EXPLORATORY ROCK AND JONAH CRAB FISHERY ANNOUNCED FOR MARITIMES REGION

HALIFAX - The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) today announced that applications for the Exploratory Fishery for Rock and Jonah Crab are again being accepted. Last August, the Department announced its plans to issue up to thirty-six (36) new exploratory licences for Rock and Jonah crab to selected applicants from the Southwest Nova and Eastern Areas of Nova Scotia in the Maritimes Region. However, selection of the licence holders was deferred while Departmental licensing policy was undergoing revision.

As before, the new licences will augment the ten (10) Rock crab and two (2) Jonah crab licences already in place in eastern Nova Scotia and will be distributed by County. This is to ensure an even distribution of the total effort along the Nova Scotia coast from the Bay of Fundy to Cape North. Some of the licences will also be available to First Nations Bands.

Fishers who were eligible in 1995 and had applied by the deadline will still be eligible; however, CORE fishers are now also eligible.

The application deadline is: April 12, 1996

Selection of fishers will be done on or by April 26, 1996. Specific times and locations of public draws, where needed, will be announced at a later date. All applicants are encouraged to contact their DFO Area Licensing Office (Yarmouth or Sydney) for copies of the revised Fishing Plan and Call for Proposals.

DETAILS OF LICENCE ISSUANCE

There will be a total of thirty two (32) licences made available to operate in an inshore zone which will be roughly within twelve (12) miles of the coast. Two licences will be issued for each of Cumberland, Colchester, Hants, Kings and Annapolis Counties. four will be issued for each of Digby, Yarmouth, Shelburne, Queens, Lunenburg, Richmond, Victoria and Cape Breton Counties. Six licences will be issued for each of Halifax and Guysborough Counties.

There will be two (2) licences issued in each of Lobster Fishing Areas 33 and 34 in the "midshore" zone (from, approximately, the twelve-mile limit to the outer limit of the inshore Lobster Fishing Areas.)

No new licences will be made available in the offshore zone (outside 50 miles). However, at least until October 1996, existing offshore lobster licence holders will be permitted to retain their Rock and Jonah crab, provided all provisions of their temporary licences for these species are met.

If the number of qualified applications from eligible fishers exceeds the number of licences available for any particular county or for a particular LFA in the inshore or midshore zones, the selection of fishers to be offered licences will be done by public draw.

The inshore and midshore exploratory crab fishery in 1996 will take place only during the closed lobster season in the respective LFA's. Conservation measures, such as a prohibition on by-catch of lobsters and of female crabs, trap limits, and other measures detailed in the Exploratory Rock and Jonah Crab Harvesting Plan will apply.

Applicants will also be required to participate fully in an approved Dockside Monitoring Program (DMP). Complete details of requirements should be obtained from Area Licensing Centres.

Interested persons will be required to demonstrate they meet the criteria for CORE fishery, as of the application deadline of April 12, 1996. As well, they must provide details on their plans for fishing these licences and financial information on their expected costs and revenues from this fishery.

Applicants will only be eligible for a licence in the county where they had their homeport registered in 1995. Those applying for the midshore zones in LFA's 33 and 34 must have a home port in a county bordering those areas only.

Applications to fish Rock and Jonah crab in Hants, Colchester, Cumberland and that portion of Halifax County east of Pennant Point as well as Guysborough, Richmond, Victoria and Cape Breton Counties, should be submitted to the Licensing Centre in Sydney at (902) 564-3939.

Applications for Annapolis, Digby, Yarmouth, Shelburne, Queens, Lunenburg and that portion of Halifax County west of Pennant Point should be submitted to the Licensing Centre in Yarmouth at (902) 742-0875.

The deadline for all applications is April 12, 1996. Once applications have been screened, selection of licence holders and establishment of eligibility lists will be done by public draw(s) where the number of eligible applicants exceeds the number of licences available. These draws will be held on or by April 26, 1996. Specific times and locations will be announced once applications have been- screened.

DEPARTMENTAL CONTACT:

Communications
Fisheries and Oceans
Halifax, N.S.
(902) 426-3550