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1984-1997 StatisticsQuebec Marine FisheriesStatistics series1984-1997
Statistics Service
May 1999
Foreword The hard times that the Quebec fishing industry has been experiencing in recent years underscore the importance of producing reliable statistics that are as up to date as possible. The requests for information that we receive have not only become more numerous and more pressing, but above all more complex. This is the background to this annual statistical report. The Statistics Service, which is responsible for this publication, is mandated to compile, process, analyse and publish data on Quebec's marine fisheries. The statistics produced are of vital importance, first, to assess and highlight the economic value of the industry, and second, to provide managers and scientists with a basis for the various analyses required for effective fishery resource management. It is important to note that a federal-provincial agreement between DFO and the Quebec Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ) has laid the groundwork for greater co-ordination in collecting data. It aims to eliminate duplication of effort by public servants seeking information from fishing industry players and to promote intergovernmental data sharing. The three types of data in this report have been obtained in different ways. Catch data are based on the sales transactions between fishers and fish buyers when each vessel lands its catch. For data on fishing effort, used by scientists in their research work, we rely upon the excellent co-operation of skippers, who provided information on fishing grounds, type of gear, target species and species caught, among other things. Finally, statistics on fishermen, fishing fleets and licences come from the licensing process. The quality of the data in this review depends on (a) the quantity of data that our system gathers from fishermen, buyers and processing plants, and (b) the accuracy of the data. With limited resources, the Statistics Service does everything within its power to check the data it gathers, but cannot guarantee that everyone involved submitted all their data. We turn to resource management programs such as enterprise allocations (quota licences), for which strict monitoring methods exist, to ensure that data entered into the system are consistent with observations of landings by dockside monitors. This does not apply to every fishery, however. Discussions with inspectors, protection officers and industry representatives further enable Statistics Service staff to produce reliable, representative data. The publication of this annual review of Quebec's marine fisheries has been made possible by the hard work and rigour of the Statistics Service staff and groups in Sept-Îles, Gaspé and Cap-aux-Meules. We would also like to thank the Policy and Economics Branch for its important contribution. We wish to take this opportunity to thank the fishermen, buyers and producers for their ongoing co-operation; we realize that supplying statistics is an extra burden for them.
Table of ContentsDEFINITION OF TERMS USED IN THIS PUBLICATION WORK FORCE - Commercial fishermen RESSOURCE ACCESSIBILITY - Fishing licenses issued from 1984 to 1997 LANDINGS IN QUEBEC - Landings in Quebec DISTRIBUTION OF LANDINGS BY SECTOR GASPÉ PENINSULA - Landings from 1984 to 1997 - Gaspé
Peninsula NORTH-SHORE - Landings from 1984 to 1997 - North-Shore MAGDALEN ISLANDS - Landings from 1984 to 1997 - Magdalen
Islands DISTRIBUTION OF LANDINGS BY SECTOR PRODUCTION - Plan production data METHODOLOGYThe data in this publication are taken from the statistical system of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Laurentian Region. The system consists of three modules, all of which were used to produce this report: catch–effort–quotas, people–vessels–licences, and processing-plant production and workforce. Data on people, vessels and licences come from licensing paperwork. The number of fishermen corresponds to the number of people registered as commercial fishermen in 1996 and 1997. The number of vessels is the number of fishing boats licensed in 1996 and 1997. The number of licences is the total number of fishing licences issued, but not necessarily active, in 1996 and 1997. Data on fish and shellfish landings are provided by commercial buyers, who are obliged to send us a copy of the DFO form to record their purchases from fishermen. Each transaction of this type generally corresponds to one fishing trip. In its ninth year of operation, the Enterprise Allocation Monitoring Program covers mobile-gear vessels 45'–64' 11”, 65'–100' long and some vessels under 45' fishing for groundfish in areas 4RST and 3PN. Moreover, the program affects all crabbers and shrimpers, as well as many scallopers. For these fleets, there is thus an additional check on the data supplied to the Statistics Service. Furthermore, to estimate the volume of fish eaten by commercial fishermen and their families, sold directly to the public, used as bait and processed by fishermen themselves, we use data supplied by DFO fishery officers and information from fishermen associations. First we correlate the data from the two sources. This enables us to establish, for each sector, the size of the non-commercial catch of each species. Then we prorate the amount for each sector according to landings recorded in each of its respective ports. Last, the results are added to our database. Data are gathered, coded and entered locally in each of the maritime sectors: Gaspé, Sept Îles and Cap aux Meules. The concepts and definitions used meet the standards set by the Statistical Co-ordinating Committee for the Atlantic Coast (STACAC) and are thus compatible with the systems of the other Atlantic regions (the Maritimes and Newfoundland). Papers published by the STACAC provide more information on the concepts and definitions used here (see reference list). Some of them are available from Statistics Service at the Quebec City Regional Office. Figures in the tables on landings have been rounded, so they may not add up to the totals shown. It should also be noted that some data on salmon, eel, smelt, tomcod, capelin and sturgeon landings were supplied by MAPAQ. Another important point is that up until 1992, seal-hunting licences were issued in the maritime sectors and did not figure in the publication of the various statistical tables on fishing licences. In 1993, the policy on licensing for the seal hunt was amended to make it much more like that for the other types of licences, so seal-hunting licences are now counted the same way as other existing licences. To avoid skewing the trend analysis, we decided to publish the seal-hunt data separately. Statistical table 4A gives the number of seal-hunting licences according to quite specific parameters. It should be noted that the process of gathering data at the source is the result of the Federal-Provincial Harmonization Agreement on the Quebec Marine Fisheries, the main objective of which was to eliminate duplication of effort in this area.
MARITIME TERRITORYQuebec's maritime territory begins at the eastern tip of Île d'Orléans and is divided into four sectors. The St Lawrence sector extends from Anse à Gilles to Cap à l'Orignal (on the south shore) and from Cap Tourmente to Baie Sainte Catherine (on the north shore). The North Shore sector lies between Tadoussac and Blanc Sablon (including Anticosti Island). The Gaspé sector begins at Le Bic and stops at Matapédia. The fourth sector comprises the Magdalen Islands. For more details, refer to the map titled “Maritime Territory” on the facing page. On another basis, the Laurentian Region maritime territory is subdivided into 28 statistical districts. These districts are defined by limits represented by geographic points and are used in most statistical systems. This standardization makes it possible to compare the data that DFO has been collecting in Quebec since 1984 with those published by the Bureau de la statistique du Québec for preceding years. The 28 statistical districts, with their geographic limits, are listed in Appendix.
CONVENTIONAL SYMBOLS
DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED IN THIS PUBLICATIONActive fisherman : Fisherman or fisherman's helper who has made at least one landing in the season. Active fishing enterprise : Fishing enterprise that has made at least one landing in the season. Active vessel : A vessel for which at least one landing in the reference year has been counted. Actual deviation : Difference between data for the year under consideration and the preceding year. Administrative regions : Regions defined by DFO. In this publication, we refer to the Atlantic administrative regions: - Laurentian Region: Encompasses the province of Quebec Atlantic Coast : Covers the Laurentian, Maritimes and Newfoundland regions. Buyer : Person or firm that commercially purchases fish directly from fishermen. Certified plant : Any place that fish is processed for export or stored before exporting. Commercial fisherman (in general terms) : Any person registered with DFO who uses fishing gear authorized by a commercial fishing licence. This definition covers both skippers and fishermen's helpers. “Commercial fisherman” (southern Gulf) : In the Gulf, a commercial fisherman is a registered fisherman who does not take part in the fisheries fished by vessels with an LOA of 15.2 m (50') or longer and does not meet the requirements of a bona fide full-time or part-time fisherman. Commercial fishing licence : Paper issued by DFO authorizing a person to operate a commercial fishing vessel to fish for the species named on it. Conversion factor : Ratio used to convert the weight of a product or form of a product on landing into equivalent live weight. Core : In order to qualify as a member of the core group, a person must meet the following criteria: Be the head of an active fishing enterprise, i.e., have fished full time for the previous two years (1994 and 1995) and have a vessel in the fishery and Hold either two key licences, OR one key licence and in two of the years 1993, 1994 and 1995, have fished for 10 weeks with minimum reported landings of $5,000 from their own licences for vessels less than 35' and of $10,000 from their own licences for vessels longer than 35', OR one key licence and, in two of the years 1993, 1994 and 1995, have earned at least 75% of their income from fishing License holders who meet the eligibility criteria for the Atlantic Groundfish Strategy (TAGS) or the Northern Cod Adjustment and Recovery Program (NCARP) may use the TAGS or NCARP qualifying years instead. Key licences are defined as shrimp, crab, lobster, groundfish other than handline, scallop, herring and, on the Lower North Shore, capelin. Division : NAFO (Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization) division. Fishing day : Day in which fishing gear was used with the goal of catching fish to sell. Gear : Any equipment used to catch fish. Gulf of St Lawrence : Coastal areas of the Gulf in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, western Newfoundland and southern Labrador, as well as Prince Edward Island and Quebec. Landed value : Monetary value of the recorded landed quantity, that is, the landed quantity times the unit price, or the value supplied by the buyer. Landing : Quantities of fish and shellfish (molluscs and crustaceans) landed, excluding discards, measured as live weight. Live weight : Weight of a live fish, which can be estimated, if necessary, on the basis of the form at landing using a standard conversion factor. Average price : Total value of all landings sold divided by the total weight landed Non-core : Any fisherman not qualified for membership in the core group. Other items : Includes sea urchins, lumpfish caviar, scallop roe, other seafood, and seal products. Outside the Gulf of St. Lawrence : Waters of the Bay of Fundy, the Scotian Shelf and Georges Bank–that is, the ocean side of Nova Scotia–as well as the province of Newfoundland, not including the west coast and southern Labrador. Quota : For a given species and fishing area, the catch limit set for a segment of the commercial fleet. Specialized enterprise : Fishing enterprise that has recorded at least 25% of the average value of landings of its reference fleet. Supplementary purchase slips : These data are used to compile all landings not recorded on general purchase receipts. This information comes from estimates from four different sources: - Fish processed by fishermen Value : Statistics on value are expressed in current Canadian dollars. APPENDICES
N.B. The geograpic points that mark the boundaries of the statistical districts are shown here with the corresponding points of landing. There are this two types of boundaries for each district.
REFERENCESBureau de la Statistique du Québec (BSQ). Statistiques mensuelles des débarquements et de la mise en marché du poisson. Direction des statistiques des entreprises, Ministère des Finances. Statistical Co-ordinating Committee for the Atlantic Coast (STACAC). STACAC Standards Document No. 1, Glossary and Definitions for Catch and Effort, Licensing, Domestic Quota Monitoring Systems. Ottawa: Communications Directorate, Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Statistical Co-ordinating Committee for the Atlantic Coast (STACAC). STACAC Standards Document No. 2, Standard Groundfish Conversion Factors. Ottawa: Communications Directorate, Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Statistical Co-ordinating Committee for the Atlantic Coast (STACAC). An Integrated Statistical and Information System for the Atlantic Coast Fishery. Ottawa: Communications Directorate, Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Regular reports from the statistical system. Quebec: Statistics Division, Economic Services and Data Processing, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Quebec Region.
PLANT PRODUCTION DATAThis section concerns seafood processed in Quebec in 1996 and 1997. In this review, production refers to any processing by a plant or any sale of a product to a merchant who buys directly from fishermen. Most of the enterprises listed here are located in the Gaspé, the Magdalen Islands or on the North Shore. Our data-collection network is concentrated in these three regions, although we did obtain information from a few firms in the Quebec City and Montreal areas. The volume of the various products listed is based on information provided by each of the processing plants and merchants. Value is calculated on the basis of selling prices for each type of seafood. Some figures were adjusted if there were discrepancies with the rest of the available data. When making these adjustments, we used the following information as reference points: purchase value of raw material, value of same types of products when processed and, wherever possible, from the same geographic sector, the selling price of the preceding year taking into account variations in prices and inflation. The data are given for the whole of Quebec and by maritime sector. Note that for reasons of confidentiality, in some cases we have grouped a number of products together. |
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