based facility that typically receives seed from a hatchery and grows it to a size that can be placed on a lease or in culture equipment.

TECHNOLOGY AND LAYOUT section.

This section requires an uploaded map labelled “Technology and Layout” that shows the number and orientation of lines to be used at the end of each of the first five years of production and the planned orientation and number at full utilization.

Indicate what type of units or gear you will be using. Check all that apply.

Indicate the spacing between the long lines, the length of the long lines, the number of units per line. Please indicate the unit of measure you are using.

PART D-2

PART D-3 - OPERATIONAL PLAN

Provide your overwintering plan for storing gear and the crop during the winter months. Include information for the following:

• amount of time required to prepare for overwintering
• space and the water depth needed for each unit under the ice
• an appropriate portion of the lease used to overwinter gear and the crop

Biofouling control methods can include drying out of the water, using lime or water spray, sinking lines to allow for crab predation, etc.

Estimated maximum production per year for each species. Provide a realistic number for each species. Please provide the unit of measure (i.e. kilograms, pieces etc.). Many factors can contribute to production issues. However, this information may be compared to the data you provide on your annual lease report or lease audit to evaluate lease usage or production issues related to a specific lease.

Landing sites and related infrastructure. Identify any landing sites or wharves used throughout the annual production cycle. Identify the vessel or vessel type used to service the lease and the purpose of each vessel type, including the planned use of work barges.

PART E - BOTTOM LEASE SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

PART E-1

Identify the species you wish to culture.
In the field titled “How are you stocking your lease,” identify all intended sources of shellfish that will be placed on the lease.

If you check “Seeding with Juveniles” or “Other”, you must choose an option in the “Source of Seed” field on the right. Otherwise, there is no requirement to select an option in the “Source of Seed” field.

Ensure that you check all boxes that apply in this section. For example, if you purchase seed from a hatchery, check “Seed Supplier” AND “Hatchery.” If you collect the seed yourself, check “Collected.”

 

To help identify which boxes to check, here are definitions of the options:

Natural Set

Shellfish seed that sets on the lease with no intervention by the leaseholder.

Collected

Shellfish seed actively collected using a collector on a lease or a spat collection licence.

Seed Supplier

An individual or company that provides seed to leaseholders.

Hatchery

A land-based facility that produces shellfish seed.

Nursery

A land-based or water-based facility that typically receives seed from a hatchery and grows it to a size that can be placed on a lease or in culture equipment.

PART E-2

PART E-3

Estimated maximum production per year for each species. Provide a realistic number for each species. While there are many factors that can contribute to production issues, this information may be compared to the information you provide on your annual lease report to evaluate lease usage or production issues related to a specific lease.

Landing sites and related infrastructure. Identify any landing sites or wharves that will be used throughout the annual production cycle. Identify the vessel or vessel type that will be used to service the lease and the purpose of each vessel type, including the planned use of work barges or hydraulic harvesters.

Describe how you intend to stock, manage and harvest your lease over time. (i.e. amount of shellfish, manage predator issues etc.) Upload a map to support your response (optional).

PART F - SITE SCOPING

To complete this section for the submission of the draft application, please attempt to gather as much information as you can to respond to each question.

1. NAVIGATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

1. Display on a map titled “Navigational Considerations” the location of your proposed lease and the marked and commonly used navigation channels in the estuary within 1 kilometer of your application site.
2. Describe the vessel/watercraft types that frequent the area; for example, commercial fishing vessels, recreational pleasure craft, jet skis, canoes/kayaks.
3. Riparian right considerations.
   1. Landowners have a right to access “navigable” water (defined as a minimum of 4 feet in Prince Edward Island). Leases that use gear or crop in the water column must include navigational corridors in the lease footprints to accommodate access to and from shore.
   2. If you are applying for a water column lease, describe how you will mitigate any riparian right conflicts that your lease may cause. Typically, a 60-foot-wide navigation corridor is required every 350 feet.

Please note A Canadian Navigable Waters Act (CNWA) application to Transport Canada (TC) is required if you are planning to put aquaculture gear in the water column. This includes sitting boxes or bags on the seafloor, suspending gear in the water column, and surface gear. Please take navigational considerations into account when preparing your application. TC’s Navigation Protection Program (NPP) review of your CNWA application comes after Fisheries and Oceans Canada review and approval of your application. DFO will provide you with instructions on how to apply to TC in order to get CNWA approval of your aquaculture facility and will only ask you to sign a lease agreement after TC has provided you with a CNWA approval document.

2. FISHING ACTIVITY

1. Describe all fishing activity that occurs within 50 meters of your proposed aquaculture lease. Provide such information as approximate number of fishers for each fishery, gear type used, the proximity of the activity to the proposed lease, etc. Include information for recreational fishing activity (angling, smelt, clam, quahaug, etc.) and commercial fishing activity (smelt, oyster, clam, quahaug, eel, silverside, gaspereaux, lobster, rock crab).
2. Indicate any potential conflicts with the fisheries noted in 2.1 and the potential impact from the proposed aquaculture activity.
3. Describe any efforts you intend to take to reduce the interactions described in 2.2.

3. OTHER WATER USERS

1. Describe the types of other water users in the area. Include the quantity and the times of year for every kind of water user.
   1. Include recreational uses (boating, swimming, water sports, etc.), tourism-based businesses, and other types of pursuits not included in the description of fishing activity above.
   2. Identify individuals or groups that frequent the area, moorings, or floating docks within 125 meters of the proposed lease
   3. Identify public or private shore access points within 1 kilometre of the proposed lease.
   4. When planning your application, please maintain reasonable separation between adjacent aquaculture leases or spat collection licences. New leases and leases that are moved will be kept 50 (fifty) feet from adjacent sites. Boundary amendment applications should attempt to maintain similar separation where possible.
2. Describe how your proposed activity may impact the other water users described in 3.1 and the steps you will take to mitigate each impact.
3. Describe the impacts that the other water users listed in 3.1 may have on your proposed aquaculture operation.

4. UPLAND USE

1. Describe the upland use within 3 kilometres of your proposed lease site. Please be sure to assign a use type for all land with 3 kilometres of the site. Also, identify any specific activities or structures on the land that may interact positively or negatively with the operation of your proposed lease. Include uses such as agriculture, housing/cottage developments, campgrounds, industrial or potential point source effluent sources/ sewage treatment systems/lift stations, etc.
2. Describe the impacts the proposed aquaculture activity may have on the upland users described in 3.1 and how you will take steps to mitigate these impacts.
3. Describe the impacts upland users listed in 3.1 may have on your aquaculture operations. Include positive and negative effects.