DFO RELEASES LIST OF SANCTIONS APPLIED TO SCOTIA FUNDY FISHERMEN DURING 1995

Halifax - The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) today announced that fifty-four (54) licence sanctions for conservation related offenses were applied in the Scotia-Fundy fisheries management area during 1995. The administrative sanctions imposed during the past year involved offenses by licence holders for: lobster (27), groundfish (13), scallop (7), tuna (3), swordfish (1), snow crab (1), eel (1) and mackerel (1).

NOVA SCOTIA

Shelburne County: Three lobster licence holders lost their fishing privileges for the first 14 days of the 1995 fall season for offenses involving untagged traps. Three other lobster licence holders were unable to fish for the first 21 days of the 1995 season . The first case involved violations for untagged traps and using traps without escape panels while a second used tampered tags on traps and a third had untagged traps and was in possession of undersize lobsters. Yet another lobster licence holder lost his privileges for the first 10 days of the season for an untagged trap offense. One groundfish licence holder was not permitted to fish for the first 6 months of 1995 for exceeding the haddock trip limit and unloading catch without authorization. Another was not permitted to fish for the first 5 months for fishing in a closed area. Two groundfish licence holders are not being allowed to fish for the first 6 months of 1996 because they exceeded the haddock trip limit and one of them was in possession of undersize haddock. Another groundfish licence holder has lost fishing privileges for the first 5 months of 1996 for failing to complete the required monitoring log. One groundfish licence holder wasn't allowed to fish during January 1996, for exceeding the haddock trip limit. Two bluefin tuna licence holders will not be issued their licenses until September 1, 1996, one for transhipping and possession of an untagged tuna, the other for transhipping. A swordfish licence holder will not be able to fish until September 1, 1996 for an offense of failing to hail landing time.

Digby County: A groundfish licence holder was not permitted to fish the first 5 months of 1995, and received a 5 metric tonne quota reduction for using nets with illegal size mesh. A scallop licence holder lost fishing privileges for the first 4 months of 1996 for fishing in an unauthorized area. A second scallop licence holder is not permitted to take scallops for the first 3 months of 1996, for illegal possession of lobster.

Annapolis County: A lobster licence holder was not permitted to fish for the first 5 days of the 1995 fall season for possession of undersize lobsters. Three scallop licence holders weren't allowed to fish during January 1996 because they broke the conservation law that regulates scallop meat counts. A fourth scallop licence holder will not be permitted to fish for the first 8 months of 1996 for fishing in an unauthorized area.

Kings County: A lobster licence holder was not allowed to fish for the first 5 days of the 1995 fall season for possession of undersize lobsters. A groundfish licence holder will not be permitted to fish for the first 3 months of 1996 for exceeding trip limits and not submitting a true return.

Yarmouth County: A lobster licence holder was not permitted to fish for the first 7 days of the 1995 fall season for fishing with traps that did not have escape mechanisms.

Queens County: A lobster licence holder was not permitted to fish the first 10 days of the 1995 fall season for possession of undersize lobsters. A second lobster licence holder was not permitted to fish the first 7 days of the 1995 fall season for the same offense. A groundfish licence holder will not be permitted to fish the first two months of 1996 for fishing in a closed area.

Halifax County: A lobster licence holder was not permitted to fish the first 5 days of the 1995 fall season for fishing in an unauthorized area. A groundfish licence holder won't be allowed to fish the first 5 months of 1996 for an offense of fishing in a closed area. A second groundfish licence holder will not be fishing the first 3 months of 1996 and received a 5 metric tonne quota reduction for the year for offloading catch without a dockside monitor present. A third groundfish licence holder is permitted to fish during the first 2 months of 1996 for an offense of keeping undersize halibut.

Cumberland County: A lobster licence holder missed the first 5 days of the 1995 fall season for keeping undersize lobsters. A second lobster licence holder was not permitted to fish the first 3 days of the 1995 fall season for fishing with untagged traps.

Guysborough County: A groundfish licence holder was not permitted to fish the first month of 1995 for fishing without a valid licence condition. A lobster licence holder was not permitted the first 7 days of the 1995 season for retaining undersize lobsters. An eel licence holder had his 1996 licence sanctioned for the entire year for an offense of blocking more that twothirds of a river.

Cape Breton County: Three lobster licence holders missed the first 3 days of the 1995 season for, respectively, invalid trap tags, possession of spawn lobsters (eggbearing females) and retention of undersize lobsters. Two lobster licence holders were not permitted to fish the first 5 days of the 1995 season for untagged traps and retention of undersized lobsters.

Richmond County: A lobster licence holder was not permitted to fish the first 3 days of the 1995 season for fishing with untagged traps.

Victoria County: One lobster licence holder was not permitted to fish the first 3 days of the 1995 season for using traps that did not have escape mechanisms. A mackerel licence holder will not be permitted to fish until September 1, 1996 for exceeding the limit for bycatch of other species. A snow crab licence holder will miss the first 5 days of the 1996 season for an offense involving untagged traps.

NEW BRUNSWICK

In Saint John County, two lobster licence holders were not permitted to fish the first 5 days of the 1995 fall season for having possession of undersize lobsters. In Charlotte County a lobster licence holder was not permitted to fish the first 3 weeks of the 1995 fall season for untagged traps and a scallop licence holder will not be permitted to fish the first 3 months of 1996 for an offense of fishing in an unauthorized area.

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

A P.E.I. tuna licence holder will not be permitted to fish until September 1, 1996 for having illegal fishing gear on board his vessel while fishing in the Scotia-Fundy fisheries management area.

DEPARTMENTAL CONTACT:

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