Pacific Salmon Commercial Licence Retirement Program Deadline Reminder
This is a reminder that applications for the Pacific Salmon Commercial Licence Retirement Program are currently being accepted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).
Applications for the Pacific Salmon Commercial Licence Retirement Program must be submitted by February 28, 2023.
For more information from DFO on the program, click here.
For UFAWU-Unifor’s media statement following the announcement of the program, click here.
Draft 2023/24 Shrimp and Prawn by Trap IFMP Open For Comment
The Draft 2023/24 Shrimp and Prawn by Trap IFMP is currently open for comment.
Comments on the Draft 2023/24 Shrimp and Prawn by Trap IFMP will be accepted until February 16, 2023.
Find the “Commercial Harvest Plan Changes for 2023” section from page 3 of Appendix 1 of the document below:
COMMERCIAL HARVEST PLAN CHANGES FOR 2023
1.1. The 2023 commercial season is scheduled to open no earlier than 12:00, noon, May 1,
2023. All openings are tentative until confirmed by issuance of a variation order
accompanied by a fishery notice (Section 2.1 and 3.5).
1.2. Commercial bottom-contact fishery closures went into effect on January 17, 2022 for five
sites in portions of Subareas 28-1, 28-2 and 28-3 to protect additional Howe Sound glass
sponge reefs. In 2020, a DFO Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat publication
confirmed the presence of five additional live sponge reefs and one dead reef in Howe
Sound. For more information, see Section 3.3. The Fishery Notice, with descriptions and
coordinates, can be found at https://notices.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index[1]eng.cfm?pg=view_notice&DOC_ID=254231&ID=all
1.3. Once weekly Coast Guard announcements have been discontinued. Routine notification
procedures continue to be provided by fishery notice of variation orders that open and close
fisheries (Section 3.5).
1.4. In addition to specifying the trap and groundline limit, DFO is still considering changes to
place a limit on the maximum number of traps that may be set on each groundline to
support enforcement for compliance of trap limits (Section 4.5).
1.5. Prawns and shrimp must be frozen on the licenced vessel, only, or shall be transported by
the licensed vessel directly to land (Sections 4.8, 5.1, 5.2).
1.6. The vessel monitoring system (VMS) must be turned on and in use 72 hours prior to leaving
port on the first fishing trip and remain on and operational all season. It is a violation of
the licence condition to turn off or power off the VMS equipment at night time or at any
time during the fishing season (Section 7.2).
1.7. Licence holders and vessel masters are reminded that for each VMS unit installation,
replacement, transfer, or change to the licence holder, a completed National Vessel
Monitoring System (VMS) Form must be forwarded to DFO before commencing fishing.
This includes any change to the FW licence (and licence holder) designated, or “leased”,
to your vessel. Transfer refers to transfer of the VMS unit from one vessel to another
(Section 7.2).
1.8. There is a new portal (and login) to report lost gear. Vessel masters are reminded that lost
gear and retrieval of their own lost gear must be reported within 24 hours of landing in port
(Section 7.7).
1.9. Packaging standards have been developed for prawn tails frozen on-board in liquid
(seawater) for the 2023/24 season (Section 8.2).
1.10. DFO has also worked with commercial prawn harvesters to advance traceability initiatives
relating to packaging, labeling, and tagging. Containers of frozen-at-sea prawn tails and
live cages will require labels for this purpose (Section 7.5).
Click here for a full copy of the Draft 2023/24 Shrimp and Prawn by Trap IFMP.