CANADIAN ATLANTIC SWORDFISH AND OTHER TUNAS
2004-2006 INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT PLAN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- INTRODUCTION
- BIOLOGICAL
SYNOPSIS
- OVERVIEW OF
THE FISHERY
-
STOCK STATUS (SCIENTIFIC ADVICE)
-
LONG TERM OBJECTIVES
FOR THE FISHERY
-
SPECIFIC MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES
- CURRENT
MANAGEMENT ISSUES
-
MANAGEMENT MEASURES FOR THE DURATION OF THE PLAN
- ENFORCEMENT
MEASURES
- FINANCIAL
RESPONSIBILITIES
- PERFORMANCE
REVIEW
The "Canadian Atlantic Swordfish and Other Tunas 2004-2006
Integrated Fisheries Management Plan" (IFMP or the Plan) is designed to govern
the exploitation of swordfish, bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna and albacore tuna
(the latter three collectively referred to as "Other Tunas") during the period
2004-2006. These fisheries were previously governed by separate plans - notably
"The Canadian Atlantic Swordfish (Xiphias gladius)
Fishery - 2000-2002 Integrated Management Plan" and the "Canadian Atlantic
Integrated Fisheries Management Plan (IFMP) - Bigeye, Yellowfin, Albacore Tunas
1998-1999". During 2003, the swordfish and other tunas management plan
decisions were issued by news release (Appendix IIIA). This new plan follows
the IFMP process, but has broadened the scope somewhat to include aspects of
objectives-based fisheries management (OBFM) in the planning process. These
specifically include:
- Clearly stated long term objectives;
- A risk analysis of the management strategies and
measures;
- A post season review of plan performance; and
- Development of indicators of success in plan
implementation and in meeting objectives.
The Plan, which was developed as a result of allocations
and other management measures set out by the International Commission for the
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), endeavours to ensure that Canada does
not exceed its allocation in any given year. The ICCAT allocations endeavour to
rebuild the north Atlantic swordfish stock to biomass levels that would support
a level of fishing equivalent to the maximum sustainable yield (MSY).
In this regard, this Plan for the Canadian Atlantic
Swordfish and Other Tunas Fisheries continues to provide for enhanced monitoring
of catches, involving the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) national
headquarters in Ottawa and in the Maritimes, Gulf, Québec and Newfoundland &
Labrador Regions, and the increased participation of the Canadian fleet in the
monitoring and control of harvesting activities and for continued scientific
research on the stocks. In 2000, for the first time, swordfish harvesting
allocations were separated by fleet sector to improve the ability to monitor and
control harvesting activities in a co-operative management style with the
industry. The split was set at 90% for the longline sector and 10% for the
harpoon sector, after deduction of 5t for the offshore tuna licence. Within the
pelagic longline fleet allocation, individual transferable quotas (ITQ) were
further implemented in 2002 on a trial basis, then permanently in 2003 to avoid
swordfish quota overruns, to permit fleet rationalization, and to support
reorientation of effort to other tunas. The maximum concentration of quota
authorized through permanent transfers is 5%.
This Plan includes fleet sector Conservation Harvesting
Plans (CHP), which have the objective of meeting the overall goals of this
Plan. Individuals and groups of fishers must submit a CHP annually that
complements the overall and fleet sector plans, for approval by DFO, before
licence conditions to fish will be issued by DFO.
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The species group
comprised of swordfish and other tunas (apart from bluefin tuna) have unique
biological properties that influence the fisheries and their management. They
are highly migratory and transboundary in their distribution, and accordingly
their management occurs with the regional fisheries management organization
known as ICCAT. As a group, their distribution and fisheries tend to be
profoundly influenced by environmental conditions, notably water temperature.
Hence, their occurrence in Canadian waters is often seasonal, and closely
related to cycles in water temperature. As a species group, individuals tend to
be large, and can often exceed 100 kg. Within a species such as bigeye tuna,
larger individuals tend to be found in the relatively cool Canadian waters,
since larger individuals are usually more cold-tolerant. While in Canadian
waters, individuals of this species group feed heavily but there are no records
of reproduction.
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3.1 History
Swordfish
The Atlantic swordfish fishery began commercially in the
late 1880s as harpoon sailing vessels fished swordfish throughout Atlantic
Canada and eventually expanded their fishery along the annual migration patterns
of the eastern seaboard of North America. In the early 1960s, the Atlantic
swordfish fishery shifted from a harpoon to primarily a longline fishery and
landings increased to a high of approximately 8,000t. Recorded landings
decreased sharply in 1970.
North Atlantic swordfish stocks come under the stewardship
of ICCAT, established in 1969. The first specific ICCAT measures were put in
place for the north Atlantic swordfish stock for 1991, when countries were to
reduce their catch by 15% over their 1988 levels. Minimum sizes were also put
into place at that time. This resulted in Canada reducing its quota and in the
introduction of domestic measures to limit the harvesting of undersized
swordfish. The first national allocations to ICCAT Contracting Parties were
made for 1995 and went to those member countries with a history of fishing
swordfish, namely Canada, the USA, Spain and Portugal. Japan, whose swordfish
catches are a by-catch in other tuna fisheries, was restricted to 8% of their
total north Atlantic catch of tunas. Japan has now received a specific quota
since 1997. Also, beginning that year, a small quota was put aside for the
United Kingdom, on behalf of its overseas territories (primarily Bermuda) and a
small amount was set aside for "Other" contracting parties. Starting in 2003,
swordfish quota under the "Other" category was fully assigned to an additional
nine countries, the same year that ICCAT approved a substantial increase to the
total allowable catch (TAC) of north Atlantic swordfish, to 14,000t in 2003 from
10,400t the previous year, including discards. This increase is owing to
improved stock status under the 10-year recovery plan. National allocations for
the current ICCAT cycle are shown in Table 1.
Table 1. National Swordfish
Allocations for 2003-2005 (tonnes)
(ICCAT Recommendation 02-2)
Contracting Parties |
Share* |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
European Community (EC) |
52.42% |
6,665 |
6,718 |
6,718
|
United States (1) (2) (US) |
30.49% |
3,877 |
3,907 |
3,907 |
Canada (2) |
10.52% |
1,338 |
1,348 |
1,348 |
Japan |
6.57% |
835 |
842 |
842 |
Others |
|
|
|
|
Morocco |
|
335 |
335 |
335 |
Mexico |
|
110 |
110 |
110 |
Brazil |
|
50 |
50 |
50 |
Barbados |
|
25 |
25 |
25 |
Venezuala |
|
85 |
85 |
85 |
Trinidad & Tobago |
|
125 |
125 |
125 |
UK (Overseas Territories) |
|
35 |
35 |
35 |
France (St. Pierre et
Miquelon) |
|
35 |
35 |
35 |
China |
|
75 |
75 |
75 |
Chinese Taipei |
|
310 |
310 |
310 |
Total Catch to be
Retained |
|
13,900 |
14,000 |
14,000 |
Dead Discard Allowance |
|
100 |
0 |
0 |
* Other Contracting Parties and
Non-Contracting Parties receive a total quota of 1,185t. The remainder of the
TAC, after subtracting the allowance for dead discards and the quotas for
"Others", is shared among the EC, US, Canada and Japan based on set shares as
shown.
(1) The US may harvest up to 200t
of its annual catch limit within the area between 5°North latitude and 5°South
latitude.
(2) For each year of this catch
allocation, the US will transfer 25t to Canada. This transfer does not change
the relative shares of Parties as reflected in the above allocation.
Between 1995 and 2000, further reductions in the Canadian
quota on an annual basis resulted in the need for significant changes to our
swordfish management strategy. Significant changes in management strategy were
implemented under the 2000-2002 Swordfish Plan, hinged on fleet allocations to
each of the harpoon and swordfish longline fleets. In addition, the swordfish
longline fishery implemented a number of measures under their CHP designed to
reorient effort toward other tunas within their fleet allocation. In 2002,
these management measures were further refined with the introduction of ITQs to
the longline fleet on a trial basis, and permanently in 2003.
Other Tunas
Bigeye, yellowfin and albacore tuna fishing throughout the
east coast of Canada can be traced back to the 1860s. Starting in 1987, Canada
has been supporting a strategy to develop a fishery for these species.
In 1987, two exploratory offshore tuna licences were
issued in an attempt to develop a fishery for bigeye, yellowfin and albacore
tunas. In 1991, one of these exploratory licences was made permanent after
having met the requirements for Canadianization of a vessel in the fishery.
This licence operates today and carries with it a by-catch allocation for
swordfish and bluefin. The by-catch allocations always remained subject to
review and were reduced over the years to their current levels of 5t for
swordfish and 20t for bluefin. The licence is also subject to catch composition
requirements to ensure the majority of the catch is tuna species other than
bluefin tuna.
In 1995, swordfish longline licence holders were issued
licences authorizing them to direct for bigeye, yellowfin and albacore tunas.
Prior to 1995, persons fishing under the authority of a licence for swordfish
with a longline, could retain tuna other than bluefin, which was caught
incidentally. There are presently 77 swordfish licence holders eligible to
direct for other tunas.
Bluefin tuna licence holders using tended line or rod &
reel, also are authorized to catch and retain bigeye, yellowfin and albacore
tunas caught incidentally under the authority of their bluefin tuna licence
conditions and providing there is bluefin quota available to the sector fleet,
and a vessel meets the minimum tag requirements. Only those fishing bluefin
tuna on the Scotian Shelf (except in 4Wd) and Grand Banks are authorized to
retain other tunas. There are 774 bluefin tuna licences throughout Atlantic
Canada and Québec.
There are no other tunas quotas allocated to Canada.
However, Canada is currently subject to annual catch limits of 2,100t and 200t
for bigeye tuna and albacore tuna, respectively.
3.2 Participants
Entry to the swordfish fishery, regardless of fleet
sector, is limited to the current licences and has been since 1992. Licences
have been fixed at this number, but may be reissued, within certain policy
restrictions, from one fisher to another.
In recent years, the Department has intervened in the
transfer process to obtain both harpoon and longline licences for subsequent
transfer to Aboriginal persons and communities under the Department's Aboriginal
Fisheries Strategy. These transfers do not result in an increase in the overall
capacity within the fishery.
Harpoon-only
There are 1,242 harpoon-only licences Atlantic-wide in
2004, of which 880 are located in the Maritimes Region of DFO, and all are
located in the Province of Nova Scotia. One licence is held in Newfoundland and
the remaining 361 licences are based in the Gulf Region. There are no harpoon
licences in the Quebec Region.
Of this total of 1,242 licences, only 188 harpoon-only
licences were found to be recently active according to DFO records, defined as
having logged some activity against their licence in any year during the period
1996-1999 inclusive. Under the 2000-2002 Plan in which fleet sector allocations
were implemented, these licences were deemed Group A and assigned the largest
share of the harpoon fleet sector allocation. The remaining licences were
considered to fall under the Group B and were assigned a smaller quota.
Principal ports of landing in Nova Scotia include
Shelburne, Cape Sable Island, Sambro, Wood's Harbour and Clark's Harbour.
Interest in the fishery remains along the eastern shore of Nova Scotia and in
northeastern Cape Breton, but there are fewer recently active licences
(i.e. during the years 1996-1999) in those areas of the Province. There are no
known landings from harpoon-only licences in other DFO Regions in the Atlantic
or in other provinces. Gulf Region licences are primarily used by fishers from
the Gulf, fishing opportunistically on swordfish while directing for bluefin
tuna in waters off Nova Scotia.
The majority of the recently active harpoon-only licence
holders were represented in 2000 by the Swordfish Harpoon Association (SHA),
which is based on the south shore of Nova Scotia. In 2001, a smaller number of
fishers based primarily in Cape Breton and including some Gulf-based swordfish
harpoon licence holders coordinated their own CHP for the 4Vn area.
Longline
There are a total of 77 pelagic longline licences, of
which 71 are currently based in the Maritimes Region. The remaining licences
are held in the Newfoundland & Labrador Region. A unique offshore tuna licence,
based in the Maritimes Region, is also authorized to operate a longline fishing
operation Atlantic-wide. The pelagic longline licences are transferable
Atlantic-wide, and the other tunas licences are non-separable from the swordfish
longline licences. All but 8 of the 77 vessels licensed to fish swordfish and
other tunas are <65' in length; the remaining eight are between 65' and 100' in
length. The offshore tuna licence also operates a vessel in the 65'‑100' range.
Principle ports of landing in the Atlantic Region include Shelburne, Sambro,
Wood's Harbour and Clark's Harbour in Nova Scotia, and St. John's and Fermeuse
in Newfoundland & Labrador.
Only 40 of the total 77 licences were active in the 2003
fishery. This is down from 63 active vessels in 2001, the year prior to the
introduction of ITQs. Over the past few years, few Newfoundland-licensed
vessels have participated in the pelagic fishery due to involvement in other
fisheries (i.e., snowcrab and shrimp). As well, the introduction of an ITQ
management approach since 2002 has allowed some long overdue fleet
rationalization to occur. Pelagic longline vessels are also licensed to fish
with harpoon gear, but since 2000, any landings by harpoon gear are attributed
to the longline quota.
All longline licence holders in 2003 were represented by
the Nova Scotia Swordfishermen's Association (NSSA), which is based in
Shelburne, Nova Scotia, with the exception of the offshore tuna longline
licence, which is a unique licence and is represented by its owner/managers
directly.
3.3 Location and Timeframe of Fishery
The fishery follows the seasonal migration of the
swordfish through Canadian waters, in accordance with the limitations of the
gear types used, weather, and the availability of quota. The Canadian large
pelagic longline fisheries which direct for, or incidentally catch swordfish,
currently operate from April through December, though the season can extend year
round subject to quota availability, but to date, vessels capable of fishing the
winter season have focused on other fisheries in the January to March period.
Prior to the introduction of ITQs, the swordfish fishing season was concentrated
primarily in the summer months. The harpoon fishery for swordfish primarily
occurs from June through late August.
Harpooning for swordfish currently occurs primarily along
the edges of Georges and Browns Banks, and targets mainly the large female
swordfish swimming or "basking" in surface waters during the day. Although
reported harpoon landings (including those harpooned by longliners) on average
(1989-1999) represent about 8% of the Canadian catch, in some years (e.g.,
1998), when conditions were favourable (i.e. calm, clear weather), reported
harpoon landings were a much higher percentage (22% in 1998) of the total
catch. Landings have continued to fluctuate significantly in the last few
years.
The Canadian large pelagic longline fishery extends from
Georges Bank south of Nova Scotia to beyond the Flemish Cap east of Newfoundland
when swordfish, the main species targeted, migrate into and adjacent to the
Canadian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Longline fishing effort generally
progresses from west to east and back again and from offshore to inshore along
the edge of the continental shelf following swordfish movements associated with
seasonal warming trends of surface water temperature, and a northward movement
of the edge of the Gulf Stream. Swordfish migrate into the Canadian EEZ during
summer and fall to feed in the productive waters of the continental shelf slope
and shelf basins, areas where water temperatures form a distinct thermocline.
Until recently, the geographic distribution of the pelagic
longline fishery tended to be quite similar from one year to the next. However,
since 1998, there has been an increase in fishing activity east of the Grand
Banks (beyond the Canadian EEZ) out to and beyond the Flemish Cap where catch
rates have tended to be higher than other areas (Figure 1). This is also an
area where fleets from other nations, such as Japan and the US, longline for
large pelagic species. This change in the Canadian fishing operations is
attributed to a change in strategy, given the good market prices for other tuna
species (i.e., bigeye, yellowfin, albacore) and given the decline in swordfish
quotas that occurred in the late 1990s.
3.4 Time/Area Closures
Time and area closures are management measures that are
utilized in this fishery. Closure details and related protocols are described
in section 8.5 of this Plan. Notwithstanding these measures, the Minister may,
in any year, close any area to fishing for a specified time should any grave
environmental or conservation concerns arise.
Figure 1
Figure 1. Comparison of the
distribution of Canadian swordfish catches in the pelagic longline fishery from
1993 to 1997 (top panel) and from 1998 to 2002 (bottom panel). The data are
aggregated to 60' rectangles.
3.5 Landings/Value/Markets
Atlantic swordfish quotas and landings by gear type, for
1987-2003 and other tuna landings from 1992-2003, are summarized in Tables 2A
and 2B.
Swordfish Markets
In 2003, the value of swordfish landings was about $10.2
million and the export value was about $10.9 million. Over 90% of the swordfish
landed in Atlantic Canada are exported to the US. Figure 2 shows the trend in
export values plotted against the landed values of swordfish for the Atlantic
for the years 1990-2003.
Swordfish are exported fresh, in gutted head-off form.
This is also the form in which most of the fish are landed, indicating a low
value-added component in onshore processing of this species. The export values
are very close to the landed values, indicating the high export component of the
landings.
Bigeye, Yellowfin and Albacore Tuna
Markets
Over the 1990-2002 period, the landed value of, bigeye,
yellowfin and albacore has increased more than 14-fold, from about $0.17 million
in 1990 to about $2.5 million in 2002. Figure 3 shows the landed value for the
1990-2002 period. Bigeye and yellowfin account for most of the landed value.
A review of the export statistics suggests that there may
be some species identification problems with respect to the different tuna
species exported. A more thorough analysis is required to estimate the amount
of bigeye, yellowfin and albacore exported. As a consequence, export data is
not presented here. However, the export statistics showed that the US is the
primary market for these species.
3.6 Consultative Process
DFO convenes consultations
twice yearly with swordfish industry representatives in an advisory forum known
as the Atlantic Large Pelagics Advisory Committee (ALPAC). A late winter/early
spring meeting focuses on management recommendations for the up-coming fishing
season. Consultations in the fall provide advice to Canada's delegation to
ICCAT.
In addition, because the Scotia Fundy sector of the
Maritimes Region houses most of the licence holders in both the harpoon and
longline sectors, the Scotia Fundy Large Pelagics Advisory Committee (SFLPAC)
meets at least once per year to discuss fisheries issues in greater detail than
is sometimes possible at the larger forum offered by ALPAC. Within SFLPAC,
discussions and fishery recommendations for the Atlantic-wide fisheries
involving swordfish and other tunas are developed under the chairmanship of the
Senior Advisor Large Pelagics, Maritimes Region of DFO. Following that, input
is solicited from the other Atlantic Regions by both the SFLPAC Chairperson and
by DFO-Ottawa Resource Management. Final approval and distribution of
Atlantic-wide Plans is undertaken by DFO-Ottawa.
Table 2A. Atlantic Swordfish Landings
(t)a by Gear Type- 1987-2003
|
1987 |
1988 |
1989 |
1990 |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
TAC |
3,500 |
3,500 |
3,500 |
3,500 |
2,000 |
2,000 |
2,000 |
2,000 |
1,500 |
1,400 |
1,130 |
1,140 |
1,095 |
995 |
1049 |
991 |
1463 |
GEAR/ ENGINS |
Bermuda
Operation(c) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
15.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Longline/ Palangres
|
868 |
887 |
1,097 |
819 |
953 |
1,486 |
2,206 |
1,654 |
1,421 |
646 |
1,000 |
875 |
1,101 |
874 |
964 |
922 |
1142 |
Harpoon(d) |
77 |
24 |
146 |
92 |
73 |
60 |
28 |
22 |
188 |
93 |
89 |
240 |
18 |
91 |
115 |
37 |
143 |
GRAND TOTAL |
945 |
911 |
1,243 |
911 |
1,026 |
1,546 |
2,234 |
1,676 |
1,609 |
739 |
1,089 |
1,115 |
1,119 |
965(b) |
1079 |
959 |
1285 |
Table 2B. Other Tunas Landings (t)(a)
All Gear Types(e) - 1992-2003
Species / Espèces |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
Bigeye / Thon obèse |
67.5 |
124.1 |
111.8 |
148.6 |
144.0 |
165.7 |
119.6 |
262.8 |
327.0 |
241.2 |
279.0 |
181.6 |
Yellowfin / Germon |
25.5 |
71.5 |
54.2 |
174.4 |
154.5 |
100.1 |
56.6 |
21.8 |
105.2 |
125.3 |
70.0 |
72.7 |
Albacore / Albacore |
1.0 |
8.7 |
36.8 |
11.5 |
23.9 |
30.8 |
23.2 |
38.8 |
121.7 |
51.0 |
112.0 |
58.7 |
TOTAL |
94.0 |
204.3 |
202.8 |
334.5 |
322.4 |
296.6 |
199.4 |
323.4 |
553.9 |
417.5 |
461.0 |
313.0 |
(a) Landings shown in
tonnes/Débarquements indiqués en tonnes
(b) Includes landings by other
gear (gillnet, trawls, etc.) fished illegally and/or seized/Inclut des prises
d'autres engines (filets maillants, lignes trainantes et chalets à panneaux)
illégales ou saisies.
(c) Catches of Canadian vessels in
Bermuda operation/Prises des bateaux canadiens aux Bermudes.
(d) Landings include those
reported by longline licence holders using harpoon until 1999 inclusively/Débarquements
incluent ceux effectués par les détenteurs de permis à la palangre utilisant le
harpon jusqu'à l'année 1999, inclusivement.
Figure 2
Figure 3
Appendices I(A) and I(B) contain the Terms of Reference
for both ALPAC and SFLPAC, as well as the most recent SFLPAC membership.
3.7 Management Style(s)
The fishery is managed by DFO, which controls the fishery
in order to keep it within the quota recommended by ICCAT. Canada is one of 38
Contracting Parties to ICCAT, although a limited number of Parties receive
specific quotas of north Atlantic swordfish. (Ref: Table 1.)
Prior to the 2000-2002 Plan, the Canadian swordfish
fishery utilized the allocation recommended by ICCAT by operating on a
competitive basis under a limited entry regime. While the total number of
licences in each of the harpoon and longline sectors was limited, the harpoon
fishing competed with longlining for a share of the quota within the national
allocation. Although competitive, strict monitoring controls were in place
including at-sea observers, hail out and hail in provisions, log books, at-sea
Fishery Officer inspections and an industry-funded Dockside Monitoring Program (DMP)
of all landings.
The 2000-2002 Plan ushered in a change to the strictly
competitive fishery by introducing distinct gear sector allocations for the two
different gear types, along with the 5t by-catch allocation for the offshore
tuna licence. It also introduced self-administered trip limits in the longline
fleet, daily hails once 65% of the fleet allocation was reached and a segregated
swordfish by-catch quota within the longline fleet to support a fall other tunas
fishery. Results of this approach were inconsistent in the first two years,
hence by 2002, a new management strategy was deemed necessary and ITQs were
introduced on a trial basis. This approach proved very successful in terms of
quota management, increased length of season, fleet rationalization, and allowed
for reorientation of effort toward other tunas, hence was approved on a
permanent basis by DFO in 2003. The maximum concentration of quota through
permanent transfers is limited to 5%.
Within the harpoon sector, the quota is still fished
competitively. However it is subdivided into two quota groups; Group A
comprises recently active licences while Group B includes all other licences.
Recently active is defined as having at least one landed swordfish or hail out
against the harpoon-only licence during any of the years 1996-1999 inclusive,
documented with DFO.
These quotas are monitored by both the Department and by
industry separately, by the two main fisher Associations, the SHA and the NSSA,
on behalf of their respective memberships.
3.8 Links with other Activities and Planning
Initiatives
Oceans Act
Linkages of this Plan with other activities and
initiatives pursuant to the Oceans Act are under development, which will
continue under this Plan. With the introduction of the Gully Marine Protected
Area (MPA) in 2004, specific action includes a prohibition on pelagic longline
fishing activity inside Zone 1 of the MPA.
Species
at Risk Act
With the promulgation of
the Species at Risk Act (SARA) in June 2003, new management measures were
required in support of the recovery of leatherback turtles. This impacted the
swordfish and other tunas longline fishery as well as the offshore tuna licence
- both of which must carry Incidental Harm Permits (IHP) effective June 1, 2004,
the date after which prohibition commenced for this species, until finalization
of a Leatherback Turtle Recovery Plan. Industry representatives from these
fleets have actively participated in the recovery planning process and have
already developed and implemented a Code of Conduct for Responsible Sea Turtle
Handling and Mitigative Measures. Similar measures and processes may be
required pursuant to SARA if other species for which there is known interaction
with pelagic longline gear are declared endangered. Other species under review
at this time include loggerhead turtles and porbeagle shark.
International Plan of Action (IPOA) for
reducing incidental catch of seabirds in longline fisheries
In 1999, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
adopted a voluntary IPOA for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline
Fisheries with the objective of encouraging countries to adopt national plans to
reduce seabird by-catches where this was thought necessary. In April 2000,
Canada hosted a workshop to discuss seabird incidental catch in the waters of
Arctic countries. The general conclusion was that seabird by-catch is not an
issue in the Canadian Atlantic pelagic longline fisheries. This has been
further confirmed by incidental by-catch analyses of observer data in 2000 and
subsequent years.
IPOA for Shark Conservation
The FAO also adopted in 1999 a voluntary IPOA for shark
conservation to address global overfishing. Under this initiative, Canada is
developing a National Plan of Action (NPOA) for both its exploratory directed
and traditional by-catch shark fisheries. Management measures pertinent to
shark by-catch in the pelagic longline fishery are fully addressed under the
Canadian Atlantic Shark Integrated Fisheries Management Plan - 2002-2007.
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4.1 Biology, Environment, Habitat
Swordfish
Swordfish are distributed widely in the Atlantic Ocean and
Mediterranean Sea, and range from Canada to Argentina on the western side, and
from Norway to South Africa on the eastern side (Figure 4). The management
units for assessment purposes are a separate Mediterranean group, and north and
south Atlantic groups separated at 5oN. This stock separation is supported by
recent genetic analyses. However, the precise boundaries between stocks are
uncertain, therefore there is uncertainty if the management units used
correspond exactly to the biological stock units. Hence, it is important to
have effective management measures throughout the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
Adult swordfish have few natural predators with the
possible exception of sharks. They feed on a wide variety of prey including
groundfish, pelagics, deep-water fish and invertebrates. They are believed to
feed throughout the water column, following the diel migration of the
deep-scattering layer by maintaining their position within a preferred level of
illumination (isolume). They are typically caught on pelagic longlines at night
when they feed in surface waters. The broad diet and habitat preference of
swordfish make them very adaptable to changes in habitat.
Swordfish spawn in the warm tropical and subtropical
waters throughout the year, although seasonality has been reported. They are
found in the colder northern waters during summer months and are in Canadian
waters from May to November, primarily on the edge of the Scotian Shelf and the
Grand Banks of Newfoundland. Young swordfish grow very rapidly, reaching about
140 cm LJFL (lower jaw-fork length) by age 3, but grow slowly thereafter.
Females grow faster than males and reach a larger maximum size. Swordfish are
difficult to age, but 53% of females are considered mature by age 5. Over the
years, the size structure of the catch of swordfish has changed, due in part to
a reduction in the population size of the larger fish, and to an expansion of
the fishing range of nearshore and high seas fleets into warmer waters where
small fish are found.
Other
Tunas
Bigeye tuna have received
little attention with respect to research on basic biological parameters. The
latitudinal range of the resource is very wide; off Canada these fish occur only
in warmer waters. Considered a tropical and subtropical species, only larger
fish are caught in Canadian waters. Currently, this resource is managed as a
single Atlantic-wide stock.
Yellowfin tuna are also considered a tropical/subtropical
species. Yellowfin are managed as a single Atlantic-wide stock.
In contrast with yellowfin and bigeye tunas, albacore tuna
are found to a greater extent in temperate waters. The stock structure is
similar to swordfish; northern and southern stocks are separated at 5oN, and
there is a separate Mediterranean stock.
4.2 Species Interactions
Swordfish are caught both in directed swordfish fisheries,
and as a by-catch of the other tuna (bigeye, yellowfin, albacore) fisheries, and
may also be a by-catch of the shark longline fleet. Bluefin tuna, the other
tunas and a variety of sharks are a by-catch of the swordfish longline fishery.
Revised log records adopted since 1995 better quantified this by-catch.
As noted above, there are few natural predators of large
swordfish, so predation has little influence on swordfish abundance.
Figure 4.
Geographical distribution of swordfish in the Atlantic and adjacent seas. The
line at 5º north latitude is the assumed boundary between north and south
management units. The Mediterranean also considered a separate management unit
4.3 Assessment
Swordfish
Swordfish fished in
Atlantic Canada are part of the north Atlantic stock (Figure 5). Because of
their migratory nature, swordfish are under the jurisdiction of ICCAT. Canada
is one of 38 Contracting Parties at ICCAT. The management objective of ICCAT is
MSY.
Figure 5.
Estimated biomass relative to biomass at MSY (B/BMSY) for the period 1959-2002,
followed by 7-year projected B/BMSY under the constant catch scenarios listed.
Upper and lower lines represent approximate 80% confidence ranges. For the catch
projection period (2002-2009), the upper line is the upper 80% confidence bound
for the 9K (9,000t) projection and the lower line is the 80% confidence bound
for the 15K (15,000t) projection (Source: 2003 SCRS Executive Summary, Atlantic
Swordfish).
Due to the highly migratory nature of swordfish and their
high individual value, scientists rely primarily on data derived from the
commercial fishery. Canada, as a member of ICCAT, is obligated to provide
catch, catch-at-size and catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) information annually to
ICCAT. This information is used by ICCAT scientists to conduct stock
assessments during the ICCAT Swordfish Species Group meetings. Full stock
assessments for swordfish are generally conducted every 3-4 years. Canada
participates in the ICCAT stock assessment process. The most recent swordfish
assessment was conducted in 2002.
The draft advice of the ICCAT Swordfish Species Group is
then peer reviewed by the ICCAT Standing Committee on Research and Statistics
(SCRS) which usually meets in October of each year. Once final, this advice in
the form of an Executive Summary, is presented to the Commission. In Canada,
the scientific advice is presented to ALPAC between the meetings of the SCRS and
the Commission (usually late October or early November).
The last assessment of swordfish occurred in 2002. In
2004, ICCAT recommendations extended management measures to 2006. The TAC set
for 2003-2006 is 14,000t. The next full ICCAT assessment of stock status is
scheduled for 2006.
The text that follows in this section has been extracted,
with slight modification, from the most recent (2003) Executive Summary for
Atlantic Swordfish.
The 2002 assessment indicated that the North Atlantic
swordfish biomass has improved due to strong recruitment since 1997 (1996
year-class), combined with recent reductions in reported catch, especially
compared to the peak catch values of 1987. In particular, strong recruitment
since 1997 has manifested in several age classes and is evident in the catch
rates from several fleets. The strong recruitments of the late 1990s have
already promoted improvement in spawning stock biomass (SSB) and should result
in further improvement, if these year-classes are not heavily harvested. The
pattern of decline in stock size followed by stabilization and rebuilding is
reflected in the CPUEs (Catch per Unit Effort) for several fisheries. An
updated estimate of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) from production model
analyses is 14,340t (with estimates ranging from 11,500 to 15,500t). Since
1997, north Atlantic swordfish catches have been below 14,340t; preliminary
estimates of catches (reported plus carried over) in 2001 were about 9,800t, but
this level is probably an underestimate.
Other
Tunas
For bigeye tuna,
preliminary results from the 2004 assessment indicate that the current biomass
is slightly above or below (85-107%) the biomass at MSY (BMSY). The projections
indicate that the biomass will decline with constant catches of 100,000t or
more. No new stock assessment was conducted for yellowfin in 2004. The 2001
biomass level is considered to be 0.73-1.10 of BMSY. ICCAT recommended that the
next assessment for northern albacore be scheduled for 2007.
4.4 Research
Swordfish
A primary focus of the research program on swordfish has
been to improve the quality of the input information (catch, catch-at-size and
effort) for the assessment, to develop conversion factors from the dressed to
round condition, and to more fully understand the biology and behaviour of
swordfish through cooperative (DFO Science and industry) tagging and fishing
gear experiments. Research on swordfish depends very much upon cooperation from
the fishing industry to gain access to fish for study, to collect detailed
information and to seek input to improve the indices of relative abundance
derived from commercial catch rate data. Mandatory submission of detailed log
records, Dockside Monitoring, Observer coverage, and taking biologists aboard
vessels are all part of the data collection scheme.
The research program has also been examining patterns of
by-catch in the pelagic longline fishery with a view towards mitigation of
catches of sensitive species. Related to this, the program has also been
examining patterns of catches of undersized swordfish in the pelagic longline
fishery.
Other
Tunas
The research program
produced a description of the Canadian bigeye tuna fishery, and the biological
characteristics of the catch for inclusion in the 2nd World Symposium on bigeye
tuna in 2004.
4.5 Prospects for 2004-2006
Swordfish
The text that follows in this section has been extracted,
with slight modification, from the most recent (2003) Executive Summary for
Atlantic Swordfish.
For the north Atlantic swordfish stock, the base case
surplus production model showed that the swordfish biomass has increased from
the 1997 low and the 2002 biomass is estimated to be near the level that would
produce maximum sustainable yield (MSY) due to strong recruitment and lower
catches during this period. If the total annual catches (including discards and
overages) from 2003 and beyond were less than MSY, there would be a greater than
50% chance that the population would reach BMSY within the recovery program plan
time-frame agreed by ICCAT. Lower catches or high recruitments would both
enhance the probability of achieving the recovery plan goal.
The high recruitment levels observed in recent years (age
1 in 1997-2001) have resulted in a more optimistic outlook than previous
assessments since the recent year-classes were not heavily harvested. The
updated indices examined in the 2002 assessment confirmed that a positive effect
of this strong recruitment has manifested in older ages and in the biomass
indices of several fisheries. Given that recent (2002) reported catch has been
below estimated replacement yield, the north Atlantic swordfish biomass may have
already achieved the BMSY level.
Other Tunas
Bigeye tuna stock projections reported by the SCRS in 2004
were based on the 2002 data because the 2003 data set was considered
incomplete. The projection results indicated the biomass of the stock will
decline further with constant catches of 100,000t, which is close to the total
catch observed in 2001. In 2004, the SCRS recommended that catch levels be
maintained at 90,000t or lower.
Yellowfin tuna projections indicated that with the
exploitation levels observed in 2001, stock biomass levels are likely to
decrease. For albacore, the SCRS noted in 2003 that for the stock to rebuild
towards BMSY, catches should not exceed 31,000t in the short term.
In summary, these tuna resources are either fully
exploited or over-exploited.
The reports of the ICCAT SCRS for the various species can
be found on
www.iccat.es.
Back to Top
Stock conservation and
sustainability objectives for most large pelagic species in Atlantic waters are
set by ICCAT. As a Contracting Party of ICCAT, Canada is also obligated to
itself abide by and foster, where it can, the implementation of all current
ICCAT recommendations for conserving swordfish, bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna,
albacore tuna and all other large pelagic stocks that affect or pertain to the
Canadian fishery. To that end, most objectives and strategies set in the
Canadian swordfish and other tunas fisheries can be traced to specific ICCAT
Recommendations. Other objectives stem from Canadian legislative and policy
developments over the past few years such as the Ocean's
Act, SARA, and the Atlantic Fisheries Policy Review (AFPR). As such,
this management plan is composed of a hierarchy of objectives from general
overall objectives to more specific sub-objectives. The way we achieve these
objectives are termed strategies and the implementation of these strategies is
through the management measures or tactics. The relationships of the general
objectives, strategies and measures adopted for the present plan are summarized
in Table 3A, and Table 3B further elaborates on the management measures
currently in place to achieve those strategies.
Back to Top
6.1 Stock
Conservation and Sustainability
6.1.1 International
Objectives
ICCAT objectives
pertaining to swordfish and other tunas are essentially three-fold: (1) to
protect undersized fish; (2) limit effort; and (3) maintain or, in the case of
swordfish and bigeye tuna, restore biomass to a level that achieves MSY.
Strategies specific to these objectives are the focus of ICCAT recommendations
pertaining to these species, as referenced in Table 3. The most significant
recommendation is the establishment of a 10-year rebuilding program for north
Atlantic swordfish in 1999, which took effect starting in 2000. By 2003, for
the first time in over a decade of declining quotas, ICCAT recommended an
increase in north Atlantic swordfish TAC. Collectively, these ICCAT
recommendations provide the foundation for the Canadian swordfish and other
tunas management plan.
6.1.2 Domestic Objectives
The overall conservation objective of the domestic
swordfish and other tunas fishing plan is to ensure that Canada's role in
supporting the conservation and sustainability objectives of the ICCAT
international stock management regime is achieved.
In addition, complementary management measures for
swordfish and other tunas are set in response to the Canadian situation, such as
the need for a bluefin tuna dead discard reduction strategy that is compatible
with the Canadian Bluefin Tuna Management Plan and bluefin tuna fleet
allocations. The Plan also aims to provide for the collection and analysis of
comprehensive, high quality data about each year's fishery to enable its
accurate reporting within the ICCAT framework.
Finally, several objectives are dictated by the
requirement to operate within the Canadian regulatory framework relevant to this
fishery, including the Fisheries Act and the Atlantic Fishery (General)
Regulations, the Ocean's Act, and SARA. Other legislation affecting marine
safety and transportation, employment, etc. also exist and are binding on the
licence holders, but are beyond the scope of this Plan to detail. Similarly,
legal obligations upon the government with respect to fisheries in general terms
may exist but are beyond the scope of this Plan to detail.
6.2 Aboriginal Inclusion
It is the policy of DFO to encourage Aboriginal
participation and integration into coastal commercial fisheries. As such,
several swordfish, harpoon and swordfish longline licences have been acquired
and transferred to First Nations (FN) under the Marshall Response Initiative.
These licences are subject to the same terms and conditions under this Plan as
all other licences.
6.3 Commercial Viability
The management measures, while first striving to achieve
the conservation and sustainability objective, will endeavour to provide a
suitable foundation upon which the fleets can maintain, and where possible
increase, the food supply and economic benefits for themselves and other
Canadians that can be derived from these fisheries. It is recognized that the
international market place will affect this viability, especially the prices,
demand and import restrictions of the USA marketplace, which is the main market
for Canadian swordfish and other tunas.
6.4 Co-Management of the Fishery
Another long term objective for this fishery is to enhance
the scientific study of the swordfish resource wherever it is fished by
Canadians, leading to ever-improving management of the fishery. Therefore, the
Plan seeks to foster partnerships with all Canadian industry participants who
fish the swordfish resource, to provide for additional financial and in-kind
contributions, beyond what departmental sources can provide, where this is
necessary to enhance the scientific knowledge upon which the management is
based. In this context, the NSSA, the SHA, and other smaller groups of licence
holders who wish to fish this stock are encouraged to enter into formal
agreements with DFO to improve at-sea research.
During the period of this plan, and since 2000, the SHA as
well as the Northside Fishermen's Association together with the North of Smokey
Fishermen's Association continue to make annual financial contributions to DFO
Science for swordfish biological research in lieu of observer coverage under
their respective CHPs. Also during the period of this plan, the NSSA continues
to work toward effective leatherback turtle by-catch mitigation measures. To
that end, the NSSA has purchased, with matched funding under Environment
Canada's Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP), 30 turtle de-hooking kits for its
members and has developed and promulgated within the fleet a
Code of Conduct for Responsible Sea Turtle Handling and
Mitigative Measures. For the 2005 season, it is expected that every
active member of the NSSA will have a turtle de-hooking kit on board their
vessel.
6.5 Experimental
Fishing
Recognizing that even
within a restrictive quota management regime, there must still be some latitude
for changes and advancements in fishing operations, the Plan seeks to allow for
experimental fishing within the conservation oriented regime, by the existing
licence holders and within the effort restrictions stipulated by ICCAT. A
potential area for development remains the bigeye tuna fishery, whereby Canada
is landing only a fraction of the 2,100t limit currently imposed.
6.6 Recreational Fishing
For the period of this Plan, there are no recreational
fishing objectives foreseen that would involve the issuance of licences or
permits to fish onboard a boat involved in the commercial fishery in either the
harpoon sector or the longline sector. If this should change during the period
of this Plan, the appropriate consultations would be held with the industry
before the Plan would be amended.
TABLE 3A. Objectives Hierarchy for
Management of the Scotia-Fundy Swordfish Fishery
General Objectives |
Strategies |
Management Measures |
1. Conservation of the
ecosystem by: |
1.1 Maintaining community diversity by protecting
benthic communities susceptible to disturbance. |
Protect benthic communities in
the Gully |
Establish the Gully as an MPA
and associated regulations (swordfish longline gear excluded from Zone 1).
|
1.2 Maintaining species
diversity. |
Keep stock size of target
species above established limits.
|
Control fishing mortality (F) |
Minimize incidental mortalities on non-target
species, particularly species at risk. |
Restrict directed catches and account for bycatch
through use of concurrent bluefin and longline licences and by-catch quotas.
Release of sensitive species such as turtle and
marlin.
|
1.3 Maintaining population
diversity. |
Maintain spawning components of target species. |
Define management areas that correspond to stock
distributions (ICCAT).
|
1.4 Maintaining trophic
structure. |
(Insufficient knowledge at this time to establish
strategies)
|
|
1.5 Maintaining productivity of populations by managing
exploitation of target species. |
Keep exploitation rates at moderate levels. |
Control fishing mortality (F) through annual TACs
and by-catch rules.
|
Avoid wastage by managing size and species
selection during fishing. |
Specify aspects of gear construction.
Establish minimum fish size limits and tolerance
levels with evaluation of dead discards.
|
2. Manage the swordfish resource in a manner consistent with: |
2.1 Meeting Aboriginal obligations. |
Increase
participation in the commercial fishery. |
Issue communal
licences through Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy (AFS).
Acquire and
transfer licences, quotas, boats and gear to FN through Marshall Response
Initiative.
|
2.2 Creating conditions for economic self-reliance in
the commercial fishery. |
Balance fleet capacity with resource availability
by managing access and supporting resource sharing arrangements that allow
resource users to meet their economic objectives.
|
Limit entry through licensing.
Improve options for transferability of shares and
quotas.
Use of ITQ systems in some fleets
|
3. Co-management |
Support swordifhs research Code of conduct for
responsible Sea Turtle handling and Mitigative Measures. |
DFO industry research and cooperative projects and
contribution agreements.
Code implemented in 2004 CHP.
|
Build industry management capacity.
|
(To be established when
appropriate)
|
Table 3B. Summary of International and
Domestic Objectives and Management Measures for the Swordfish and Other Tunas
Fisheries by Species
DETAILED MANAGEMENT MEASURES |
Objective |
Species |
Management Measures |
1.
Conservation / Sustainability |
Protect undersized fish |
SWO |
ICCAT has set two min. size options: 125 cm LJFL
with a 15% tolerance, or 119 cm with zero tolerance and evaluation of dead
discards.
(ICCAT Rec. 95-10)
In 2004, the 125 cm LJFL with 15% tolerance option
will be implemented in the Canadian fishery on a trial basis. |
BET |
Min. size of 3.2kg adopted in 1980.
(ICCAT Rec. 79-1)
Not an issue in Canadian fisheries. |
YFT |
Min. size of 3.2 kg with a 15% tolerance in number of
fish per landing adopted in 1973.
(ICCAT Rec. 72-1)
Not an issue in Canadian fisheries.
|
Limit on effort |
All species |
No new swordfish (harpoon or longline) or other tunas
licences issued in Canada, and non-separation of swordfish and other tunas
longline licences. |
ALB |
Since 1999, limit on the number of vessels to the
average number in the period 1993-1995.
(ICCAT Rec. 98-8)
Directed effort in Canada remains limited to a max. of
78 vessels (77 large pelagic and 1 offshore tuna), the same since 1993-95. |
BET |
Since 1999, cap on the number of vessels >24 m LOA to
the average no. that fished in 1991 and 1992. The limitation on number
of vessels is associated with a limitation on GRT so as to not increase the
total fishing capacity.
(ICCAT Rec. 98-3)
Directed effort in Canada remains limited to one
offshore tuna licence and 8 of the 77 pelagic longline licences authorized
to use vessels between 65-100 ft. |
YFT |
Since 1993, no increase in the level of effective
fishing effort over the level observed in 1992.
(ICCAT Rec. 93-4)
Directed effort in Canada remains limited to a max. of
78 vessels, the same level since 1992.
|
Stability of SSB |
ALB |
ICCAT set a TAC of 34,500t for 2004 - 2006. With
the exception of the EC, US, Venezuela and Japan, Contracting Parties shall
limit their catches to 200t, with an adjustment provision for overages/underages
of the quota/catch limit.
(ICCAT Rec. 03-06)
Canada's albacore catch limit is 200t annually.
|
Restore biomass to a level that would allow MSY to be
attained. |
SWO |
In 1999, implement a rebuilding program to achieve,
with greater than 50% probability, stock and catch levels consistent with
the objective of the Convention within 10 years.
(ICCAT Rec. 99-2)
Maintain catches within the Canadian swordfish
allocation and evaluate dead discards to account for all sources of fishing
mortality. |
BET |
In 2004, limitation on catches to the average catch
taken in 1991 and 1992, except Contracting Parties whose 1999 reported
catches were less than 2,100t.
(ICCAT 03-01)
Canada reported less than 2,100t in 1999, therefore
its effective catch limit is 2,100t in 2004.
|
Objective |
Species |
Management Measures |
1. Conservation /
Sustainability (cont'd) |
Reduce bluefin tuna
dead discards in the pelagic longline fleet
|
BFT |
In 2004, allow quota
transfers between bluefin tuna fleets and pelagic longline vessels on a
one-year trial basis (subject to individual fleet CHPs).
Allow concurrent
bluefin tuna and pelagic longline licence holders to retain bluefin tuna
caught with longline gear.
To account for
by-catch related to pelagic longline fisheries in the vicinity of the
east/west Atlantic bluefin tuna management boundary (ICCAT Rec. 02-7), in
2003, Canada was allocated a 15t bluefin tuna by-catch quota for use in the
central north Atlantic (east of 54°30'W, north of 10ºN). Canada will
implement a closure of the area to the pelagic longline fleet when the 15t
quota is taken. Any unused portion of the 15t by-catch allocation will be
used to cover dead discards in excess of Canada's 5.6t discard allocation.
Implement time/area
closures to avoid bluefin tuna by-catch in known bluefin tuna hot spots.
Permanent closure of
the Hell Hole to pelagic longline gear from July 1-Nov. 30 annually,
effective 2004. |
Non-target species by-catch reduction |
Various |
The longline fleet practices live release of non-target,
sensitive species, such as marlins and all turtle species.
|
2. Monitoring and
Reporting |
Enhance monitoring and control |
All species |
Ensure reporting accuracy of areas fished, in particular
for bluefin, and help enforce time/area closures inside and outside of
Canadian EEZ;
Partial implementation of VMS on the pelagic longine
fleet in 2004, with full implementation by 2005; and
Daily catch notification of bluefin by-catch for
vessels with tags. |
Collection, analysis and submission of high quality data
annually to ICCAT |
All species |
100% hail in/hail out; 100%
dockside monitoring and log submission; and
Min. 5% at-sea observer coverage on pelagic longline
fleet.
Ensure comprehensive, accurate and timely reporting. |
3. Co-Management |
Support swordfish research |
SWO |
Agreements on DFO/industry research and co-operative projects.
Contribution agreements with Harpoon groups in lieu of
observer coverage, renewable annually.
|
Endangered species recovery |
LBT and other pending species |
Incidental harm permits issued to longline vessels in
2004. Code of Conduct for Responsible Sea Turtle
Handling and Mitigative Measures incorporated by industry in their 2004 CHP.
Link
IFMP and CHP development to relevant recovery strategies.
|
4. Conservation of the
Ecosystem/species diversity |
Gully MPA |
All species |
Enforce closure of zone 1 of the Gully MPA to all fishing
activity. |
5. Constitutional
Obligations |
Meet Aboriginal and Treaty rights |
All species |
Increase participation in the commercial fishery where applicable.
Acquisition and transfer of licences and qtuota to FN.
|
SWO: |
North Atlantic Swordfish |
BET: |
Bigeye Tuna |
YFT: |
Yellowfin Tuna |
ALB: |
North Atlantic Albacore Tuna |
BFTW: |
Western Atlantic Bluefin Tuna |
LJFL: |
Lower Jaw to Fork Length |
LOA: |
Length overall |
GRT: |
Gross Registered Tonnage |
MSY: |
Maximum Sustainable Yield |
VMS: |
Vessel Monitoring System |
LBT: |
Leatherback Turtle |
* The issue of using observed or estimated dead discards for bluefin tuna,
as well as the methodology for estimating discards, is currently under review
and may be subject to further ICCAT recommendations.
Back to Top
7.1 Small Fish Management
Currently there are two options available for management
of small swordfish, both of which involve minimum size criteria set by ICCAT.
Both options have the potential of requiring the release of small fish in the
catch, either as live releases or as dead discards.
In the Canadian situation, a non-selective catch of
undersized fish by harpoon is not considered to be an issue. The longline fleets
are the primary source of incidentally caught small fish. Through to 2003
inclusively, Canada selected the option made available in 1996 that most closely
matches the import requirements of our fleet's primary market (the US), namely
the smaller size (119 cm LJFL) with zero tolerance.
The use of the other option, i.e. allowing landings of
larger fish (125 cm LJFL) with a 15% tolerance for fish under that size, would
require the creation of a new market for the fish less than 33 lbs. dressed
weight. However, it would probably result in lower discarding of dead fish.
Given the ICCAT allowance for dead discards during the
years 2000-2003 inclusive (80t, 60t, 40t, and 20t respectively), the most
economically favorable option for the Canadian fleet was to utilize the dead
discard allowance while it existed, hence Canadian industry opted for the 119 cm
option. However, effective 2004, there are no further discard allowances and
all dead discards must be deducted from fishable quota in the following year.
Hence, the more advantageous approach is now to opt for the 125cm fish with a
15% tolerance. To that end, the Canadian industry has opted to try the 125cm
option on a trial basis in 2004.
Results of this trial will require review prior to the
start of the 2005 season in terms of conservation results and market success.
7.2 By-Catch Issues
The pelagic longline fishery target species are swordfish
and bigeye, yellowfin and albacore tunas. However, on-going analysis of
observed by-catch trends show that this fishery catches up to an estimated 25
different species, some of which are the object of global and domestic
conservation concerns such as marlins and various species of turtles and shark.
This industry sector has developed a number of voluntary mitigating measures to
reduce the impact of non-target by-catch. First and foremost, the fleet
practices live release, to the extent possible, of all sensitive species. The
industry also shifted primarily to circle hooks from J-hooks in approximately
1996, which is believed to reduce non-target species by-catch rates to some
extent and increase the probability of post release survival. As well,
approximately 16 of the species typically caught are landed, reported and
marketed, thus minimizing resource waste. Finally, a research program examining
patterns of by-catch in the pelagic longline fishery with a view towards
mitigation of catches of sensitive species is currently on-going within DFO.
Bluefin tuna by-catch has been a longstanding concern in
the longline fishery. With the exception of the 20t domestic allocation to the
offshore tuna licence and the ICCAT allocation of 15t to the Canadian longline
fleet to reduce dead discards in the central north Atlantic, there is no bluefin
allocation available to support retention of bluefin by-catch by this fleet.
Hence, the fleet is required to discard bluefin by-catch, resulting in dead
discards that must be counted against Canada's dead discard allowance of 5.6t or
deducted from its fishable bluefin allocation if in excess of 5.6t. Dead
discards have been estimated to exceed 5.6t every year from 1998, when the
discard measures were first introduced, to 2003 inclusively. Starting in 2004,
several new or trial measures are being implemented in an attempt to reduce
bluefin dead discards. The measures, announced in a letter from the Chair of
ALPAC to the membership in 2004 (App. IIIB), are incorporated into Table 3.
Effectiveness of these measures will require evaluation in 2005 and beyond.
7.3 Environmental Husbandry/Code of Good Fishing
Practices/Coastal Zone Management
Several domestic and international obligations require the
pelagic longline fishery to not only address issues related to the conservation
and sustainable management of its supporting fishery resource, swordfish and
other tunas, but also related species, non-related but incidentally caught
species especially those of concern here or elsewhere, and the environment in
general.
Specifically, the International Code
of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the IPOA on
Capacity, Sharks, and Seabirds under the auspices of the United Nation's
FAO, recent Canadian legislation on Oceans (the Oceans Act),
and recently promulgated Canadian legislation on SARA
are relevant to these fisheries and gear types, and especially to longline,
which is less selective with regard to incidental catch.
The Plan must meet, or have the flexibility within it to
meet, the requirements and fulfill the existing and pending obligations that we
have to prosecute the Canadian swordfish fishery in a manner that suitably
protects the broader environment.
It is believed that, at the present time, this Plan
achieves these obligations via its at-sea monitoring and scientific studies, its
controls on landings and overall fleet fishing capacities and gear types
permitted, its high quality reporting methods, and ongoing consultative and
review processes.
Additionally, certain time/area closures built into the
Plan for management of the domestic fleets and protection of the large pelagic
resource in Canadian waters may also afford protection to other species
indirectly and thus to the environment generally.
7.4 Foreign Fishing
7.4.1 Canadian Vessels in International Waters
This is an issue that involves pelagic longliners
exclusively, as harpoon-only vessels do not venture this far from shore,
including those using harpoon concurrently with bluefin tuna directed licences.
Canadian longline vessels may fish swordfish and other
tunas outside of the Canadian EEZ, as do other international fleets; however,
while doing so, the Canadian vessels are subject to all relevant Canadian laws
that govern them while in domestic waters. Additionally, all harvested
swordfish and tunas taken by vessels on the high seas are reported against the
respective national allocation or caps, in this case Canada's.
Several Canadian vessels fish outside of our 200 mile EEZ.
Prior to the 2000-2002 Plan, this occurred to a more limited extent (early
spring and late fall only, and by fewer vessels). With the reorientation of
effort to other tunas, in order to maximize the economic gain from the swordfish
TAC, more vessels are active outside the EEZ and they may be active there at
anytime during the season.
Under ICCAT requirements since 2000, vessels >24m active
in international waters and harvesting bigeye tuna must be equipped with
electronic monitoring devices when operating on the high seas. The previous and
current plans meet this requirement.
7.4.2 Foreign Vessels in Canadian Waters
The Coastal Fisheries Protection Act (CFPA) is Canada's
legislative means for controlling foreign fishing vessels access to, and
activities in, Canadian waters and ports. As a general rule reflected in the
CFPA, Canadian ports are closed to foreign fishing vessels, and access to
Canadian waters and ports is a privilege that may be granted by the Canadian
government.
Up until 1999 inclusively, Japanese longline vessels were
authorized under restricted conditions to fish a portion of their bluefin tuna
and swordfish by-catch quotas inside the Canadian EEZ. In 2000, further
authorization was denied as a result of the Japanese overrunning their swordfish
by‑catch quota. By late 2003, Japan had addressed their overrun issue but
further access to Canadian waters has not resumed at this time. Should access
resume, increased competition for berths may be a contentious issue with
Canadian industry.
In December 2003, amendments to the CFPA were introduced
to allow revisions to Canada's policy for access by foreign vessels to Canadian
fisheries, waters and ports. Under the new policy, the US was added to the list
of countries with which Canada has favourable fisheries relations.
Subsequently, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans approved in principle the
entry of US fishing vessels into Canadian ports to conduct port activities,
including offloading and transshipment. While the rationale and benefits of
this change are national in scope and favourable to some fisheries, the impact
on the swordfish and other tunas fisheries is uncertain. Canadian industry is
concerned the policy change may result in increased competition for berths in
the 3LNO and central north Atlantic area, and increased effort and landings by
US vessels through facilitating a lengthened season. As well, trans-border
shipments of US landed fish will not be subject to the same degree of testing
and security scrutiny as Canadian landed fish, thus resulting in a comparative
advantage for US landings. This remains a contentious issue with the Canadian
large pelagics industry.
7.5 Resource Use &
Conflict Management
7.5.1 Offshore
Petroleum Exploration Gear with Fishing Gear
Some conflict has been
noted to occur in recent years, since the resurgence of offshore petroleum
exploration activity along the edge of the Scotian Shelf, between large pelagic
longliner vessels and offshore petroleum exploration vessels. t issue is the
towing of seismic testing gear across areas where longliners wish to or have set
their fishing gear. Since 2002, there has been improved communication between
these user groups, both informally and through formal venues, to resolve and
avoid conflicts through coordinated scheduling of exploration activities.
Back to Top
8.1 Sharing of the National Allocation
The nominal Canadian swordfish allocations are 1,338t for
2003, and 1,348t for each of 2004 and 2005. In addition, for each of these
years, the US will transfer 25t to Canada. Finally, Canada has a 20t share of a
100t allowance for dead discards for the year 2003, after which the allocation
declines to zero for all countries. National allocations for 2006 had not been
determined at the time of printing this Plan.
The first step in determining the annual fishable quota
for any year is to adjust the national allocation for any over-runs or roll-over
amounts from the previous year. Since the fleet sector split in 2000, such
adjustments are credited to or deducted from the gear sector that incurred them,
with the exception of the unique offshore tuna Licence. That licence receives a
5t by-catch limit annually from the top of the adjusted global quota and is not
permitted to roll-over any underages of quota.[1]
The remaining Canadian quota is then allocated 10% to the harpoon sector and
90% to the longline sector.
It should be noted that the sector sharing of the national
allocation is subject to the Department's intention to account for any overages
of the national allocation as soon as possible. Accounting for an overage at ICCAT must be done within two years of its occurrence.
National allocations for 2003-2005 are summarized in Table
1 and the Canadian quota calculation for 2004 is shown in Table 4. The original
terms of the quota split for longline and harpoon sectors can be found in the
2000-2002 Canadian Atlantic Swordfish Integrated Fisheries
Management Plan.
[1] Since 2002, the offshore tuna licence has the authority to conduct
temporary quota transfers from pelagic longline licences to cover swordfish
by-catch requirements in excess of its 5t allocation. Hence, quota overruns by
this licence effectively cannot occur.
Table 4. Canadian Swordfish Quota
Calculation and Fleet Shares - 2004
|
Total for Canada |
Longline Sector |
Harpoon Sector |
2004 Nominal Quota |
1,348t |
1,213.2t |
134.8t |
Transfer from US |
25t |
22.5t |
2.5t |
Overage/Underage from
2003 |
177.8t |
182.2t |
<4.4t> |
Less dead discard
estimates from 2003 in excess of 20t |
<58.6t> |
<58.6t> |
- |
2004 TAC |
1,492.2t |
1,359.3t* |
132.9t |
*
Includes 5t for the offshore tuna licence, deducted from the Canadian total
before applying the 10/90 split between gear sectors.
8.1.1 Harpoon Sector Quota Management
Within the harpoon fleet sector, the quota is divided
between Groups A and B as per the original terms and conditions established in
the 2000-2002 Plan and more recently as amended in the industry CHPs in Appendix
IV. Due to the high degree of annual variability in harpoon landings, DFO has
authorized this fleet sector to risk manage its quota over a 3-year timeframe
(coincident with the ICCAT stock assessment cycle) by allowing quota overruns of
up to 30% in any one year, with commensurate deductions of quota from their
share in the following year.
8.1.2 Longline Sector ITQ Management
From the time of their first implementation to 2004
inclusively, ITQs have been managed by condition of licence for lack of the
ability pursuant to the Atlantic Fishery Regulations
to regulate the swordfish fishery based on vessel classes. A regulatory
amendment to introduce vessel classes to this fishery, initiated in 2002, is
expected to be finalized in the fall of 2004. It is anticipated that effective
2005, ITQ management can be achieved through Variation Orders to close the
fishery by vessel class.
8.2 Fleet Sector CHPs
Each Association, group of fishers or individual licence
holder wishing to fish within this overall Plan must submit, for approval by the
Department, a CHP for their Association, group, or themselves that outlines how
they will fish within the requirements of the respective fleet sector plan. Any
new CHPs or substantial changes to existing CHPs must undergo consultations at
SFLPAC and, if needed, ALPAC, prior to DFO approval.
Following approval of these submissions, licence
conditions will be issued to those covered by CHPs. CHPs must, at a minimum,
specify their arrangements for at-sea monitoring where required by the fleet
sector plan, dockside monitoring of all landings, how those covered by the CHP
will contribute to the enhanced scientific assessment of the stock,
co-management initiatives where applicable, and quota management.
There are currently four approved CHPs under this Plan,
which are included in Appendix IV.
8.3 Fishing Area and Season
Prior to 2002, the swordfish and other tunas fisheries
operated on a calendar year basis. At the request of industry in 2002, the
fishing year was changed to fiscal year, notably April 1 to March 31, to better
coincide with timing of the domestic consultative process, which is driven in
turn by the annual ICCAT meeting schedules. The Canadian quota for the
transition year of 2002 was effectively applied over a 15 month period to March
31, 2003. Given that no fishing has traditionally occurred in the January to
March period historically, this change is not expected to have an impact on
reporting to ICCAT, which continues to be done on a calendar year basis.
In 2003, the fishing area authorized by condition of
licence for the pelagic longline fishery was extended from the North Atlantic
Fisheries Organization (NAFO) boundaries to the most restrictive ICCAT
boundaries within which Canadian allocations apply. This change was implemented
after Canada received its 15t bluefin by-catch allocation in the central north
Atlantic. For north Atlantic swordfish, the ICCAT boundary is set at 5ºN
latitude, and for western Atlantic bluefin, the ICCAT boundary is 45ºW longitude
except north of 10ºN, where Canadian vessels are now authorized to fish to the
eastern boundary of ICCAT Area 3 - at 30ºW longitude. Fishing outside of these
boundaries would require Canadian vessels to discard swordfish (south of 5ºN)
and bluefin tuna since Canada does not have allocations in these areas.
8.4 Monitoring of the Fishery (at-sea, dockside,
quota)
Fishing activities are to be recorded in DFO approved
logbooks, in the prescribed manner. All discards (dead or alive) must be
recorded on log documents.
A conversion factor of 1.3, as determined by ICCAT, will
be applied to the dressed swordfish weights for quota monitoring purposes.
There will be 100% industry-funded dockside monitoring of
all landings.
The minimum level of at-sea observer coverage of the
longline fleet (except the offshore tuna licence) is 5% of estimated sea days
(based on the previous year's actual sea days). In the harpoon sector, an
approximately equivalent contribution to scientific study of the stock is
required.
Observer coverage for the offshore tuna licence has
traditionally been set in the 50-100% range. In 2004 new observer coverage
requirements will be implemented on a trial basis in support of increasing other
tuna ratios to 75% of all tunas landed. Observer coverage will remain at 100%
while fishing within 50 miles from shore, while a rate of 25% coverage will be
required while fishing outside 50 miles.
Inter-regional co-ordination of hails and landings,
including trip hails and daily hails when required, have been in place since
2000. In-season, the Maritimes Region coordinates inter-regional ITQ monitoring
and control. This is complemented by DFO Ottawa's year-end compilation of data
for total Atlantic landings, from all gear types. The NSSA and SHA will be
monitoring their own hails and landings, as well as DFO, and ensuring that the
hails are received by DFO through their arrangements with their DMP companies.
Vessels >24 m in length, vessels fishing other tunas
licences and bluefin tuna licences concurrently on the same trip, and vessels
fishing outside of NAFO boundaries, including those fishing the 15t bluefin tuna
by-catch quota in the central north Atlantic, are required to have electronic
VMS in 2004. The full pelagic longline fleet will be required to have VMS at
the start of the 2005 fishing season.
8.5 Time/Area Closures and Protocols
With the exception of the Gully MPA Zone 1, which is a
legislated closure, certain areas are closed to swordfish fishing (by longlining
and/or harpoon) and to other tunas longlining for reasons related to potential
gear conflicts with other fisheries, to protect swordfish broodstock at certain
times of the year, and to minimize by-catch of bluefin tuna (for which the fleet
has no quota outside of the central north Atlantic). ICCAT promotes the use of
time/area closures to protect small swordfish, which may frequent certain areas
to a greater degree at certain times of the year, but to date there has been no
scientific basis for establishing permanent small fish closures in Canada.
Details of closures are outlined below. A noteworthy
change from the 2000-2002 Plan is the abolishment of the pre-August 1 west of
65º30'W closure and the permanent closure of the Hell Hole to longline gear from
July 1 to November 30, based on a scientific review of the effectiveness of
these closures in reducing bluefin tuna by-catch. A flexible strategy for
observer deployments will be employed with regard to west of 65º30'W so that
unusual occurrences in the fishery can be well monitored. All of the closures
below apply equally to the offshore tuna licence. In addition, the offshore
tuna licence is not authorized to fish inside the boundaries of Canada's
Territorial Sea (12 miles offshore), and only with 100% observer coverage inside
50 miles offshore.
(1) Fishing Zone 1 (Bay of Fundy) and Fishing Zone
2 (Gulf of St. Lawrence) are permanent closures to the swordfish and other tunas
longline fishery as well as to the swordfish harpoon fishery. Only the
swordfish harpoon fishery may operate in 4Vn.
(2) Directed or incidental catches of tunas other
than bluefin are not authorized in the portion of NAFO Division 4W known as 4Wd
and enclosed by the lines joining the points listed below.
Point
Latitude (N)
Longitude (W)
1.
45°43'00" 60°15'00"
2.
45°40'00" 60°00'00"
3.
44°50'00" 60°00'00"
4.
44°50'00" 61°30'00"
5.
45°05'24" 61°42'00"
(3) The area known as the "Swordfish Broodstock
Closure", illustrated in Figure 6A and delineated by lines joining the
coordinates listed below, between Cape Sable Island and Liscomb, Nova Scotia
(NS), is closed to the harpoon gear sector from September 1 every year. This
closure, implemented at industry's request, is to enhance conservation of large
and broodstock females known to be in this area at that time of year. The
harpoon gear sector is known to catch a greater proportion of mature females
than males due to the basking behaviour of the former. The area use to be
closed to both harpoon and longline gear sectors until 2001, at which time the
longline sector requested it be reopened to them.
Cape Sable to Liscomb Swordfish broodstock closure area:
Point Latitude
(N) Longitude (W)
1.
43°23'18" 65°37'10" (Cape Sable, NS)
2.
43°12'00" 65°36'00"
3.
43°11'00" 63°24'00"
4.
44°13'00" 62°00'00"
5.
45°00'00" 62°00'00" (Liscomb Point, NS)
(4) The closure known as the Bluefin Exclusion Zone (BEZ),
enclosed by the coastline of NS and straight lines joining the points listed
below in the order in which they are listed and illustrated in Figure 6A, was
implemented in 2001 (upon abolishing the Swordfish Broodstock Closure to the
longline fleet) as a permanent closure to pelagic longline gear during the
period August 1 to December 31 annually to protect bluefin tuna:
Point Latitude
(N) Longitude (W)
1.
43°23'18" 65°37'10" (Cape Sable, NS)
2. 43°10'48"
65°37'10"
3.
44°42'00" 62°00'00"
4. 45°00'00"
62°00'00" (Liscomb Point, NS)
(5) A closure of the area known as the "Hell Hole"
to pelagic longline gear, illustrated in Figure 6A and delineated by straight
lines joining the points listed below, was put in place first in 2003 on an
interim basis, then on a permanent basis in 2004 from July 1 to November 30
annually to protect bluefin tuna known to be abundant in this area during that
time period.
Point Latitude
(N) Longitude (W)
1.
42°06'00" 65°41'24"
2.
42°06'00" 65°27'30"
3.
41°55'48" 65°27'30"
4.
41°55'48'' 65°41'24"
5. 42°06'00"
65°41'24"
(6) Effective 2004, the area defined in regulations
pursuant to the Ocean's Act as Zone 1 of the Gully MPA and illustrated in Figure
6B is closed to all fishing activity.
Figure 6A. Swordfish and Other Tunas
Time/Area Closures: BEZ closed to longline gear Aug. 1 ‑ Dec. 31; Swordfish
Broodstock Closure to harpoon gear Sept. 1 - Dec. 31; Hell Hole closure to
longline gear July 1 - Nov. 30. The pre-August 1 west of 65º30'W line closure,
in place from 1995 to 2003, was lifted in 2004.
Figure 6B. Gully MPA Zone 1 Closure
Map
8.6 Other Relevant
Elements
(a) Licensing
-
All licensing activities
associated with swordfish and other tunas will be subject to the Canadian
Commercial Fisheries Licensing Policy for Eastern Canada.
-
Both swordfish harpoon
and pelagic longline vessels, including the offshore tuna licence, will be
required to adhere to the provisions of specific Conditions of Licence.
- Other tunas longline licence holders eligible to
possess bluefin tuna licences are authorized to use them concurrently on the
same fishing trip, subject to special licence conditions. This would allow
them to retain and tag bluefin tuna caught incidentally on longline gear, and
require them to end their fishing trip when all tags have been used.
- Other tunas licence holders who obtain tuna tags
through bluefin quota transfers from a bluefin tuna fleet are authorized to
retain and tag bluefin tuna caught on longline gear, but are required to end
their fishing trip when all tags have been used.
- Swordfish and other tunas longline licences are
authorized to use pelagic longline and harpoon gear.
- Other tunas licence holders may opt to use trolling
gear to augment their catches of other tunas, subject to special licence
conditions and a minimum requirement of 0.5t of swordfish Individual Quota
(IQ) prior to departure from port. Licence holders electing to use trolling
gear are not entitled to fish concurrently with a bluefin tuna licence nor
retain bluefin tuna caught incidentally under any circumstances.
- Swordfish harpoon licence holders are not permitted to
use their swordfish harpoon licence concurrently with any other large pelagic
licence, except a swordfish longline licence.
- Other tunas and swordfish licences may not be split.
(b) Key Legislation
- Fisheries Act
- Fishery (General) Regulations
- Atlantic Fishery Regulations, 1985
- Oceans Act
- SARA
- Coastal Fisheries Protection Act
(c) Safety at Sea
This Plan endeavours to ensure that its implementation
will not result in unsafe situations for fishers at sea. As of this writing,
there are no known aspects of the Plan, which would make it inconsistent with
relevant federal and provincial acts and regulations pertaining to health and
safety at sea.
Back to Top
9.1 Overview
DFO's Conservation and
Protection Division (C&P) supports conservation and sustainability of the
swordfish and other tunas fisheries through the delivery of a surveillance and
enforcement program. Its primary interest is ensuring compliance with the laws
and policies that govern fishing activity through surveillance and inspection.
It also conducts investigations and takes follow-up action that may include
prosecution or working with resource managers to find other solutions that
address the conservation needs of the fishery.
In consideration that many of the conservation measures
that apply to the swordfish and other tunas fisheries derive from ICCAT, C&P
works with other DFO branches and the fishing industry to apply pertinent ICCAT
recommendations as legally binding and enforceable licence conditions.
The swordfish and other tunas fishery represents a unique
challenge to C&P in that fishing can occur over an expanse of water of 1,000,000
km² or more. Whereas more traditional surveillance platforms such as patrol
vessels and dockside inspections suffice for other fisheries that take place
within sight of land, aerial surveillance, electronic VMS and sea-going
observers take on greater significance in the delivery of the C&P program for
swordfish and other large pelagics fisheries.
9.2 Main Program Activities
Sea-going Observers: C&P manages this program on behalf
of DFO. It arranges for the deployment of contract observers, analyses the data
they provide and ensures program integrity through an assessment of observer
performance. Whereas the standard coverage level is 5% of all sea days, C&P
will recommend increasing the coverage level in response to unforeseen
conservation concerns, a poor record of compliance or in order to assess
industry requested measures. Whereas sea going observers also fulfill a
scientific role through the recording of catch and effort data and sampling, the
information they gather is critical to C&P as it can be used as a yardstick to
measure compliance with respect to juvenile swordfish, incidental catches and
areas of capture.
Dockside Observers: C&P has assumed a greater role in the
delivery of "arm's length" DMP through quality control audits and investigation
of incidents reported by dockside observers. C&P works with the companies that
deliver DMP to ensure the integrity of species identification and reported catch
weights.
Land-based Fishery Officers: conduct dockside audits to
ensure the integrity of weighouts for both longline and harpoon vessels. They
will also investigate suspected illegal, unreported landings.
Quotas: In consideration that the longline and harpoon
sectors manage quota distribution within their respective fleets, C&P's role is
mostly limited to enforcing overall closures once all quotas are fulfilled or
investigating reports of quota manipulation that involve transshipments,
highgrading or dumping.
VMS: C&P is responsible for ensuring compliance with
electronic VMS requirements and actively monitors the signals from these
systems. It may also conduct catch comparisons between vessels with electronic
VMS aboard and those with observer coverage that fished in similar locations.
9.3 Fishery Patrol Vessels
These provide a platform from which C&P's Fishery Officers
may conduct inspections to check catch weight, assess species composition,
inspect catch records and monitor fishing activities for both longline and
harpoon vessels. Patrol vessels may also be used to monitor boundary lines and
closed areas.
Whereas most offshore patrol vessel activity is carried
out from large Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) vessels, these are often multi-tasked
for other fisheries or activities, such as search and rescue. C&P officers
occasionally participate in joint patrols with Canada's Navy. There are also
plans to acquire midshore type dedicated patrol vessels in the years to come.
9.4 Aerial Surveillance
C&P's aerial surveillance program is delivered through a
contract with Provincial Airlines Limited who provide patrols on a year round,
round the clock basis using King Air 200 turboprop aircraft based in Halifax and
St. John's. Fishery Officers are assigned to each flight.
Most aerial patrols are tasked by area rather than for a
specific fishery as they can cover a broad distance in a short time. This
capability is supplemented through long range radar (300 nautical mile (NM)
range), which permits the aircraft to detect concentrations of vessel
activities. The aircraft are also equipped to detect and identify targets
during dark hours.
C&P officers will occasionally participate in patrols
aboard the Canadian Air Force Aurora surveillance aircraft or receive and act
upon sightings of suspicious activity reported by the Department of National
Defence (DND). This represents DFO's prime means of compliance with ICCAT
recommendations in respect to Illegal, Unlicensed, Unreported (IUU) vessels.
Aircraft are most useful to C&P in determining where
fishing is concentrated so as to target other surveillance platforms such as
patrol vessels. They are also C&P's primary platform for detection of closed
area violations. The key areas of concern in the swordfish and other tunas
fisheries are:
- The Gulf of St. Lawrence (Fishing Zone 1)
- The Bay of Fundy (Fishing Zone 2)
- The Hell Hole
- The Bluefin Exclusion Zone
- The Gully and other protected marine areas
- Quota Closures
9.5 Enforcement
Issues and Strategies
Tables 5 and 6 summarize
the various threats that face the successful implementation of the plan for the
swordfish and other tunas fisheries and provides statistics on C&P activities
and violations detected over the period from 1995-2003.
Table 5. C&P Issues for the Swordfish and Other Tunas
Fisheries
Hazard |
Control
Measure |
Trigger Point |
Corrective Actions |
Status |
Capture of juvenile
swordfish |
Review observer reports and
length frequency samples Monitor offloadings
Observations/samples by Fishery Officers
Fishers avoid areas where juvenile swordfish is
prevalent
|
Reports that vessels not
moving from areas where small swordfish abundant
Landings of juvenile swordfish in excess of 15% limit
|
Recommendation to close area
Increased observer coverage
Warn or charge where small swordfish retained in
excess of limit
|
Licence holders can again
land up to 15% of the number of longer swordfish. Reduces the waste of
juvenile swordfish that were already dead upon capture. |
Discards of mature swordfish
to preserve quota or maximize harvest of other tunas |
Review observer and officer
boarding reports to determine compliance benchmark
Reports from fishers
Use observer and VMS data
Develop new automated analytical reports (VDC)
|
Direct observations
Statistical evidence of dumping |
Targetted and/or increased
observer coverage |
The ITQ regime might have
reduced the risk but still need to remain alert to possibility. |
Unreported
incidental catch of bluefin tuna
|
Review observer and officer
boarding reports to determine frequency of bluefin hookups
Use VMS and hails as a cross reference
Use data from vessels with concurrency as cross
reference
New automated analytical reports
|
Activity in areas of known
bluefin abundance Observer reports
Patrol vessel inspections
|
Encourage further transfers
of bluefin quota to accommodate incidental catch |
Greater flexibility
introduced in 2004 for bluefin quota transfers
Greater flexibility in 2004 to allow retention of bluefin caught on
longlines (provided quota and tags available)
|
Unreported
release of incidental catch species to which catch limits
apply (e.g. albacore)
|
Observer reports
Fisher reports
Landings data analysis
New automated analytical reports
|
Reports of dead discards
from observers |
Recommendation to increase
observer coverage Recommended area/seasonal
closures
Encourage industry solutions e.g. on board freezing
|
Poor market conditions can
prompt fishers to dump certain species even though the fish may be dead. The
worst problem in recent years has been with albacore. This fish is seldom
reported and causes distortions in landings and catch data. |
Positional reporting
integrity |
Electronic VMS
Aerial surveillance
Hail analysis
Logbook review
|
Observations or signals for
vessels at locations other than where they are known to be located |
Mandatory VMS and increased
reporting frequency
Observer coverage
Enforcement action
|
The catch data used for
scientific analysis is mostly based on log data. Incorrect positional
reporting can cause distortion in species distribution analysis |
Catch reporting (logbook)
integrity |
Landings checks and analysis
DMP audits
Cross reference with observer and other vessel reports
New automated analytical reports
|
Known omission or
underreporting of species Statistical
probability of misreporting
|
Enforcement action
Observer coverage
|
The catch data used for
scientific analysis is mostly based on log data. Incorrect catch reporting
can cause distortion in Canadian catch data submitted to ICCAT for stock
assessment purposes |
Hell Hole
closure to longline gear
|
Electronic VMS
Aerial surveillance
Observer data
Patrol vessel inspections
Fisher reports
|
Vessels observed in Hell
Hole on VMS (no proof of fishing) Vessels
sighted by aircraft, while fishing in Hell Hole
Significant incidental bluefin catch in areas
surrounding Hell Hole
|
Observer coverage
Enforcement action
Recommendation to adjust closure boundary
|
This closure is in place
from July 1 to November 30 to protect an area where bluefin are known to
congregate. The closure is intended to minimize incidental catches of
bluefin and avoid conflicts with sectors that direct for bluefin. |
Bluefin Exclusion Zone |
Electronic VMS
Aerial surveillance
Observer data
Patrol vessel inspections
Fisher reports
|
VMS tracks consistent with
fishing rather than steaming Vessels sighted by
aircraft, while fishing in area
|
Observer coverage
Enforcement action
|
Lower risk than Hell Hole.
This area is close to shore and is a heavy traffic zone for all types of
vessels. DFO aircraft and patrol vessels often traverse the area on both the
inbound and outbound legs of their patrols. |
Bay of Fundy and Gulf of
St. Lawrence |
Electronic VMS
Aerial surveillance
Patrol vessel inspections
Fisher reports
|
VMS tracks consistent with
fishing rather than steaming Vessels sighted by
aircraft, while fishing in area
|
Observer coverage
Enforcement action
|
Lower risk as swordfish not
known to be abundant in these areas. |
Protected Marine Areas |
Electronic VMS
Aerial surveillance
Patrol vessel inspections
Fisher reports
|
VMS tracks consistent with
fishing rather than steaming Vessels sighted by
aircraft, while fishing in area
|
Observer coverage
Close through variation order
Closure as condition of licence
|
The Gully MPA does not yet
appear as a prohibited area in licences for this fishery. Increased vessel
activity or harmful practices in this or other protected areas may trigger
formal closures. |
Bypassing DMP (illegal,
unreported landings) |
Shore based surveillance
Observer (dockside) reports
Tips from the public
Electronic VMS
|
Vessels observed offloading
with no observer or no hail in Crew observed
removing fish before it is weighed
Suspect VMS records
|
Enforcement action
Recommendations for severe penalties due to the
especially serious conservation implications
|
Difficult to quantify by
nature, but C&P must remain alert to the possibility. |
Collusion between DMP and
fishers |
Shore based surveillance and
investigation DMP audits
|
Dockside observers fail to
independently record weights Too close
correlation between hails and weighouts
|
Enforcement action
Sanction of Dockside Monitoring Companies (DMC) and
observers
|
Difficult to quantify by
nature, but C&P must remain alert to the possibility. |
Gear marking and other
restrictions |
Observer data
Patrol vessel
inspections
Fisher reports
|
Detection of unmarked gear |
Warnings
Seizure of gear
Enforcement action
|
Gear marking is a
legal requirement that assures accountability on the part of fishers for
their gear and permits C&P to identify the licence holder to whom a string
of gear may pertain.
DFO patrol vessels routinely seize unmarked,
unidentified gear.
|
"Kegging" of unauthorized
species in general and on unobserved trolling trips
(e.g. bluefin tuna)
|
Observer data
Patrol vessel inspections
Fisher reports
|
Observer reports of
"kegging" Detection of species, which are
supposed to be immediately released, tied to buoys
|
Enforcement action
Seizure of fish and gear
More strict requirements in respect to immediate
release of fish
|
Swordfish longline vessels
may also employ trolling gear pursuant to the "other tuna" they may fish
concurrently. "Kegging" is the practice where a vessel crew ties a recently
caught fish to a buoy in order to permit the vessel to pursue other fish.
There is risk that the "kegged" fish may be of a species to which immediate
release requirements apply. |
Foreign "IUU" fishing |
Aerial surveillance
Observer reports
Fisher reports
Military reports
|
Sighting of any foreign
longline type vessel while fishing with no visible markings or flag, or
flying the flag of a non-ICCAT member nation. |
Immediate report to DFO's
International Directorate in Ottawa for further analysis and report to ICCAT |
Fishing in the Atlantic by
non-ICCAT nations (IUU) threatens the integrity of domestic and
international conservation measures. There was
one sighting of a suspect vessel in 2003.
|
Table 6. Statistical Summary of C&P
Activities
|
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
Large Patrol Vessel Days |
49 |
6 |
1.7 |
1.5 |
6.2 |
0 |
3.9 |
11 |
2.6 |
Aircraft Hours |
59 |
10 |
16.6 |
3 |
5.5 |
12.5 |
24.7 |
30.4 |
45 |
Dockside Checks Hours |
198 |
133 |
78 |
175 |
219 |
78.5 |
172 |
81.5 |
469 |
Violations* |
1 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
10 |
600+ |
8 |
17 |
5 |
*Includes all detected violations
regardless of outcome. Also includes cases that arose from concurrent activity
for bluefin, swordfish and other tunas.
Back to Top
10.1 Industry and/or Other Harvesters
Fishers are required to pay the full cost of 100%
dockside monitoring for this fishery through direct contract with a DFO
approved DMC.
Fishers are required to pay for at-sea observers for the
collection of scientific data and to monitor fishing activity at sea. The
base level of coverage will be determined in discussions involving
stakeholders and the Department.
Back to Top
11.1 Management Plan Evaluation Criteria
In order to determine if this Management Plan meets its
goals, the following management, science and enforcement performance
indicators may be reviewed annually, upon conclusion of the 3-year Plan, or
upon conclusion of the ICCAT swordfish assessment cycle, as appropriate. The
Canadian management plan timeframe attempts to mirror the ICCAT planning
cycle. For the current plan, this would have corresponded to 2003-2005.
However, due to ICCAT's postponement of the next swordfish assessment to 2006,
the current Plan also extends to 2006.
- Canadian swordfish quota not exceeded in any one
year.
- Small swordfish dead discards reduced or eliminated
from pre-2004 levels.
- Bluefin tuna dead discards reduced from
pre-2004 levels.
- Mitigation of non-target species by-catch achieved
(data collection improved, by-catch rates reduced, rate of de-hooking
achieved, probability of post-release mortality improved).
- BMSY restored for swordfish by 2010 under the
10-year ICCAT rebuilding program.
- MSY achieved in the swordfish fishery by 2010
under the 10-year ICCAT rebuilding program.
- No increase in licences or in overall
authorized vessel capacity (per ICCAT effort controls).
- 100% VMS implementation achieved on the
domestic longline fleet by 2005.
- Minimum observer coverage targets met annually.
- 100% logbook and pelagic receiving tally document
collection.
- Quality of logbook data.
- Standardized swordfish CPUE submitted to ICCAT
in assessment years.
- Task I and Task II data submitted annually to ICCAT.
- High level of domestic fleet compliance achieved.
- All foreign IUU vessels detected reported to
ICCAT.
Specific review methodologies under development by C&P
in support of the performance evaluation criteria include those listed below.
Some of these initiatives are generic in nature, applicable to a broad range
of fisheries and not just swordfish and other tunas fisheries.
Analysis of Observer
Catch and Sampling Data: to assess the change to a 15% allowance on juvenile
swordfish. Analysis to focus on whether fishers release live juvenile
swordfish while retaining dead fish. Will also examine frequency of juvenile
swordfish and assess relativity of dressed length/weight equivalents to the
125 cm fork length limit.
Analysis of Observer and Log Catch Composition Data: to
conduct ongoing analysis of bluefin catch frequency in longline fishery and
examine the effectiveness of existing or new bluefin tuna dead discard
reduction measures. Also assess sea going observer performance similar to
process that already exists for dockside observers.
Analysis of Positional Reporting Integrity: Comparison
of hail, VMS and observer data to determine whether bluefin tuna by-catch
reasonably reported, as well as other catch reporting issues. Examination of
VMS tracks through closed areas to ensure they are consistent with steaming
rather than fishing.
DMP Analysis: Part of a larger project for all
fisheries to assess dockside observer and company performance through
comparison of hail and weighout data and other analysis. Identical hail and
weighout data may be indicative of underreporting and collusion. Results may
be used in individual observer and company designation process.
"Kegging": Limited data from previous years has not
provided sufficient comfort level for this practice. Determine whether 2004
season has yielded significant new observer data that would support a more
definitive decision on this issue.
Analysis of Aerial Sightings and VMS Data: Greater data
availability through initiatives such as the Maritimes Region Virtual Data
Centre and Newfoundland & Labrador Region VUE system will facilitate more
compliance data analysis.
11.2 Annual (Post-Season) Review Results
This Plan marks the first time an objective-based
management format has been applied. Accordingly, the plan provides for a
number of measurable criteria against which performance can be gauged on an
annual basis. SFLPAC and ALPAC would provide suitable fora for conducting the
annual reviews in subsequent years.
Back to Top
ATLANTIC LARGE PELAGICS ADVISORY COMMITTEE (ALPAC)
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Purpose
The purpose of the Atlantic Large Pelagics Advisory
Committee (ALPAC) is to provide advice to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans
(DFO) on the management and development of the fisheries for tuna, swordfish,
porbeagle shark and other large pelagic species of Atlantic Canada. In doing so
it will replace the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Advisory Committee (ABTAC) and
Atlantic Swordfish Advisory Committee (ASAC).
Regional committees, similarly structured, will provide
input to the Atlantic Committee. Membership for the Atlantic Committee will be
drawn from those regional committees.
Scope
The Committee will provide the opportunity for
consultation between various parties with interest in or jurisdiction over the
industry. Membership will include the federal government, provincial
governments, fishers and processors.
Advice from the various Regional Advisory Committees will
be consolidated by ALPAC.
The Committee will provide input on annual management
plans, which may include, but is not restricted to advice on: quota allocations,
regulatory amendments, enforcement efforts, licensing policies, seasons, size
limits, gear restrictions, the administration of enterprise allocation programs,
allocation of foreign quotas and developmental activities.
The Committee will take into consideration biological,
marketing and other relevant information when formulating its advice.
Chairman
The Committee chairmanship will be held by a DFO official.
Sub-committees
Ad hoc subcommittees and/or working groups can be
established to review and assess specific policy options and management
measures.
Meetings
Meetings will be held at the call of the Chairman and
there will be not less than one meeting convened each year. Additional meetings
may be necessary as determined by the Committee.
Meetings may be held in any of the participating Regions
or at National Headquarters in Ottawa. When feasible, meetings will be held at
times and places convenient to the membership.
Attendance
If a member cannot attend, an alternate may be nominated
and the Chairman notified as far in advance of the meeting date as possible.
The proceedings of the Advisory Committee meetings will be
open to the public and media representatives unless a majority of Committee
members say otherwise before a meeting starts. Observers will sit away from the
table and not take part in discussions unless asked by the Chairman. Numbers of
observers may be restricted, at the discretion of the Chairman, in a case of
limited space in the meeting facility.
Administration
Effective January 1, 1994, the Department will no longer
reimburse expenses for attendance at meetings.
No formal voting procedures will be entrenched in the
conduct of the Committee, but rather it will seek to operate on a consensus
basis.
Summary results of each meeting will be prepared and
distributed by DFO.
Membership
Membership of the Committee shall be made up of those
industry sectors having major involvement in the harvesting and
processing/marketing of the resource, as well as representatives of provincial
governments and DFO.
A current list of members can be obtained from DFO in
Ottawa upon request.
Back to Top
SCOTIA FUNDY LARGE PELAGICS ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SFLPAC)
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Purpose
The Scotia Fundy Large Pelagics Advisory Committee (SFLPAC)
will provide input and advice to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans on the
conservation, protection, and utilization of the Canadian east coast fisheries
resources of tunas, swordfish and shark and on the management of the fisheries
for these large pelagics resources. This Committee will serve as the pre-eminent
consultative forum for Scotia Fundy based large pelagics' fishing industry and
government.
Scope
The Committee will provide recommendations and advice on
Maritimes (Scotia Fundy) Regional policy issues related to these fisheries.
Consequently, the Committee can review recommendations made by subcommittees to
determine what management measures could be included in Regional fishing plans.
The Committee will provide advice on annual fishing plans,
regulatory measures, fishing seasons, licensing policies, size limitations,
by-catch provisions, and gear restrictions and other aspects of the integrated
fisheries management plans (IFMP's) that may arise.
The Committee will give consideration to biological,
marketing and other information as may affect the management of the large
pelagics resource.
SFLPAC will be supported by separate working groups for
tunas, swordfish and shark.
ADMINISTRATION
Structure
Any changes to the structure and administration of the
Committee will be decided by the Committee membership, as determined by the most
recently updated membership list available.
Sub-committees
Ad hoc committees/working groups can be established to
review and assess specific policy options and management measures.
Meetings
Meetings can be held throughout the Maritimes (Scotia-Fundy)
Region. When feasible, meetings will be held at times and places convenient to
the membership.
Meetings will be held at least once per calendar year.
Additional meetings may be held if required.
Expenses
Non-DFO members do not receive funding for expenses
incurred when attending meetings.
Voting Procedures
No formal voting procedures will be established. The
Committee will seek to operate on a consensus basis. Where no consensus is
possible, the majority opinion will be noted as well as outstanding objections.
Minutes of Meetings
Minutes will be prepared and distributed by DFO in a
timely manner. First draft review of Minutes is the privilege of Committee
members, prior to public release/review of minutes in draft form.
Public Access
Unless a majority of Committee members say otherwise
before a meeting starts, and have justification for doing so, the meetings and
proceedings of the SFLPAC are open to public and media scrutiny. However, no
electronic recording devices are permitted without the express permission on a
case by case basis of the members and of the Chairperson.
Attendance
If a member cannot attend, an alternate may be nominated
and the Chairperson notified as far in advance of the meeting date as possible.
CHAIR, RAPPORTEUR, AND MEMBERSHIP
Chairperson and Rapporteur
The Committee will be chaired by a DFO official. An
industry co-chair may be appointed at the discretion of the Committee members.
The Chair may appoint a meeting Rapporteur from amongst the DFO members or
other DFO attendees. Industry members may also assist with this task, if the
selection has the support of all members.
Membership
The composition of the Committee membership shall reflect
the structure and nature of the Scotia-Fundy large pelagics fisheries. In
addition to DFO staff, the membership may include representatives of the
following Scotia-Fundy based groups where related to the large pelagics
fisheries:
- licence holders' Associations for all the relevant gear
sectors,
- Aboriginal groups, in addition to representation they
may receive via their commercial licence Associations,
- processors or other industries related to the
large pelagics fisheries, and
- provincial governments' fisheries departments/branches
(NS and NB).
With the exception of the offshore tuna licence, which is
a unique licence, individual licence holders will not sit as members of this
Committee.
Each group separately identified in the Membership List
below as a member is permitted to have a maximum of two representatives on the
Committee, with the exception of the unique offshore tuna licence, which is
permitted one representative. Additional representatives from member groups may
attend as observers, if the meeting is public, or with the approval of the Chair
if the meeting is not open to the public, as might happen on occasion. DFO
staff will be represented as the issues demand, with the minimum representation
to include the following Maritimes Region (Scotia-Fundy) Branches: Resource
Management, Conservation & Protection, and Science.
Definition
For the purpose of this Committee, in order for a
fishermen's association to be a member, it must represent a minimum of 30
Scotia-Fundy based, large pelagics licence holders who are not otherwise
represented on this Committee for those same licences or a clear majority of the
large pelagics licence holders in a distinct group if there are fewer than 30
members in that group and they are otherwise unrepresented on this Committee.
SFLPAC MEMBERSHIP LIST
SF Associations representing Licence Holders |
Contact |
Nova Scotia
Swordfishermen's Association |
Troy Atkinson
George Rennehan |
Swordfish
Harpoon Association and Atlantic Shark Association |
Dale Richardson
Patrick Gray |
Offshore
Tuna Licence * |
Andy Henneberry
|
4Vn Harpoon
Groups |
Osborne Burke
Wallace Cartwright |
Southwest
Nova Bluefin Tuna Association (SWNBTA) |
Sam Elsworth
Chris Malone |
St.
Margaret's Bay Tuna Fisherman's Association |
Robert Conrad |
Eastern Nova
Scotia Tuna Association** |
Mike Newell |
Recreational
Sector |
Bob Gavel |
One fleet
rep. from each non-SF large pelagic fishery as ex-officio participants on
relevant issues |
Gulf: Maurice Theriault
Walter Bruce or Ken Drake, Jason MacDonald
Nfld., Québec: Varies |
SF
Processors/Buyers |
Contact |
Seafood Producers of N.S.
|
Sandra
Farwell |
Clearwater Fine Foods,
Inc. |
Christine
Penney |
Sambro Fisheries Ltd. |
Don Hart |
Ivy Fisheries Ltd.
|
Andy
Henneberry |
NS Fish Packers Assoc. |
Denny Morrow |
Karlsen Shipping |
George Myra |
James L. Mood Ltd |
Cory Mood |
Aboriginal Groups |
Contact |
Atlantic Policy Congress
of First Nations |
John G. Paul |
Netukulimkewe'l
Commission |
Tim Martin |
N.B. Aboriginal People's
Council |
Phil Fraser |
Union of N.B. Indians |
Darrell Paul |
Provincial Governments |
Contact |
NS Department of
Agriculture and Fisheries |
Alan
Chandler |
NB Department of
Fisheries and Aquaculture |
Ron Cronk |
Department of Fisheries & Oceans |
Contact |
SF Resource Management -
Senior Advisor, Large Pelagics |
Odette
Murphy / Andrew McMaster |
Science:
tunas & swordfish
shark |
Dr. John Neilson
Dr. Steve Campana |
SF Conservation &
Protection: |
B.Wood, P.
MacClung, H. Williams, D. Brown |
Observer Program |
Hugh Parker |
SF Area offices |
Area
Managers or alternates |
SF Economics |
D. Liew |
Ottawa Resource
Management |
M. Calcutt |
DFO Large Pelagics
resource managers from Gulf, Quebec, and Newfoundland & Labrador Regions as
observers or ex-officio advisors for inter-regional issues, as required |
A. Hebert
(Gulf) D. Tremblay (Québec)
B. Mayne (NL) |
*This licence is unique and
represents itself via one seat on the Committee
**This group represents a distinct
sub-group of 10 4Wd licence holders within the Scotia-Fundy mobile gear bluefin
tuna sector, which are not represented by the SWNBTA.
Back to Top
Mr. Barry Rashotte
Chairman, ALPAC
Resource Management Branch
200 Kent Street
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0E6
Tel.: (613) 990-0087
Fax.: (613) 990-7051 |
Mr. Bobby MacInnis
Conservation & Protection Division
Gulf Region
Box 1236, 1 Queen St.,
Charlottetown, PEI
C1A 7M8
Tel.: (902) 566-7793
Fax.: (902) 566-7848 |
Mr. Andrew McMaster
Resource Management Branch
Maritimes Region
176 Portland St., 5th Floor, Marine House
P.O. Box 1035, Dartmouth, NS
B2Y 1J3
Tel.: (902) 426-9609
Fax.: (902) 426-9683 |
Mr. Mike Calcutt
Resource Management Branch
200 Kent Street
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0E6
Tel.: (613) 990-0096
Fax.: (613) 990-7051 |
Mr. Denis Tremblay
Resource Allocation Branch
Quebec Region
P.O. Box 15,500
Quebec, PQ
G1K 7Y7
Tel.: (418) 648-5885
Fax.: (418) 649-8002 |
Mr. Bruce Mayne
Resource Management Division
Newfoundland & Labrador Region
P.O. Box 5667
St. John's, NF
A1C 5X1
Tel.: (709) 772-4472
Fax.: (709) 772-3628 |
Mr. Alain Hébert
Resource Management Branch
Gulf Region
P.O. Box 5030
Moncton, NB
E1C 9B6
Tel.: (506) 851-7791
Fax.: (506) 851-2607 |
Dr. John Neilson
Maritimes Region
Biological Station
St. Andrews, NB
E0G 2X0
Tel.: (506) 529-5913
Fax.: (506) 529-5862 |
Mr. Bryan Wood
Conservation & Protection
Maritimes Region
176 Portland St., 5th Floor, Marine House
P.O. Box 1035, Dartmouth, NS
B2Y 1J3
Tel.: (902) 426-7627
Fax.: (902) 426-8003 |
Mr. Jerry Walsh
Conservation & Protection
Newfoundland & Labrador Region
P.O. Box 5667
St. John's, NF
A1C 5X1
Tel.: (709) 772-5857
Fax.: (709) 772-2659 |
Mr. Paul McClung
Conservation & Protection
Maritimes Region
P.O. Box 274
Sherbrooke, NS
B0J 3C0
Tel.: (902) 522-2832
Fax.: (902) 522-2836 |
|
Back to Top
MINISTER'S NEWS RELEASE 2003
NR-HQ-03-63E |
August 6, 2003 |
MINISTER THIBAULT ANNOUNCES 2003
MANAGEMENT MEASURES FOR SWORDFISH AND OTHER TUNAS
OTTAWA -- The Honourable Robert
G. Thibault, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, today announced that Canada's
2003 Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of North Atlantic Swordfish is 1,463 tonnes, an
increase of more than 40 per cent over last year's TAC.
A stock assessment conducted last year by the
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), which
manages North Atlantic Swordfish, showed signs of improvement in the stock's
health after several years of declining numbers. Since 1999, this species has
been under a 10-year rebuilding plan.
"I would also like to announce that effective this year,
the Individual Transferable Quotas program is approved with a maximum permanent
quota accumulation limit of five per cent per licence holder, to be reviewed at
the end of three years," said Minister Thibault. This follows a trial program
introduced to the longline fleet in the 2002 season which resulted in the
longest and most stable season for this fleet since the mid-1990's.
The 2003 TAC of 1,463 tonnes consists of a Canadian
allocation of 1,338 tonnes, a transfer of 25 tonnes from the United States, and
roll overs of unused Canadian quota and allowances from previous years. In 2002,
Canadian swordfish landings totaled 959 tonnes.
Additional measures set by ICCAT for 2003 include a
continuation of a 2,100 tonne cap on bigeye tuna landings and a 200 tonne cap on
albacore landings, as well as the introduction of an annual bycatch allocation
of 15 tonnes of bluefin tuna for Canadian pelagic longline vessels operating in
the central-north Atlantic. There are no catch level restrictions on yellowfin
tuna in 2003.
Swordfish and other types of tunas are highly migratory,
large pelagic fish that range throughout the North and South Atlantic.
Swordfish can be found in Canadian waters from May to November, primarily along
the edge of Georges Bank, the Scotian Shelf and the Grand Banks.
The backgrounder related to this announcement is available
on Fisheries and Oceans Canada's website at
www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media_e.htm
BACKGROUNDER
B-HQ-03-63E(a)
2003 SWORDFISH AND OTHER TUNAS
MANAGEMENT PLAN
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Odette Murphy
Maritimes Region
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
(902) 426-9609 |
Bruce Mayne
Newfoundland & Labrador Region
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
(709) 772-4472 |
Mike Calcutt
Fisheries Management
Ottawa
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
(613) 990-0096 |
|
Back to Top
ALPAC LETTER TO MEMBERSHIP 2004
TO/À: ALL ALPAC MEMBERS/ TOUS LES MEMBRES DU CCGPPA
(Original dated April 6,
2004) (Version
originale datée du 6 avril, 2004)
BLUEFIN TUNA
MANAGEMENT - 2004 |
GESTION DU THON ROUGE
- 2004 |
I am writing to inform you that the
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has made a number of operational
decisions concerning the management of bluefin tuna for 2004. |
Le ministre des Pêches et des
Océans (MPO) a pris un certain nombre de décisions opérationnelles
concernant la gestion du thon rouge en 2004. |
The following measures will apply in
2004: |
Les mesures suivantes seront en vigueur
en 2004: |
1. There will be no transfers between
inshore bluefin tuna fleets. This will be reviewed again for 2005.
|
1. Il n'y aura pas de transferts entre
les flottilles de pêche côtière du thon rouge. Cette mesure sera réexaminée
en 2005. |
2. The maximum limit of 35t for the ex-sector
fishery will remain in place. Fleets may reduce this amount if they wish.
This will be reviewed again in 2005. |
2. La limite maximale de 35t pour la
pêche hors secteur demeurera en vigueur. Les flottilles peuvent réduire
cette quantité si elles le désirent. Cette mesure sera réexaminée en 2005.
|
3. An inshore fleet's uncaught quota in
2004 will be added to that fleet's quota in 2005. Any uncaught quota in 2005
will be added to the Canadian quota in 2006. This will be reviewed in 2005.
|
3. Tout quota non capturé par une
flottille de pêche côtière en 2004 sera ajouté au quota de cette flottille
en 2005. Tout quota non capturé en 2005 sera ajouté au quota canadien en
2006. Cette mesure sera réexaminée en 2005. |
4. An inshore fleet's quota overrun will
be deducted from that fleet's quota in the following year. |
4. Tout dépassement de quota par
une flottille de pêche côtière sera déduit du quota de cette flottille
l'année suivante. |
5. Any unused portion of the 20t
by-catch allocation provided to the offshore licence will continue to be
rolled over to the Canadian quota the following year. |
5. Toute partie non utilisée de
l'allocation de 20 t pour prises accidentelles rattachée au permis de pêche
hauturière continuera d'être ajoutée au quota canadien l'année suivante. |
6. The Wedgeport Museum Association may
obtain up to 12 tags through transfer from willing fleet(s) for their sport
fishery events. |
6. La Wedgeport Museum Association
pourra obtenir jusqu'à 12 étiquettes en vertu d'ententes de transfert avec
des flottilles intéressées pour ses concours de pêche. |
7. The Department is willing to consider
permitting the transfer of up to 16 tags from willing fleet(s) to carry out
the Grand Manan Fishermen's Association project. This is dependent on
receiving an acceptable, more detailed proposal from the proponents and
reconfirmation that existing mechanisms are not available to exclude or
remove unwanted bluefin by-catch. |
7. Le Ministère est prêt à
examiner la possibilité de permettre le transfert d'un maximum de 16
étiquettes de flottilles intéressées pour la réalisation du projet de
l'Association des pêcheurs de Grand Manan. Les promoteurs du projet devront
cependant présenter une proposition plus détaillée; il faudra également
confirmer qu'il n'y a pas de mécanisme en place pour exclure ou éliminer les
prises accidentelles de thon rouge non souhaitées. |
To address dead discards:
8. Concurrent licence holders will be allowed to tag
bluefin tuna caught with their pelagic longline gear. A condition will be
added to their licences prohibiting them from discarding dead bluefin tuna
on concurrent trips, thus requiring them to end their trip when they have
run out of tags. |
Pour régler le problème des
poissons morts rejetés à la mer :
8. Les titulaires de permis simultanés seront
autorisés à apposer une étiquette sur les thons rouges capturés à la
palangre. Une condition sera ajoutée à leurs permis pour les empêcher de
rejeter à la mer les thons rouges morts pendant les voyages simultanés,
ainsi les obligeant à cesser la pêche lorsqu'ils n'ont plus d'étiquettes. |
9. Transfers of quota from bluefin
fleets to pelagic longline licence holders will be allowed under a one-year
pilot project. This project will be assessed before the 2005 fishery to
determine if it should continue. |
9. Les transferts de quota des
flottilles de pêche du thon rouge aux titulaires de permis de pêche
pélagique à la palangre seront permis dans le cadre d'un projet pilote d'une
durée d'un an. Ce projet sera évalué avant le début de la saison 2005 afin
de déterminer s'il devrait être prolongé. |
10. Any unused portion of the 15t
by-catch allocation provided to the pelagic longline fleet will be used to
cover dead discards. Any amount not required will roll over to the pelagic
longline fleet the following year. |
10. Toute partie non utilisée de
l'allocation de 15 t pour prises accidentelles accordée à la flottille de
pêche pélagique à la palangre sera utilisée pour tenir compte des poissons
morts rejetés à la mer. Toute partie non utilisée de l'allocation sera
ajoutée à l'allocation de la flottille de pêche pélagique à la palangre de
l'année suivante. |
Specific rules and measures to implement
these decisions will be included in Conservation Harvesting Plans and
fishing licence conditions as appropriate. These should be discussed with
your regional DFO large pelagics officer. |
Les règles et les mesures spécifiques
requises afin de mettre ces décisions en oeuvre seront incluses dans les
Plans de pêche axés sur la conservation et dans les conditions de permis de
pêche, comme approprié. Vous devez discuter ces mesures avec votre agent de
gros pélagiques régional du MPO. |
Barry Rashotte
Chairman/president
ALPAC/CCGPPA
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CONSERVATION HARVESTING PLANS
(A) Swordfish Harpoon Association
CHP
Harpoon Gear Sector Plan Years 2003;
2004; and 2005
(to be reviewed annually)
* Groups: to be established to
fish under the harpoon sector quota as follows:
Group A: Recently Active Group
B: Others
* Definitions:
Recently Active: must supply
proof to DFO via the Harpoon Association, or to DFO directly if not a member of
the Harpoon Association, either of swordfish harpoon landings or trips,
documented as received by DMP or DFO during any of the years 1996-1999.
Others: all others with
directed harpoon-only swordfish.
* CHP's: whether fishing under
Group A or Group B, a Conservation Harvesting Plan (CHP) must be submitted to
DFO for review and approval before license conditions will be issued to the
individuals covered by that CHP.
* Fishing Plan General Outline:
Group A:
Season: 2003 and 2004 - (June 1
to October 31)
2005 - (June 1 to September 15)
Quota: Total harpoon sector
quota for 2004 is 132.4 metric tons less Group B quota of 9 tons which leaves
Group A with 123.4 tons; In-season
quota review @ 70% of the harpoon sector quota
DMP: (I) 100% proof of
coverage required before CHP approved;
(II) hail-out and hail-ins required for
authorization numbers to fish and confirmation numbers to land and off-load;
(III) hails to be in dressed weights;
(IV) If Group A quota is harvested early in
2004 of the plan, we will borrow 30% of 2005 quota to harvest in 2004. At the
start of 2005, we will repay the 30%. In 2005, we will only have access to the
remaining quota.
Science: in lieu of at-sea
observers, proof of contribution to Large Pelagic Science in St. Andrews before
CHP is approved.
Logs, etc: as normal.
Over-runs: Group A to be
responsible for re-paying any over-runs back to Group A.
Rollover of unused quota: If
Group A does not harvest full quota in 2003, it will be carried forward to 2004;
likewise, for 2004, it will be carried forward to 2005. Any quota left in 2005,
will be turned over to the longliners on September 15, 2005.
Group B:
Quota: split into 2 parts; 9
tons for 2004
Season: one-half quota June 1 -
July 31; one-half quota Aug. 1 - October 31;
In-season quota review:
ongoing; (Possible one-time transfer of quota from Group A to Group B to be
determined mid-season.)
DMP: as above;
Science: same as above;
Logs: as above;
Over-runs: Group B can benefit
from roll-over of unused quota of Group B in subsequent years up to 2004; any
unused quota in 2003 and 2004, will go to Group A; 2005 quota will be 9 tons;
also, Group B to be responsible for re-paying any over-runs back to Group B.
This will be reviewed annually.
Hail Outs/Hail Ins: All vessels are required to hail out
and in and to maintain a daily log sheet and accept mandatory D.M.P. of DFO
specifications. All log sheets must be sent to the Monitoring Company. Failure
to submit these log sheets within a specified time will result in sanction of
your fishing privileges.
Additional Considerations:
- All weights indicated in previously mentioned plan(s)
are in dressed weights using a conversion factor of 1.3%.
- Minimum length of 125 cm with 15% tolerance below 125
cm per number of fish per trip on one year trial basis.
- All license holders wishing to fish in Group A or Group
B must have proof of membership or alternate approved CHP before D.F.O. issues
fishing conditions.
- Each sector will be responsible for its own over-run.
- The use of airplanes, ultralites, or other aerial
devices to locate or assist in the harvest of swordfish is not permitted. If
spotter planes are used in the fishery by any member of the Swordfish Harpoon
Association, it may be deemed that the member is not working within the
principles of the Association; therefore, the membership may be revoked.
- Any decisions made by the Swordfish Harpoon Association
committee will be final.
License Conditions:
Concurrent licenses may fish harpoon-swordfish through
dual hails.
Following example: Groundfish - harpoon
Bluefin Tuna - harpoon
Crab - harpoon
Large Pelagic Longline Licenses - shark, swordfish, and
other tunas are not permitted to fish concurrently.
Dale Richardson/Patrick Gray/Larry
Sears
(B)
Nova Scotia Swordfishermen's Association CHP
Conservation - Harvesting Plan
2004 Swordfish / Other Tunas Longline Fishery
General Outline
1.
Directed swordfish and other tuna fleet to begin its fishery April 1, 2004, with
a quota of 1430.9 mt[1].
(Note: subject to adjustment once 2003 dead discard estimate is available). A
total of 20mt. will be held back until the dead discard estimates are completed.
2. The swordfish and other
tuna fleet will operate based on an Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) system
as outlined in Appendix "A", attached.
3. All sub-sectors,
excepting the offshore tuna license, with allocations to be responsible for
their respective quotas; i.e., to take advantage of annual rollovers of unused
quotas. All sub-sectors, including the offshore tuna license will be responsible
for payback of any over-runs and ICCAT penalties they may incur.
4. The Nova Scotia
Swordfishermen's Association will be responsible for administrating rollovers
and transfers, for its members.
For reasons of parity, non-association participants are
expected to fish under a DFO approved CHP that meets, at a minimum, the
standards set out by the IFMP and NSSA CHP. All Newfoundland vessels as members
of the NSSA, would be able to participate in the self-administered plan.
5. DFO-Maritimes Region to
provide in-season and year-end roll-ups of both Maritimes and Newfoundland &
Labrador Region landings data summary to each Region and to the NSSA.
Closed Areas
1. The area known as the
"Hell Hole" and delineated by lines joining the coordinates as below will be
closed to pelagic longline gear from July 1st to November 30th inclusive. If it
is determined that the closure needs to be extended for conservation reasons,
this will be done through variation order.
Point Latitude
(N) Longitude (W)
1. 42
06'00"N 65 41'24"W
2.
42 06'00"N 65 27'30"W
3.
41 55'48"N 65 27'30"W
4.
41 55'48"N 65 41'24"W
5.
42 06'00"N 65 41'24"W
2. The area delineated by
lines joining the coordinates as below, between Cape Sable Island and Liscomb,
N.S., and referred to, as the "Bluefin Exclusion Area" will be closed to pelagic
longline gear throughout the season.
Point Latitude
(N) Longitude (W)
1. 43
23'18"N 65 37'10"W
2.
43 10'48"N 65 37'10"W
3.
44 42'00"N 62 00'00"W
4.
45 00'00"N 62 00'00"W
3. The area west of 65 30'
00" West Longitude that was previously closed before August 1st will be opened
in 2004. A flexible strategy for observer deployments will be employed so that
unusual occurrences in the fishery can be well monitored. For 2004, this
includes an additional 20 days of observer coverage for deployment in areas of
highest activity.
Gear Use
1.
Longline gear is permitted in open areas, within NAFO areas 3,4,5 & 6 as well as
outside the NAFO Convention Area, in the ICCAT Northern Swordfish Boundary Area
North of 5 degrees North and West of 30 degrees West[2].
2. Harpoon gear is permitted
in open areas, within NAFO areas 3,4,5 & 6, as well as outside the NAFO
Convention Area, in the ICCAT Northern Swordfish Boundary Area North of 5
degrees North and West of 30 degrees West, and is also permitted in areas closed
to longline gear, provided longline gear is stowed while within closed areas.
3. Trolling gear selective
for non-bluefin tunas is permitted in open areas, within NAFO areas 3,4,5 & 6 as
well as outside the NAFO Convention Area, in the ICCAT Northern Swordfish
Boundary Area North of 5 degrees North and West of 30 degrees West, and is also
permitted in areas closed to longline gear, provided longline gear is stowed
while within closed areas.
Monitoring
1. All vessels will have
five-percent baseline observer coverage (for a total of 133 sea-days, comprised
of 108 days of standard coverage, an additional 20 days as outlined above, and 5
days coverage for trolling activities), to be deployed for maximum spatial /
temporal representation of the fishery. Fishers will call in before each trip to
arrange for observer trips. Additional observer coverage may be assessed at the
expense of the individual operator, if the Department receives incident reports
or if they fail to abide by the minimum performance standards as outlined in the
license conditions. In these cases, the Department will notify the affected
vessel and the Nova Scotia Swordfishermen's Association of the requirement for
additional observer coverage.
2. All members agree to
abide by the conditions of license, including but not limited to the following:
a. Hail-outs and hail-ins
are required for every trip. Hail-ins will be number of fish by species and
accurate weight by species.
b. DMP will be 100%. The NSSA
also commits to monitoring all of its members landings, and to keep in close
touch with DFO landings
c. 2003 logbooks will be
used. Tally sheets to continue to be used.
d. By-catch of shark species
permitted, with the "no finning" provision.
e.
Traditionally caught, quota and non-quota species of finfish such as mahi mahi,
marlin[3],
porbeagle shark, mako shark, etc. may continue to be retained. Other by-catches
are not permitted for retention, e.g. bluefin tuna (unless otherwise authorized)
and protected species.
VMS
1. As per the announcement
by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans in 2003, all swordfish / other tuna
longline vessels will be under 100% VMS coverage by the beginning of the 2005
fishing season.
2. The use of valid bluefin
tuna licenses concurrently on an other tunas trip is permitted, subject to
license condition. VMS will be required for all concurrent trips.
3. All vessels that fish
bluefin tuna by-catch in the Central North Atlantic will be equipped with an
approved and fully operational VMS system.
4. Vessels >24m and fishing
for other tuna will participate in the ICCAT pilot project on electronic vessel
monitoring (VMS).
Trolling
1. Trolling operations will
be subject to 5% observer coverage required by the fleet (Included in the 133
days stated above).
2. The requirement that all
lines remain attached to the vessel at all times will be lifted for vessels
carrying observers for the 2004 season and until further notice.
3. Additional observer
coverage will be at the discretion of the individual license holder if they wish
to keg while trolling. Higher observer coverage levels are encouraged to
accelerate data collection and evaluation of bluefin by-catch rates and
condition of release for future management decisions.
4. Carrying concurrent
bluefin and swordfish / other tuna licenses will not be permitted on trolling
trips.
Dead Discard Reduction Measures
1. In an effort to reduce
bluefin tuna dead discards, those individuals that fish both other tuna longline
licenses and bluefin tuna licenses will be required to retain bluefin tuna that
would otherwise be discarded dead from their longline catch. Therefore it is
incumbent on the license holder to insure that they have sufficient tags
available to cover all bluefin tuna by-catch before hailing out on a concurrent
trip.
2. In an effort to reduce
bluefin tuna dead discards, other tuna license holders will be permitted to
retain and land bluefin tuna if they have arranged a transfer of bluefin tuna
tags from a bluefin tuna license holder from either of the seven bluefin fleets
or from the offshore tuna operation.
3. On a trial basis for
2004, the swordfish / other tuna license holders will operate under the
alternative small swordfish protocol of 125cm with a 15% tolerance. The 15% will
be calculated for the fleet on a trip basis, as per the Atlantic Fisheries
Regulations. For operational purposes, the 15% tolerance allows each vessel to
retain 15 swordfish under the 125cm. requirement for every 100 fish retained
that are over the 125cm. length requirement.
Central North Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
1. With reference to ICCAT
Recommendation 02-07, the longline quota for bluefin tuna catch that can be
retained to account for by-catch related to their directed longline fisheries in
the management area boundary will be 15 mt.
2. A carry forward of 13.425
mt of unused quota from the 2003 season will be added to the initial allocation
of 15 mt. for a total allocation of 28.425 mt for 2004.
3. Holders of Other Tuna
License Conditions issued may purchase bluefin tuna tags issued for the
management area boundary to be used only in the management area boundary.
4. Tags to be issued to
Other Tuna License holders on request for a fee of $150.00 per tag.
5. The number of tags issued
each year will be based on the 15mt. allocation and the average size of the
individual fish taken from the area of the management boundary in the previous
year.
6. A bluefin tuna tag will
be attached to the ninth finlet from the tail of each bluefin tuna when it is
brought onboard the vessel. The tag number, estimated dressed weight (in
pounds), flank and dressed length (in inches), set location, date and time of
set will be recorded in the logbook upon completion of each set.
7. Hail in / hail out
provisions to remain the same as those currently in place. In addition to this,
vessels that catch and retain bluefin tuna in the management area boundary will
hail their catches of bluefin tuna on a daily basis at the end of each set. The
hail will be made as per license condition.
8. Observer coverage will be
part of the standard 5% required by the fleet. Strategic deployment of the 5%
will enable the Department to monitor activities in the management boundary
area.
9. The area will be closed
when the 15mt. allocation is caught.
10. Individual license holders
fishing in this area will be permitted to pick up a maximum of 10 bluefin tuna
tags per trip, on a first come, first service basis up to the maximum number of
tags assigned to the fleet.
11. Any
unused portion of the 15mt. longline allocation of bluefin tuna remaining at the
end of the fishing year will be rolled forward and added to the longline quota
in the following year.[4]
Conversely, any overrun in a given year by the longline fleet will be deducted
from the longline quota in the following year.
12. All vessels that fish
bluefin tuna by-catch in the management boundary area will be equipped with an
approved and fully operational VMS system.
Incidental By-Catch Reduction Measures
1. In an effort to reduce
post release mortalities and to facilitate better release practices for
incidentally caught sea turtles, the Nova Scotia Swordfishermen's Association
has purchased, through a joint project with Environment Canada, under the
Habitat Stewardship Program, thirty (30) sets of line clipping and dehooking
equipment.
2. The Nova Scotia
Swordfishermen's Association has undertaken a training program with its members
in the use of the line clipping and dehooking equipment.
3. The Nova Scotia
Swordfishermen's Association will be deploying, on a first come first service
basis, the above mentioned equipment to active fishing vessels for use during
the 2004 season. In 2003 there were 39 vessels active, with 33 deploying
longline gear.
4. On a voluntary basis,
beginning in 1996, in an effort to better facilitate the live release of
unwanted and unintentional by-catch, including that of sea turtles, the
swordfish / other tunas longline fleet began switching from the exclusive use of
J-hooks to 16/0 circle hooks.
a. As circle hooks are
seldom ingested by any by-catch species, typically lodging in the corner of the
mouth, they do not cause internal injuries to unintentionally caught by-catch.
b. Further, circle hooks, by
nature, do not foul hook animals, reducing the likelihood of incidentally
hooking leatherback turtles as most documented interactions with leatherback
turtles were by way of entanglement or foul hooking, as they do not eat squid or
mackerel, the preferred baits used by the fleet.
c. During the 2003 fishing
season, the swordfish / other tuna longline fleet, used circle hooks (size 16/0)
on 75% of all trips, either swordfish directed or other tuna directed.
d. Further investigation has
shown that over 90% of the vessels directing for other tunas currently uses 16/0
circle hooks and those vessels still using J-hooks are using them on swordfish
directed trips.
e. Due to the feeding nature
of swordfish, more than 15% of the catch is attributed to foul hooking and since
very few fish are foul hooked using circle hooks, there would be a significant
catch reduction in this portion of the fishery if J-hooks were not used, thus
the reluctance for the complete switch to circle hooks.
Fee Structure
1. License fees will be paid
based on actual tonnage allocated to each license. The rate has been established
at $345.00 / tonne of swordfish and $150.00 / tag for bluefin tuna.
2. All license holders will
be required to have an approved Conservation Harvesting Plan in place and will
have appropriate observer coverage plan in place before either a license
condition is issued or transfers in quota are permitted by any individual each
year.
3. Quota transfers, under
this plan, will only be permitted between Nova Scotia Swordfishermen's
Association members.
Season
1. The swordfish longline
season will be twelve months in duration. The season will run each year from
April 1st to March 31st, noting that Bluefin Tuna quota management runs on a
calendar year.
Accumulation of Quota Guidelines
1. No individual license
holder may accumulate more than 5% of the overall swordfish longline quota on a
permanent basis.
Minimum Quota Required to Conduct a Trip
1. There is a minimum quota
of 0.5mt of swordfish required to start a trip. Individual license holders will
endeavor to have or be able to obtain a transfer of fish to cover the catch for
a given trip.
Appendix A
Quota Transfer Guidelines
Nova Scotia Swordfishermen's
Association
1. Quota transfers between
license holders are to be approved by Quota Analysis Unit, Halifax upon
application.
2. Both parties must have a
validated fishing license for the current fishing year.
3. Both parties must have a
valid membership with the Nova Scotia Swordfishermen's Association.
4. The license holder (or an
officer of a corporation with signing authority in the case of a corporation
owned license) must sign the application. If it is a permanent transfer
application, a Commissioner of Oaths or Notary Public must also sign the
application.
5. The name and address of
both license holders are to be verified with the DFO computerized licensing
system.
6. A license holder will not
be permitted to hold an amount of quota that exceeds 5% of the fleet quota on a
permanent basis.
7. All temporary quota
arrangements will expire at the end of the fishing year. Beginning in 2004, the
fishing year for the Nova Scotia Swordfishermen's Association will be from April
1st to March 31st annually.
8. When a permanent transfer
of all quota is requested, the transferring license holder will only be eligible
to receive quota by transfer from another license holder. This means that they
will not be eligible for quota should the TAC be increased.
9. In the advent of an
overage of an individual's quota at the conclusion of the season, an individual
will have 30 days to arrange for a transfer or transfers to cover said overage.
10. A license holder will not
be permitted to transfer or receive quota until the access fees for the current
year and any outstanding fees from previous years have been paid.
(C)
Offshore Tuna Licence CHP
2004
Background
The offshore tuna license is unique in Canada. It is
issued by the Department and understood by the recipient that the licence
requires directing for Bigeye, Yellowfin, and Albacore Tuna so as to minimize
the by-catches of Bluefin Tuna and Swordfish.
Quotas, Tags, and Transfers
1.1. Directed
Offshore Tuna Fishery will begin April 1, 2004, with an initial swordfish quota
of 5.0 mt. and a 20 mt. bluefin tuna quota, both of which will be used as
by-catch in a directed other tunas fishery. Unused quota may not be rolled over.
1.2. Additional
swordfish quota may be transferred, on a temporary basis only, from the ITQ
swordfish longline licence(s) held by 10474 Nfld Ltd. In order to facilitate
quota tracking both within DFO and the Nova Scotia Swordfishermen's Association
(NSSA), all transfers will be conducted in accordance with the guidelines set up
under the NSSA.
1.3. The offshore
tuna license will be responsible for payback of any over-runs and ICCAT
penalties they may incur.
1.4. In an effort to
reduce bluefin tuna dead discards in the swordfish / other tunas longline
fishery, the Offshore Tuna License will be permitted to transfer a portion of
its bluefin tuna allocation to the ITQ longline vessels.
1.5. An initial
allocation of fifty (50) bluefin tuna tags will be issued to the Offshore Tuna
License. The remainder of the tags will be held by the Department and issued at
a later date to the Offshore Tuna License upon written request for their own use
or for transfer to swordfish longline vessels. The Offshore tuna licence holder
will take responsibility that the estimated catch capacity of the total number
of tags issued does not exceed 20mt.
1.6. Total landings
on tuna species other than bluefin will make up at least 75% of the overall tuna
landings on a seasonal basis during the operation of the Offshore Tuna Licence.
Previously, the requirement was that at least 50% of all tunas landed must be
tunas other than bluefin. This change, in conjunction with amended observer
coverage requirements under item 1.13 of this CHP, is being implemented on a
trial basis for 2004.
Fishing Area
1.7. With the
exception of closed areas specifically identified in the condition of license,
fishing operations may be conducted in the North Atlantic Ocean, north of 5
degrees North Latitude and west of 45 degrees West Longitude, and inside a
Central North Atlantic area defined as north of 5 degrees North Latitude and
between 45 degrees West Longitude and 30 degrees West Longitude, hereinafter
refered to as "ICCAT Area 3".
Closed Areas
1.8. The area known
as the "Hell Hole" and delineated by lines joining the coordinates as below will
be closed to the Offshore Tuna Licence from July 1st to November 30th
inclusive. If it is determined that the closure needs to be extended for
conservation reasons, this will be done through variation order.
Point Latitude
(N) Longitude (W)
1. 42
06'00"N 65 41'24"W
2. 42 06'00"N 65
27'30"W
3. 41 55'48"N 65
27'30"W
4. 41 55'48"N 65
41'24"W
5. 42 06'00"N 65
41'24"W
1.9. The area
delineated by lines joining the coordinates as below, between Cape Sable Island
and Liscomb, N.S., and referred to, as the "Bluefin Exclusion Area" will be
closed to the Offshore Tuna Licence throughout the season.
Point Latitude
(N) Longitude (W)
1. 43
23'18"N 65 37'10"W
2. 43 10'48"N 65
37'10"W
3. 44 42'00"N 62
00'00"W
4. 45 00'00"N 62
00'00"W
1.10. The portion of
Division 4W known as 4Wd enclosed by lines joining the following points will be
closed to the Offshore Tuna License throughout the season:
Point Latitude
(N) Longitude (W)
1. 45
43'00"N 60 15'00"W
2. 45 40'00"N 60
00'00"W
3. 44 50'00"N 60
00'00"W
4. 44 50'00"N 61
30'00"W
5. 45 05'24"N 61
42'00"W
1.11. Also closed
throughout the season to the Offshore Tuna Licence are NAFO Division 4Vn,
Canadian Fishing Zones 1 and 2 (Bay of Fundy and Gulf), and along the coast
inside the Territorial Sea boundary.
1.12. The area west of
65 30' 00" West Longitude and outside of the Hell Hole that was previously
closed before August 1st will be opened in 2004. The Cabot and
Funk Island closures (Newfoundland) identified in previous
plans are lifted.
Monitoring
1.13. For 2004, when
fishing outside of 50 miles from shore, a minimum of two observed trips are
required per season. Trips should be representative in duration (one trip in
the east approximately 20 days and one in the west approximately 12 days).
Previously, coverage outside 50 miles was set at 50 - 100%. The change is being
implemented on a trial basis for the purpose of supporting a stronger emphasis
on other tunas, noting that these trips are concentrated in distant eastern
areas where the duration of trips results in prohibitive observer coverage
costs.
1.14. When fishing
inside of the 50 mile boundary, 100% observer coverage is required.
1.15. Additional
observer coverage may be assessed at the expense of the operator, if the
Department receives incident reports or if they fail to abide by the minimum
performance standards as outlined in the license conditions.
1.16. The Offshore Tuna
License holder agrees to abide by the conditions of license, including but not
limited to the following:
1.16.1. Hail-outs and
hail-ins are required for every trip. Hail-ins will be number of fish by species
and accurate weight by species.
1.16.2. Daily hails at
the end of each haul back when bluefin is caught.
1.16.3. DMP will be
100%.
1.16.4. 2003 logbooks
will be used. Tally sheets to continue to be used.
1.16.5. By-catch of
shark species permitted, with the "no finning" provision.
1.16.6. Traditionally
caught, quota and non-quota species of finfish such as mahi mahi, marlin,
porbeagle shark, mako shark, etc. may continue to be retained.
1.16.6.1. Note: In the case of white and blue marlin,
only those fish found dead on the gear at the time it is retrieved are kept, all
others are released alive.
VMS
1.17. An electronic
vessel monitoring system (VMS) is mandatory for any vessel operating the
Offshore Tuna License.
2. By-Catch and Dead Discard Reduction Measures
2.1. On a trial basis
for 2004, the Offshore Tuna License holder will operate under the alternative
small swordfish protocol of 125cm with a 15% tolerance. The 15% will be
calculated for the fleet on a trip basis, as per the Atlantic Fisheries
Regulations. For operational purposes, the 15% tolerance allows each vessel to
retain 15 swordfish under the 125cm. requirement for every 100 fish retained
that are over the 125cm. length requirement.
2.2. The Offshore
Tuna License, to minimize as much as possible sea turtle interactions, will
conduct fishing operations in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the
"Code of Conduct for Responsible Sea Turtle Handling and Mitigative Measures",
prepared by the Nova Scotia Swordfishermen's Association.
Season
2.3. Notwithstanding
item 2.5, the Offshore Tuna season will be twelve months in duration. The season
will run each year from April 1st to March 31st, noting that Bluefin Tuna quota
management runs on a calendar year.
2.4. The vessel "I.V.Y."
or "Ivy Rose" will be used to fish the licence.
2.5. The vessel
registered to the Offshore Tuna Licence will cease fishing when the 20mt.
bluefin by-catch quota associated with this licence is reached. This includes
quota landed by the Offshore Tuna Licence vessel and any swordfish longline
vessels to which bluefin tags have been transferred
[1] Correction: 1418.4t before dead
discard adjustment.
[2] Correction: the authorized area
extends north of 5ºN to 45ºW, then north of 10ºN between 45ºW and 30ºW.
[3] In the case of marlins, only
those fish found dead on the gear at the time of its retrieval are kept.
All others are released alive.
[4] Correction: DFO has authorized
the roll over of any unused quota after deduction of dead discards in excess
of the 5.6t allocation from the previous year.
(D) 4Vn Harpoon CHP[1]
[1]
Applies to members of the North of Smokey Fishermen's Association, including
Gulf Fishers, and of the Northside Fishermen's Association.
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