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SH224 Canada. DePt. of Fisheries an BC Pll 92-11 Region 1992 manasemen plan : shrimp be trawl. F , PACIFIC REGION

1992 MANAGEMENT PLAN

ARV NTION SHRIMP BY TRAw'31R SIOLOGICM. :ROES &OCEAN 3 NANAIMO,. BRITISH COLNii301 CANADA VCR 51(6

Fisheries Peches 141 and Oceans et Oceans Canada SHELLFISH - GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The following goals and objectives have been established for all shellfish fisheries that occur off Canada's west coast.:

1. To ensure conservation and protection of shellfish stocks coast wide through the application of scientific management principles.

2. To ensure the optimal use of shellfish stocks in order to meet social and economic objectives of the people of Canada.

3. To develop fishing plans consistent with principles of conservation, through a consultative process with users of the resource.

4. To preserve, enhance, restore and protect critical aquatic habitat for shellfish production.

5. To optimize the quality of shellfish harvested.

1 of 5 RECENT HISTORY OF THE SHRIMP TRAWL FISHERY

The shrimp fishery off the Pacific Coast developed in earnest in the 1960's with the development of trawl bottom gear. Fishing occurs in three major areas of the coast; inshore waters of the Strait of Georgia by a fleet composed of small beam trawl vessels; the coastal areas off the North Coast Inlets comprised of mainly small local beam trawl vessels; and off the lower west coast of Island where the majority of vessels fish with otter/bottom trawls.

Shrimp fishing by trawl gear became a limited entry fishery in 1978. While 249 vessels are eligible to fish under the category 'S' tab, in 1990 only 158 of these licensed vessels reported landings, down from the previous year when 169 vessels were active.

The total 1990 B.C. shrimp catch was 1813 t down from 2427t taken the previous year. The greatest catch was taken from area 124 (Tofino) in Offshore waters, areas 29 and 14 for the waters of the Gulf of Georgia, and area 4 (Chatham Sound) in the North coast.

The 1990 Strait of Georgia catch was 132t down from catch of 200t in 1989. Whereas 1990 reported landings in the North coast increased to 71t from 35t taken in 1989.

The major shrimp fishery off the coast occurs off the west coast of Vancouver Island where landings have fluctuated over the years from a record high of over 11 million lbs in 1978 to less than 500,000 lbs in early 1980's. This fluctuation is felt to be a nature phenomenon in the resource rather than a result of fishing mortality. Since 1986 the fishery and stock have remained relatively constant with landings averaging between three and five million pounds annually. Catches are predominately from area 124 commonly known as the "Tofino Grounds". The 1990 catch was 1292t a decrease from the 1845t caught in 1989. Since 1989, the Department has adopted a management strategy which set a target catch for the area off the lower west coast of Vancouver Island known as the "Tofino Grounds" of 5 million pounds.

A survey of the major shrimp buyers places the 1991 west coast catch at approximately 3.6 million pounds by a fleet of approx. 50 vessels. In 1990 a total of 63 vessels were active in this area. Fishing effort peaks in the June-Oct period with fishing expected to continue into early November dependent on weather.

In 1991 ex-vessel prices have remained constant averaging $0.50-0.55/lb. 2 of 5 1992 SHRIMP MANAGEMENT PLAN

1. LICENSING:

To harvest shrimp by trawl gear, a category "S" licence is required.

2. OPENINGS AND CLOSURES DATES:

In season monitoring will be conducted jointly by industry and the Department and, should shrimp counts become higher than acceptable levels, area closures may be implemented. Contact the responsible DFO Division office in the appropriate area for further information.

a) GULF OF GEORGIA (management areas 12 thru 20, 28 and 29) waters, except those regulation area closures indicated below, will remain open year round. The March 1-31 closure will be varied to allow for a year round fishery.

b) OFFSHORE WATERS - West Coast Vancouver Island all offshore areas (mgt. areas 121, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127), this includes grounds commonly referred to as the 'Tofino" (area 124), Nootka (area 126)", "TOP Knot" (area 127) and "Can/Us Fence (121/123)" will remain open year round. The March 1-31 regulatory closure will be varied to allow for a year round fishery.

c) The NORTH COAST will remain open year round. The present regulation closure of March 1-31, will be varied to allow for a year round fishery.

3. QUOTAS/CATCH TARGETS:

a) a target catch of 2268 metric tonnes (five million pounds) has been set for the shrimp stocks found off the lower west coast of Vancouver Island.

b) No quotas have been set for the remainder of the coast.

NOTE - Fishermen are reminded that the retention of incidentally caught groundfish is not allowed when shrimp trawling.

3 of 5 4. REGULATORY AREA CLOSURES:

Regulation trawl net closures will remain in effect in the following areas;

a) Horseshoe Bay and that portion of Queen Charlotte Channel between Horseshoe Bay and Bowyer Island bounded by a line from Whytecliff Point to the most southerly point of Bowyer Island thence east magnetic to the mainland;

b) Esquimalt Harbour bounded by a line from the light on Fisgard Island to the Scoggs Rocks buoy, thence north magnetic to Duntze Head on Vancouver Island;

c) Subareas 13-34, 17-7, 18-10, 19-1, 19-7 to 19-12;

5. DIOXIN CLOSURE;

A shellfish closure due to identified high levels of dioxins and furans in shellfish will remain in effect for all of 1992 within management Sub-Areas 28-3; 28-4; 28-5; and that portion of Sub-Area 28-1 being that portion of Howe Sound bounded by a line from Gower Point, thence to the most southerly point of Home Island, thence following the easterly shoreline of Home Island to the most northerly point of Home Island, thence to the most southwesterly point of Keates Island, thence following the northerly shoreline of Keates Island to Cotton Point on the east side of Keates Island, thence in a straight line to the Government dock at Gambier Harbour on , thence to the southwesterly of Gambier Island, thence westerly to a fishing boundary sign on the Langdale Ferry Landing, thence southerly and westerly along the shoreline to the point of commencement.

6. PRAWN (Pandalus playceros) BY CATCH RESTRICTION:

The prawn trip limit will be in effect for all "S" shrimp trawl fishermen in 1992. "S" licensed vessels will be restricted to an incidental prawn trip limit of either 2% of the trawl caught shrimp by weight on board or 5 pounds which ever is larger during open prawn fishing periods. Shrimp trawl fishermen will not be allowed to retain prawns during prawn trap closed times in effect in 1992. This trip limit is being implemented to eliminate targeting on prawns by shrimp trawl fishermen while allowing for the limited retention of legal size incidentally caught prawns.

Shrimp trawl fishermen are asked to refrain from targeting on prawns and return all sub- legal prawns immediately, unharmed if possible to the water.

4 of 5 7. BIO-SAMPLES:

The Department continues to ask industry for cooperation in the shrimp random sampling program. DFO patrol vessels from time to time will be requesting two pound random samples from vessels actively fishing on the west coast shrimp grounds. Detailed information will also be gathered concerning the location, depth and area of catch, gear type and codend mesh size, by catch species and marketing of the shrimp taken.

8. CATCH AND FISHING DATA REOUIREMENTS:

a) The master of the vessel is responsible for the maintenance and provision of an accurate and true daily log of harvest operations in a 1992 logbook authorized by DFO. Information must be recorded in the logbooks on a tow by tow basis by midnight of the day fishing occurred.

b) The harvest log must be kept on board the licensed harvest vessels at all times when shrimp harvesting is being conducted, or when there is shrimp on board the licensed harvest vessel. Logbooks shall be produced for examination on demand of a Fishery Officer or Fishery Guardian.

c) One copy of the harvest log must be forwarded monthly to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Harvest logs must be forwarded to:

Shellfish Stock Assessment Unit Pacific Biological Station Nanaimo. B.C. V9R 5K6

For further information on shrimp fishing contact the appropriate area office below:

Offshore Division Fraser River B. Ackerman M. Joyce Special Programs & Mgt. Unit Management Biology Unit Offshore Division Fraser River, Northern Yukon Div. #400 - 555 West Hastings 80 - 6th Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 5G3 New Westminster, B.C. V3L 5BE ph #666-3991 ph #666-6390

North Coast South Coast S. Farlinger B. Adkins Management Biology Unit Management Biology Unit North Coast Division South Coast Division Room 109 - 417 - 2nd Ave. West 3225 Stephenson Point Road, Prince Rupert, B.C. V6J 1G8 Nanaimo, B.C., V9T 1K3 ph #624-0464 ph #756-7270

5 of 5 SHELLFISH ADVISORY NET (TRAWL) SECTORAL COMMITTEE

CHAIRMAN - REPRESENTING ; DEEP SEA TRAWLERS ASSOCIATION OF B.C; Doug March #2 - 11771 Horseshoe Way, Richmond, B.C. V7A 4V4 Ph # 2746944

REPRESENTING : UNITED FISHERMEN AND ALLIED WORKER'S UNION ; Al Pletcher Joe Bauer Cam McKenzie 1260 Berkley Road 3051 Broadway St. 1627 Ashley Close, North Van, B.C. V7H 1V6 Richmond. B.C. V7E 2X1 North Van.„ B.C. V7J 1Z2 Ph # 929-2483 Ph # 277.9447 Ph # 985-5047

REPRESENTING : THE NORTHERN SHRIMP TRAWLERS ASSOCIATION ; Renee Lussier Bruce Tasaka 837 11 th Ave, 1520 10TH Ave. East Prince Rupert, B.C. V8S 2W7 Prince Rupert,B.C. Val 2V3 Ph # 624-6691 ph # 624-5815

REPRESENTING : THE PACIFIC TROLLERS ASSOCIATION: Doug Dickson Bruce Devereux 'LADY SAVIDA' `VISCOUNT' 162 Manor Place, P.O. 91283 Comox B.C. V9N 6P6 , B.C. Ph # 339-0222 Marine Radio N118608 Channel 23 Calvert Isl. FAX # 339-3397 Cell Ph # 689-6425

REPRESENTING : THE PROCESSING SECTOR; Nancy Marshall Mike Buston Long Beach Shellfish Co. Ltd. Uduclet Seafood Processors Ltd. 4179 River Road West, P. O. Box 1089 Delta, B.C. V4K 1R9 Ucluelet B.C. VOR 3A0 ph # 946-1361 ph # 726-7768

REPRESENTING ; THE KRILL TRAWLERS ASSOCIATION OF B.C.: Leonard Kampe, President Box 17, Ballenas Acacia, R.R. #1, Nanoosc Bay, B.C. Ph # 468-9697

REPRESENTING ; THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Larry Neilson 808 Douglas St Victoria, B.C. V8W 2Z7 Ph 0 387-9565

REPRESENTING : THE DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES AND OCEANS Barry Ackerman, Bruce Adkins, Special Programs Unit, Offshore Division, Management Biology Unit, South Coast Division #418 - 555 West Hastings 322.5 Stephenson Road, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 5G3 Nanaimo, B.C. Ph # 666-3991 Ph # 756-7285