PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND AND GULF NOVA SCOTIA TUNA FISHERY OPENS AUGUST 7

Charlottetown - Antigonish - The Department of Fisheries and Oceans today announced that the bluefin tuna fishery for Prince Edward Island and Gulf Nova Scotia fishermen will open at 00:01 hrs. on Wednesday, August 7.

The 1996 Bluefin Tuna Management Plan contains many of the same provisions as in 1995. However, the 1996 plan introduces measures to help assure that critical catch and effort information about the fishery is collected and provided promptly for review by departmental scientists. Because of their migratory nature, bluefin are managed under the jurisdiction of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). The stock has been declining steadily since the early 1970's reaching its lowest state in 1993. There was a small increase in the estimate for 1994. The new hailing and reporting mechanisms are aimed toward improving the quality, completeness and timeliness of log record information which is considered essential if this highly valuable resource is to be conserved and restored.

John Hanlon, Area Manager for Gulf Nova Scotia, and Hank Scarth, Area Manager for P.E.I. congratulated fishermen representatives and departmental officials for their success in resolving most of the issues under review and in negotiating a solid conservation based monitoring regime that will provide quality catch and effort data at the lowest possible cost to fishers.

The monitoring regime requires fishermen to "hail-out". This may be done up to seven days in advance to an approved dockside monitoring company. Fishermen will have to advise the company by 12 noon on any day if they will not be fishing on that particular day. If their plans change and they wish to resume fishing after having given notice, they will have to again hail out. Detailed log records must be maintained and supplied to the monitoring company at the end of the week's fishing. The dockside monitoring companies will collate the information and advise DFO on a prescribed time frame. They will also enter the data on computer disk for transmission to DFO scientists.

Fishermen will be required to purchase a minimum of 2 tags and a maximum of 4 tags but will be able to fish with only one tag in possession. The 1996 fee per tag is $150.00.

Fishermen, with tuna licences in their possession, will be able to pick up licence conditions and tags at the Charlottetown and Antigonish Licensing Service Centres beginning Friday, August 2 at 1 p.m. The Centres are open between 9 am and 12 noon and between 1 p.m and 4 p.m., Monday-Friday. They will be closed this Monday, August 5, due to the federal holiday. Tags and conditions for fishers wishing to fish in the Chedabucto Bay area (known as 4Wd), will be available at the Antigonish Licensing Service Centre.

For information:

John Hanlon
Area Manager
Fisheries and Oceans
Antigonish, N.S.
(902) 863-5670

H.H. (Hank) Scarth
Area Manager
Fisheries and Oceans
Charlottetown, P.E.I.
(902) 566-7810