I + Pêches and Oceans et Océans

RARY ERIES AND OUEM'g I.1OTI1k.QUE pF.ES ET OCÉANS Vol. 2, No. 1 January/February 1982 cotia-Fundy/Gulf Regions.

1982 Atlantic Groundfish Management Plan Announced

The 1982 Atlantic Groundfish Man- It is hoped that Company quotas continue to be managed in this agement Plan entitles East Coast fi- will enable an improvement in manner in 1982, with the exception of shermen to catch almost 7 per cent quality, a better product mix, and a Labrador and the east and northeast more fish than in 1981. more orderly approach to harvesting. coasts of Newfoundland, where The plan, which outlines a man- Northern cod stocks, which began amounts allocated to the inshore agement strategy for the harvesting of rebuilding significantly following have not been caught in recent such species as cod, haddock, Canada's declaration of the 200-mile years. flounder and redfish, allocates a total offshore fisheries zone in 1977, repre- Three additional groundfish stocks of 925,170 tonnes in 1982, compared sent one of the most promising areas - cod off southwestern Nova Scotia, with 866,400 tonnes in 1981. for continued growth. The 1982 Total greenland in the Gulf, and Biological reports indicate that most Allowable Catch has been set at white hake in the southern Gulf - will stocks are continuing to rebuild, but 230,000 tonnes, compared with be placed under quota management that greater discipline in harvesting 200,000 tonnes in 1981. This level of in 1982 in order to provide greater as- must be exercised, both to avoid over- effort should enable further rebuild- surance that biological limits of har- , and to better match catches ing. Some 15,000 tonnes of the TAC vesting are not exceeded, and will also with markets. has been reserved for later allocation, help in maintaining the economic via- The concept of a management plan and 120,000 tonnes has been set aside bility of these fisheries. was introduced in 1976 to more equit- as an allowance for the Newfoundland Also beginning on January 1, 1982, ably allocate the resource, with resto- inshore fishery. Vessels larger than vessels under 19.8 metres (65 feet) in ration and conservation of stocks as a 30.5 metres have been allocated length will be managed within a series predominant principle. The annual 92,500 tonnes, of which 5,250 tonnes of three geographic sectors, to bring plans have been developed through are designated for resource-short more order and discipline into the extensive consultation with represen- plants (those which do not own continued on page 2 tatives of fishermen's organizations, trawlers). The remaining 87,250 unions, processors and provincial go- tonnes of the offshore allocation have The purpose of Fisheries News is vernments, via the mechanism of the been divided among the various com- twofold; it informs the Atlantic Groundfish Advisory Commit- panies with vessels over 30.5 metres in of the latest developments in Depart- tee (AGAC). lertgth. mental programs and policies, and The 1982 plan allocates quotas for As in 1981 the large non-Gulf-based assists in improving the lines of communication between industry and the first time to individual companies stern trawlers were excluded from government. involved in the offshore trawler fishing cod in the Gulf of St. Lawrence With these objectives in mind, we fishery. Under this system, the total thereby helping to sustain the eco- invite you to respond to any of the in- formation contained in "Fisheries amount of fish available to the off- nomic viability of the existing Gulf- News" or make suggestions of your shore fleet will be shared among the based groundfish fleet of more than own regarding content. vessels larger than 30.5 metres. There 10,000 vessels, consisting mostly of Please address all correspondence to: are 155 trawlers licensed in this cate- inshore and mid-shore boats. The Editor/Fisheries News gory. The company quotas will apply Fixed gear groundfish fisheries us- Department of Fisheries and Oceans only in 1982, and the results of the ing such gear as longlines, traps and Communications Division, P.O. Box 550 program will be evaluated before pre- gill nets, which were placed under Halifax, N.S. B3J 2S7 paring the 1983 Fishing Plan. quota for the first time in 1981, will

1+ ^`.,^°^`^ ^^

Tttird Troisième dass dasse

Halifax, N.S. n ] Yl a(V 30° AM° / 71.° / /100. /90° ° "..° " 30" x," On Board

SUBAREAS AND DIVISIONS Processing of OF THE NAFO CONVENTION AREA Shrimp Shrimp fishermen in the Gulf of Boundary ol Conyenhon Area St. Bound...Firs ot Sub Ire r Lawrence can expect to realize con- Round:tries of Donseins siderably higher earnings sav- Depth contour 100 1,1th (183 nit and fuel ings as a result of a project carried out this year by the Fisheries Develop- Ie ment Branch, Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The two-part project was aimed at increasing product value GREENLAND through grading, bagging, cooking, and freezing shrimp catch at sea and secondly at reducing fuel costs through the installation of a nozzle and new propeller. The vessel used for the demonstration was the "Jean Colette", a traditional 72-foot wooden shrimp trawler from Caraquet, New 00° 00° Brunswick. 2G The quality improvement aspects of the project have been underway since 1979 and were initially undertaken be- 211 cause the ungraded, iced shrimp ■•■ brought back from fishing trips lasting

2J up to 7 days was often of poor quality and realized low prices. A grader was AFIRADCIR SECTOR 1 installed in order to separate the large,

OUF ter higher value shrimp, and a system of 3K bagging the shrimp in nylon mesh bags was introduced. This concept CANADA SECTOR 2 4S (4R has now been adopted by other ves- 3L sels in the area. The next step was to install refrigeration in the hold, and also a batch cooker. Finally, a blast freezer that could freeze about 200

3M pounds of shrimp in 25 minutes was 30 installed together with a -20°F. freezer 3N USA hold. Prices obtained for individually 4 1/5 quick frozen (I0F) shrimp were more than double those of traditionally iced shrimp. In view of steadily increasing energy costs, the installation of noz- 60 6E 6F 6G 6H zles around propellers of vessels' tow- ing gear has been demonstrated to produce considerable fuel savings

0. when compared to similar vessels L without nozzles. A suitable nozzle was harvesting operations of this fleet. The ing his sector, without such decisions installed on the "Jean Colette" to- three sectors correspond approxi- necessarily applying in another Sec- gether with a new propeller matching mately with each of the Department's tor. Licenses for this category of ves- the vessel and its engine. The results three administrative regions on the sels in 1982 will be non-transferable were excellent and indicated that fuel Atlantic Coast. The Newfoundland among Sectors. Specified overlaps savings of 17% or about $500/trip Region will administer Sector One will be permitted, so that vessels can could be achieved. Even more dra- (NAFO Areas 0, 2, 3KLMNOP5), the maintain their traditional fishing pat- matic; Bollard pull was increased by Gulf Region will administer Sector terns as much as possible. 39%. Two (NAFO Areas 4RST and 3Pn), The Sector Management concept is and the Scotia-Fundy Region will ad- already in place for such inshore fish- minister Sector Three (NAFO Areas eries as salmon, herring and lobster, For copies of the 1982 Groundfish 4VWX and 5). where a number of different manage- Management Plan write to the Com- The new approach will enable a Re- ment zones have been established munications Division, Dept. Fisheries gional Director General of the De- within each Region. and Oceans, P.O. Box 550, Halifax, partment to make decisions respect- N.S. B3J 2S7 2 Quality Improvement Funds Available meet standards set by the vessel certi- fication requirements, soon to take ef- Under Vessel Assistance Program fect. The assistance offered is 50 per- cent of the cost of materials and In mid-1981 Fisheries and Oceans - refrigerated water systems equipment, up to a maximum of Minister Roméo LeBlanc announced - superchilling systems $1,000 per vessel. that the vessel assistance program - all equipment and systems deter- Equipment and materials covered would be broadened. While the prim- mined to improve quality of under the assistance include: ary function would still be to assist in landed fish - covers on open boats to protect the construction of Canadian - assistance to convert to preferred fish from the sun and weather fishermen-owned vessels, changes fishing methods such as - pens, shelving, insulation and re- were also made to assist fishermen in longlining surfacing of vessel holds improving fish quality. - assistance to convert vessels to - replacement of existing fish han- Vessel conversions and modifica- fish for under-exploited or unex- dling and holding equipment with tions will continue, with assistance ploited fisheries. equipment of approved materials available up to 25 percent of costs - wash-boxes, bleeding tanks, gut- In addition to the above, the pro- when directed to improve fish quality ting tables onboard vessels gram has been extended to include or equip a vessel to convert to pre- - handwashing units and toilet facil- the purchase and installation of gut- ferred . Included ities ting machines. This is added to funds on vessels with sleeping ac- under this element of the program is commodation already made available to some pro- the fitting of such items as: vincial governments. Since funds under the program are - equipment and systems for hold- In total 8 million dollars have been allocated to this fiscal year the termi- ing the catch in chilled water set aside for the vessel assistance nation date is March 31, 1982. Fishing - conversion to increase ice holding program. Two million dollars of this vessel owners wishing to participate in capacity and systems to produce amount have been allocated to assist any element of the program are urged and distribute ice on board fishermen to upgrade their vessels to to contact their local fisheries office for details as soon as possible.

Categorization Program to be Evaluated

The Categorization Program, which was outlined in our first issue, is to be evaluated by fishermen in the Scotia- Fundy Region to determine whether the program is useful in its present form, or should be changed. All commercial fishermen have been categorized as either "Full-Time" or "Part-Time" in accordance with the guidelines for their local area which were established by their local Appeal Committees. The comments and ap- peals received from fishermen indi- cated that we should evaluate the program before proceeding any further. Therefore, all Commercial Fishermen have been mailed a ques- tionnaire to fill out and return to the Department by March 1, 1982. The re- sults of the questionnaire will be ana- lyzed and appropriate changes to the program will be made if fishermen so desire. Until the results of the survey are known, the categories indicated on Canada's face stiff compe- about 130 inspectors on staff in the Scotia your 1981 and 1982 licenses are to be tition from other countries, and quality Fundy and Gulf Regions. Their job in- ignored. If you have not already done often determines the difference between cludes monitoring fish quality and sug- so please take time to fill out the ques- large sales and no sales at all. The De- gesting methods for quality improvement tionnaire and drop it in the mail in the partment of Fisheries and Oceans has envelope provided. 3 Valuable Information Availablé Amendments to Regulations are The department continuously pro- being developed and carried on within duces and updates many useful and the Fisheries Development Branch. On-going informative publications for fisher- These are just a few of the topics men, and the fishing community addressed in departmental publica- Fishery regulations are constantly generally. tions. We urge you to make use of this being changed and updated to reflect management requirements and priori- These publications address many information. be ties for individual fisheries. In order to important issues such as quality im- Departmental publications will by keep fishermen better informed, regu- provement (with booklets on achiev- mailed to you free of charge lation amendments will be published ing "Quality Excellence in the 80's", contacting: regularly in this newsletter. and the "Recommended International The Communications Division Persons wishing to properly inter- Code of Practice for Handling Fresh Fisheries and Oceans pret the amendments are urged to Fish at Sea"), insuring fishing vessels Scotia-Fundy Region consult either the original Act, or their through the Insurance Halifax, N.S. B3J 2S7 local fisheries officer. Plan, information on obtaining fund- ing for vessel improvements through the department's Fisheries Improve- ment Loans, Fishing in Metric, and in- Are You Licensed and Registered for 1982? formation on the innovative programs Renewal applications for 1982 years or when changes in ownership Commercial Fishermen's Licences or vessel structure occur. and Vessel regis- To speed up the renewal process, Overseas trations should by now have been the addition of a tear-off section to Opportunity completed and returned by fishermen each application will serve, upon vali- and vessel owners who held them in dation by Halifax, as a temporary 1981. document until a permanent one is If you possess a minimum of three Individuals who in 1981 did not hold mailed to the . The second to five years commercial fishing expe- a personal Fishermen's Licence or page of the application, therefore, rience, are a good communicator, and who owned vessels not registered must not be detached and the com- would like to spend a couple of years with the Department must obtain ap- pleted form must be returned to Hal- on a beautiful tropical island, then plication forms from their local Fisher- ifax for validation. read on. ies offices. In addition to licences and vessel CUSO, Canada's largest non- Fishermen planning to participate in registration issued by Halifax, all limit- governmental international develop- a particular fishery in 1982 must pos- ed and specific fishery licences as well ment organization, is seeking expe- sess the new 1982 documents before as fixed commercial fishing unit regis- rienced fisheries workers to organize they can legally fish. Fishermen or trations issued to individual fishermen and train small groups of fishermen in vessel owners who have not complied in 1981, must be renewed at the local the outer islands of Vanuatu. with this requirement are fishing fishery offices before commencing fishery activities in 1982. Vanuatu is an unspoiled South Pa- illegally. Further information or assistance in cific nation which gained independ- The 1982 Vessel Registration appli- completing renewal applications can ence in 1980, and is now seeking as- cation has been reduced to a shorter be obtained from local Fishery sistance in developing a commercial format. The long form previously used Officers. fishing industry. will now be used only every three As commercial fishing is new to the area, training would include basic skills in boat handling, navigation, construction, fishing methods, fish Fees for Licences handling, and marketing. Gaspereau Fishing Licence ...... $5.00 These two year postings require in- 1. Hydraulic Clam Digger Licence ...... $5.00 dividuals who can cope with the ex- 2. Oyster Fishing Licence ...... $5.00 pected frustrations of developing vil- 3. Scallop Diving Licence ...... $5.00 lage fisheries from scratch, who are 4. Shad Dip Net Licence ...... $5.00 prepared to live simply in village ,5. Shad Gill Net Licence ...... $5.00 houses made of bush materials, and 6. Smelt Bag Net Licence ...... $5.00 can give training to the local people. 7. 8. Smelt Box Net Licence ...... $5.00 There are schools and dispensaries 9. Smelt Gill Net Licence ...... $5.00 on all of the islands, and hospitals on 10. Sturgeon Fishing Licence ...... $5.00 the larger islands. 11. Trap Net Licence except Salmon, Groundfish, Mackerel, and Herring ...... $5.00 For further information, contact: 12. Weir Licence except Herring ...... $5.00 CUSO Agriculture - J1 Program 13. Gaspereau Gill Net Licence ...... $5.00 1546 Barrington Street, 4th Floor Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 1Z3 4 JUS ET OCIIWS Vol. 2, No. 2 April/May, 1982 (ISSN: 17228-0183) Scotia-Fundy/Gulf Regions.

Direct Sales Agreement Signed for Mackerel and Gaspereau

Fishermen in the Maritimes and Under the contracts, the first of Foreign vessels utilized under the Quebec will be able to sell mackerel seven foreign freezer vessels to be sta- contracts will be subject to the normal and gaspereau directly to foreign tioned at various locations in the Mari- foreign access and fishing fees in ac- buyers this summer, under two seper- times and Quebec are scheduled to cordance with Canadian fishing ate contractual arrangements. arrive on May 15 to begin purchasing regulations. The agreements between two fisher- mackerel along the Eastern Shore of men's organizations and representa- Nova Scotia, and May 19 to begin Sales of fish by Canadian fishermen tives of several major European sea- purchasing gaspereau at Chatham, directly to foreign buyers have been food groups will provide fishermen N.B. authorized intermittently by the Gov- with a price of 13 cents per pound ernment of Canada since 1976. The Included in both contracts, is a pen- (28.70 per kg) for mackerel and .8.5 program has provided an opportunity alty clause stipulating that if a foreign cents per pound (18.80 per kg) for for inshore fishermen to sell catches vessel arrives late or leaves early with- gaspereau. which are surplus to domestic pro- out fulfilling its minimum number of The prices have been negotiated by cessing and marketing capability, or purchasing days on station commit- the fishermen's organizations. where no Canadian market exists at ment, the foreign partner could forfeit One contract is between the Mari- economically-acceptable returns to a significant portion of the offshore al- time Fishermen's Union and Joint fishermen. Trawlers (Canada) Ltd. of St. John's, location of fish to which it would be entitled. This provision is an attempt Nfld., and Joint Trawlers Sweden Total Atlantic Coast over-the-side (A.B.) Ltd. of Helsingborg, Sweden. to avoid some of the supply problems sales in 1981 represented less than The second contract is between the of the past, but given the extensive one per cent of total fish landings. Eastern Fishermen's Federation and lead time for participation this year, the fishermen will be able to take ad- J. Marr () Ltd. of Hull, Eng- vantage of this deal. land, and the AMFAL Group Ltd. of Dartmouth, N.S. Department of Fisheries and The purpose of Fisheries News is Oceans officials will monitor imple- twofold; it informs the fishing industry Joint Trawlers has been involved in of the latest developments in Depart- direct sales arrangements with Cana- mentation of the two over-the-side mental programs and policies, and dian fishermen for several years. This sales., agreements. In the event that assists in improving the lines of marks the first participation in Canada any partner to the contract encounters communication between industry and difficulty, the Minister has reserved the government. by the Marr group. Fishermen's organ- With these objectives in mind, we izations now have contracts with two right to intervene to resolve the invite you to respond to any of the in- buyer groups who have managed di- problem. formation contained in "Fisheries rect sales of mackerel in the United News" or make suggestions of your The contracts will give the Euro- own regarding content. Kingdom. pean partners direct access to catch a Please address all correspondence to: "It's a good deal for fishermen," said limited amount of offshore fish spe- Fisheries Minister Romeo LeBlanc, cies which have not been traditionally The Editor/Fisheries News "and one which should provide an Department of Fisheries and Oceans fished offshore by Canadians, and in Communications Division, P.O. Box 550 economic shot in the arm to the East which Canadian fishermen have Halifax, N.S. B3J 2S7 Coast fisheries". shown little interest.

10 Bulk En nombre third troisième class classe ^Halifax, N.S. Canada Emergencies At Sea- 1981 Landings & Values Are You Prepared? Figures for 1981 indicate that total 1980 while the value of the catch in- landings for fish and shellfish in the creased marginally for the period. The The following list of equipment is Maritimes were down marginally over statistics at a glance.follow: mandatory for Canadian fishing vessels. • One approved standard, lifejacket Totals By Province - Nova Scotia Landed Value for each person on board. Selected Species Landed Quantity (thousands) • One approved lifebuoy fitted with (metric tons) of dollars 27 meters (88 ft. 6 i.n.) of line for 1980 1981 1980 1981 vessels not exceeding 12.2 meters cod 116,657 128,258 42,732 53,942 in length and not exceeding fifteen haddock 51,358 50,570 25,488 23,014 tons gross tonnage. For larger ves- pollock 33,753 38,303 8,395 10,237 3,360 4,107 sels, two approved lifebuoys are redfish 16,341 20,529 required, one fitted with 27 meters total groundfish 261,729 277,958 97,866 108,457 of line and the other with an ap- herring 81,794 84,240 19,545 12,439 proved lifebuoy light. mackerel 7,269 6,616 1,674 1,485 • For vessels exceeding 40 feet in salmon 90 42 564 284 length and 15 gross tons, a suffi- total pelagic and estuarial 95,901 94,521 27,579 16,481 cient number of lifeboats, boats, scallop 65,346 79,964 63,736 88,336 dories skiffs or seine skiffs to ac- lobster 6,483 7,894 33,770 41,314 commodate all persons on board snow crab 2,568 1,534 1,374 777 are also required. squid 761 668 138 245 • All vessels must be equipped with shrimp 1,643 2,482 3,858 2,322 one watertight can containing six total shellfish 79,199 94,992 104,426 137,664 approved self-igniting red flares. total fish and shellfish 436,830 467,471 229,871 262,602 • Sufficient equipment and approved lights to comply with collision regulations. Totals By Province - New Brunswick Landed Value • Every fishing vessel of open con- Selected Species Landed Quantity (thousands) struction must carry one fire (metric tons) of dollars bucket. 1980 1981 1980 1981 • Every vessel of closed construction cod 11,714 13,852 3,722 4,727 2,613 1,137 759 must carry one 4.5 litre (Igal.) foam small flatfish 3,929 pollock 1,787 1,119 621 393 fire extinguisher or equivalent. redfish 1,104 2,638 242 662 Suggested additional equipment total groundfish 20,897 22,584 6,406 7,117 • An efficient and suitable compass herri ng 51,165 43,181 9,988 7,042 capable of being illuminated. mackerel 3,116 1,929 734 406 • A 3 kilogram (6 lb. 10 oz.) weight alewife 5,796 4,148 1,411 682 and 27 meters of light line for total pelagic and estuarial 63,424 51,494 13,752 10,241 sounding purposes. • Lifeboats in vessels longer than 40 scallop 2,081 5,783 2,249 7,051 feet should also carry a full bank of lobster 4,259 4,309 14,543 16,134 oars, and accompanying oarlocks, shrimp 2,920 3,102 4,395 4,660 9,994 14,083 5,940 8,438 or thole pins, a suitable container snow crab holding at least one litre (1 qt.) of total shellfish 21,613 29,585 28,351 37,512 fresh water for each person the total fish and shellfish 105,933 103,663 48,509 54,870 boat is deemed capable of carrying, a watertight can containing twelve Totals By Province - Prince Edward Island Landed Value approved self-igniting flares, one Selected Species Landed Quantity (thousands) bucket and one bailer, two sheath (metric tons) of donars knives or hatchets (one in a dory), 1980 1981 1980 1981 one boat hook or fishing gaff, one cod 5,378 6,923 1,511 2,166 storm lantern with sufficient oil to white hake 6,306 7,195 1,537 1,650 burn for at least seven hours, and a total groundfish 20,053 23,312 4,935 6,028 watertight can of matches, one herring 1,333 2,805 361 675 painter attached to the bows of the mackerel 2,996 2,370 756 563 boat, a dory compass and a sea total pelagic and estuarial 5,355 6,232 2,028 2,149 anchor. • Vessels not exceeding 40 feet in oyster 1,071 1,048 1,046 1,157 5,356 15,636 18,183 length should be provided with one lobster 5,344 bilge pump or hand pump having a total shellfish 8,060 8,978 17,922 21,695 capacity of not less than 1.14 litres total fish and shellfish 33,463 38,522 24,886 29,872 per second, or one quart per second. 2 Development Branch Bringing Improvements to Industry

The Department's Fisheries Devel- Development of Canadian Squid Jig- Waste Heat Utilization Aboard Vessels: opment Branch is constantly working ging Equipment Since 1980, the Recognizing that on most vessels, to improve Canada's Fishing industry. Branch has been encouraging the in- only about 40 per cent of engine out- Through research and development troduction of more modern fishing put is used in propulsion, Fisheries projects aimed at saving time, labour and handling equipment in many Development Branch is working to and energy, the Branch seeks to build areas of the Maritimes in order to in- devise methods for putting the remain- a more competitive industry. crease catches and upgrade quality. ing waste energy to use. At any given time, the Development Longline Development Longlining Other initiatives have included: Branch might be working on twenty or has been recognized as a highly • Studies to improve the selectivity more projects, most of which are car- energy efficient fishing method, yield- and productivity of scallop rakes for ried out in cooperation with and with ing high quality product. The Branch the benefit of the scallop industry, the assistance of fishermen them- has been encouraging developments and to minimize damage to the selves. in longlining through the introduction scallops. The following projects are presently and demonstration of monofilament • Field tests to determine appropriate in various stages of progress, and longlines and various mechanized containers or fish boxes for holding clearly show that the Development systems. fish on vessels and ashore. Branch is a centre for innovation and • Development of a technique for improvements which will make them- Pairing Fishing: Studies carried out by processing shrimp at sea, in order selves felt in the industry. the Development Branch have shown beyond doubt that seining and bottom to improve the landed quality and can be undertaken more effi- value of shrimp caught in the Gulf Self Hauling Rope Reels: This concept ciently and with large energy savings of St. Lawrence and to improve the is being developed for the purpose of when two vessels pair up to fish jointly. economic viability of the shrimp eliminating both the handling of ropes There has been marked success with fishery. employed in Scottish seining, or, pairing using both large and small • A quality improvement program in where hydraulic rope reels are used, vessels, and a great deal of effort has the crab fishery. to eliminate the winches and slave gone into developing appropriate • The development of equipment take-up reels which consume a great equipment and techniques. capable of gutting various size deal of deck space. Construction of a groundfish. self-hauling unit has recently been Scallop Shucking Machine: One of the • Development of more efficient un- completed, and it will be installed for Branch's more recent successful pro- loading techniques testing during the 1982-83 fishing jects has been the development of a season. prototype scallop shucking machine. • Improvements in vessel design and This revolutionary unit saves many development Lumpfish Roe Project The branch has long hours of manual labour, and be- • Efforts to promote the orderly de- undertaken, on a continuing basis, cause of the time saved in shucking, velopment of a Canadian stockfish studies and exploratory fishing to de- contributes to a better quality product. indust ry termine if sufficient numbers of lump- A commercial prototype is now under fish spawn in Nova Scotia waters to construction in cooperation with a lo- support a viable roe industry. cal firm.

New Sector Management Scheme In Place

F-ollowing a year of consideration ,Flexibility in management is also an sel fleet continues to be managed on and consultations with provincial gov- iniportant aspect of the new system. an "Atlantic-wide" basis, but with a ernments and each segment of the Regional Directors General now have specified share of each major stock. fishing industry, the Department's new more authority to deal effectively with The new plan also addresses the sector management scheme for the the social and economic conditions question of overlaps. Although the inshore groundfish fishery went into within their regions. numbers vary from one sector to effect January 1. This new flexibility and decentrali- another, most inshore groundfish ves- The new system creates a better zation in management allows for ex- sels from communities near the boun- balance between available fish stocks pansion or restriction of the inshore dary lines have historically fished and fishing effort within the boundar- fisheries within a particular region in common fishing grounds on both ies of each of the new sectors. response to resource availability, sides of the line, depending on the lo- Specifically, it ensures that in a sec- without necessarily affecting the man- cation of fish stocks. To provide for tor where adequate fishing capacity agement of fisheries in other regions. continuation of these patterns, vessels exists, additional fishing by vessels Vital to the success of the sector are still permitted to fish in the NAFO outside the sector is restricted. This approach is the necessity to deter- subdivision adjoining their home port. ensures that quotas assigned for a mine longlerm sharing plans for allo- particular size of vessel in a particular cation of the groundfish resource area will, in fact, be harvested by ves- among the various sectors of the fleet. sels from that area. Under the new scheme, the large ves- 3 Regulations Released For N.S. Commercial Categorization of Salmon Fishery Fishermen The response to the questionnaire on the Categorization Program has Zone Waters Open Seasons been extremely encouraging up to now. Of the nearly 12,000 question- 5 All coastal waters of Victoria and June 1-July 31 naires sent out, 5,300 were returned Richmond Counties for an almost 45% return. In addition All coastal waters of Cape Breton May 18-July 31 125 fishermen took the time to outline County their thoughts and comments in letter form. Your interest and participation in 7 All coastal waters of Guysborough June 1-July 31 this survey are very much appreciated County and that portion of Halifax and the results of the survey will be County, East Newcombe's Brook, published in a later issue of Fisheries East Ship Harbour News. The answers to the questions and 8 All coastal waters of Annapolis, June 1-August 10 the comments of fishermen will be Kings, Hants, Colchester and studied, and recommendations con- Cumberland Counties which border cerning the categorization program on the Bay of Fundy will be forwarded to higher authority within the next three months. In the 9 All coastal waters of Lunenburg May 24-July 31 meantime, the category that appears County, and that portion of Halifax on your personal license should be County west of Newcdmbe's Brook ignored. East Ship Harbour

10 All coastal waters of Queens, May 24-July 31 Shelburne, Yarmouth and Digby Notice to Readers Counties This edition of Fisheries News will be the last to serve both the Scotia Fundy and Gulf Regions. Hereafter, Fisheries News will be distributed only Licensing Policy shown that circumstances have within the Scotia Fundy Region. This policy applies to all persons arisen which render the current lo- Readers in the Gulf Region can look fishing Atlantic salmon commercially cation useless (i.e. wharf construc- forward to their own newsletter due to in the Maritime Provinces or from tion, dredging) and provided commence publication during the ports within the Maritime Provinces. further that the new location will summer months. • Licences are not available for new not adversely affect the fishery entrants in this fishery. and/or salmon fishing set-net li- • Licences are not transferable. cences presently located in the • Licences are only valid for the area. management zone specified. • All vessels utilized in the salmon • Licences may be issued to those fishery must be registered as Can- persons who, in the preceding year adian Commercial Fishing Vessels. held commercial salmon fishing li- • All participants in the salmon cences and personally operated fishery must be registered as their own specified salmon fishing Commercial Fishermen. gear; were not employed full-time outside the commercial fishery or Gear Types and Areas other primary industries for more Fishermen who are eligible for entry than nine months annually, and into the fishery will be limited to the were (and still are) full-time resi- type of fishing gear and area de- dents of the salmon management scribed in regulations and in the zone in which they fished. In New commercial salmon fishing licence. Brunswick, persons who pa rticipat- ed in the government-sponsored Salmon Licence Buy Back program Tagging Program are not eligible for new licences. In New Brunswick only, a federal VISIT THE DEPARTMENT'S • Fishermen will be limited to the tagging program will be implemented EXHIBIT AT gear type and location they fished for the commercial and Indian Food "FISH CANADA '82", during the past season. fisheries. Further information on this HALIFAX FROM MAY 5-9. • On application, the holder of a set- program can be obtained from fisher- net licence (fixed gillnet, trap net) ies officers, or through the Communi- may be permitted to move his gear cations Division, Department of Fish- to a new location provided it can be eries and Oceans. Fish Canada 85 4 y Fisheres ar^d Ooeare 1 T Pécs et OoAans

v.v OCEANS UE OCÉANS

Vol. 2, No. 3 June/July, 1982 (ISSN: 0228-0183) Scotia-Fundy Region

Better Management Aim of New Scotia Fundy Region

Division of the former Maritimes for more concentrated management, primary objectives in the establish- Region, Department of Fisheries and and the accompanying division of au- ment of the two new Regions is to de- Oceans, into the new Scotia Fundy thority would make the department velop a fisheries information system and Gulf Regions should bring about more responsive to the needs of fisher- which can be counted on to produce noticeable improvements in overall men, fishing communities, and the in- timely and accurate information to management, delivery of services and dustry in general. support the activities of the Depart- collection and utilization of informa- The three area divisions within Sco- ment in the management of the fisher- tion, according to Jim Melanson, Act- tia Fundy will be administered by Area ies resource. ing Director, Fisheries Operations. Managers located in Sydney, Yarmouth Melanson says that the Master Plan and St. Andrews. Whereas under the Characteristics of Scotia Fundy which has been drawn up for the Sco- old regime there were four area man- In 1981, the Scotia Fundy Region tia Fundy Region is in the early stages agers, under the new scheme, the Hal- recorded catches of 50 different spe- of implementation and great care is ifax area manager's office has been cies of finfish, shellfish and marine being taken along the way to ensure eliminated. plants. The total weight of fish landed that fishermen, and others affected by Melanson says that while the advan- in Scotia Fundy was 260,000 metric the changes are consulted and kept tages of the new system may not be tons, with a landed value of $231 mil- abreast of the department's intentions immediately obvious, "eventually, as lion. This represents about 39 per cent with respect to the new administrative the decentralization process con- by weight and 46 per cent by value of structure. tinues professionals such as biolo- Atlantic Coast totals. As can be seen from the accom- gists, economists and others will be panying map, the Scotia Fundy Re- added to the area staff at these strateg- gion is made up of three large areas: ically located offices. The establish- Eastern Nova Scotia (taking in parts of ment of these people in areas where Halifax, Guysborough and parts of the fishing is actually being done is Richmond and Inverness Counties), bound to have beneficial and far The purpose of Fisheries News is Southwestern Nova Scotia (taking in reaching results. twofold; it informs the fishing industry part of Halifax, Lunenburg, Queens, "Moving the decision making pro- of the latest developments in Depart- Shelburne, Yarmouth, Digby, Annapo- cess to where the fishermen are, and mental programs and policies, and Kings, and parts of Cumberland assists in improving the lines of lis, as close as possible to the fishing cen- communication between industry and and Colchester counties) and South- tres is something that fishermen have government. ern New Brunswick (comprising all of wanted for some time, and we are cer- With these objectives in mind, we the southern New Brunswick counties tain that all concerned will benefit invite you to respond to any of the in- formation contained in "Fisheries up to the Victoria county line). from the moves now underway." News" or make suggestions of your According to Melanson, the reason- In addition to the Area Headquar- own regarding content. ing behind the establishment of the ters, a number of district offices, with Please address all correspondence to: two new regions arose from a recogni- senior Conservation, Protection and The Editor/ Fisheries News tion by the department that the former Inspection Personnel will be located at Department of Fisheries and Oceans Maritimes Region was too cumber- Digby, Yarmouth and Liverpool, he Communications Division, P.O. Box 550 some to manage effectively. It was felt said. Halifax, N.S. B3J 2S7 that division of the region would allow Mr. Melanson said that one of the

Third Troisiàms dasa dmee SON Halifax, N.S Canada Fish landings were recorded in Ninety-five per cent of Atlantic The Processing Industry roughly 500 different communities in Coast scallops are landed in Scotia- There are over 200 the Scotia Fundy Region in 1981. The Fundy from two major fisheries. The plants in the Scotia-Fundy Region. largest ten ports accounted for 49 per oldest operates in the Digby area with Most major plants are involved in cent of the total landed value in the vessels of 45-65 feet in length. The freezing groundfish and herring when region, and the largest 50 ports re- larger fishery is on Georges and available. Scallops are mainly deli- ported 83 per cent of the total. Browns Banks, where 77 vessels in the vered to larger plants west of Halifax, Eighty-five per cent of fishing trips 100-foot range caught about 75 mil- but other than freezing, little process- and 75 per cent of landed value oc- lion dollars worth of scallops in 1981. ing is involved. Hundreds of small curred in the seven months from April Most shrimp landed by Scotia plants are engaged in filleting and through October. • • Fundy vessels is caught by large freezing operations and salting and The 6,675 registered fishing vessels trawlers off Labrador. The crab fishery selling fresh fish. in the Region in 1981 Were widely outside the Gulf represents only four Ownership in the industry is quite scattered among small inshore ports, per cent of the Atlantic total catch. centralized, with the two major pro- with heavier concentrations in South Recorded sales of clams in 1980 ex- cessing companies under a common Western Nova Scotia counties. ceeded the value of such higher- ownership. Together they purchase Vessels operating out of Scotia profile species as squid, mackerel, roughly half of all groundfish landed Fundy are relatively larger and more salmon and gaspereau. in Scotia-Fundy. The other half is mobile than those from other Atlantic broadly dispersed among over 100 Coast Regions. The number of vessels other buyers. in the 35-65 foot range has caused Pelagics and other Fisheries There is a significant amount of sec- special problems for zonal uniformity Groundfish and shellfish cover 85 ondary fish processing in Scotia-Fundy. of statistics in recent years. The three per cent of the landed value of fish in Major products include canned sar- Maritime Provinces counted 5,462 Scotia-Fundy. dines and herring products, cooked vessels in this class in 1980, compared The purse seine herring fishery, breaded fish sticks and related cooked to 1,392 in Newfoundland. worth about $24 million to the region's products, and smoked fish, in addition fishermen in 1980, is conducted by to the standard "primary" production The Groundfish Industry approximately 66 vessels fishing in of frozen raw blocks and institutional The Scotia-Fundy groundfish indus- three major Scotia-Fundy fisheries. packages. try is comprised of two sectors; the inshore and offshore fisheries. The in- shore fishery is relatively labour inten- sive, while the offshore fishery dis- plays a higher degree of vertical inte- gration and is more capital intensive. The Scotia-Fundy groundfish catch is harvested by 3,400 vessels fishing Gulf Region from George's Bank to northern Lab- Région du Golfef e rador and there are 131 buyers/pro- TRACADIE NEW BRUNSWICK 4T eSer cessors. The general seller-buyer ratio NOUVEAU-BRUNSWICK PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND 3Ps is 13 sellers to one buyer. I LE -DU-PRINCE-EIDOLJARD The groundfish fleet harvests 55 per cent by weight and 42 per cent by P;" 4VN value of all Scotia-Fundy fisheries. In MONCTO the Atlantic zone, groundfish repre- sents 62 per cent by weight of fish ANTIGON1SH caught. ‘i ST ANDREWS About half of the Scotia-Fundy groundfish landings are from trawlers 4Vs over 100 feet in length. Most of this fleet of about 70 vessels is owned by larger companies which process and 5Y Scotia Fundy Region SABLE AND ilE DE seeLE market their own fish. Below 100 feet, Région Scotia-Fundy virtually all vessels are fishermen- 200 MILE LIMIT owned and operated. LIMITE DE 200 MILLES 4X 4W Shellfish Fisheries The shellfish group in Scotia-Fundy,

tit 0,LS6AM» specifically scallops and lobsters, has B,M. DE GEOR,I. , or/Area Manager Headquarters a landed value roughly equivalent to Rai Bureau des Geer:Inner. de Secreer that of groundfish. Some 3500 fisher- men participate in the Region's lobster fishery, mainly from small boats in the 25-45 foot range. which are widely dispersed along the coastline. A small offshore fleet of eight vessels contrib- utes relatively little to total landings.

2 Shellfish Departmental ment Branch continues to achieve a high level of success in developing in- Contamination - Publications Answer novative techniques aimed at achiev- ing maximum returns from our fisher- Forewarned is Many Questions ies resources. The Branch, formed in Forearmed 1979 to aid the fishing industry in What sorts of activities are carried modernizing and taking advantage of on by Canada's Department of Fisher- technological developments, is devel- Consumption of contaminated bi- ies and Oceans, and what is the De- oping energy efficient harvesting valve molluscs (e.g. oysters, mussels partment's mandate? What has the es- techniques, advancements in fish and clams) can cause serious illness tablishment of Canada's 200-mile eco- handling and holding for better quality and sometimes death in humans. The nomic management zone meant for and new improved energy efficiency two chief sources of contamination the country's fishing industry thusfar? and vessel development programs. In- are paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) Where can fishermen find the best in- formation on the Branch and its oper- and human sewage. Fisheries and en- surance schemes for their boats and ations is available in an attractive and vironmental agencies maintain a sur- gear? Need information about the var- informative brochure. veillance of shellfish growing areas to ious fish species occupying Canada's In addition, anything you are likely ensure that only safe shellfish reach fishing grounds and their characteris- to want to know about the various the market and to warn the public of tics? The answers to these questions, species which make up Canada's unsafe beaches. and many others are yours for the ask- Atlantic Fishery can be found in the Anyone interested in harvesting and ing. They are contained in a wide Fisheries Fact Sheets, available on re- eating bivalve molluscs should follow range of publications produced and quest from the Department. these safety guidelines: updated regularly by the Department For these and other Departmental • Check with the local fishery officer of Fisheries and Oceans. publications, simply write to: for an update on the safety of the A general publication entitled "Can- Department of Fisheries and Oceans shellfish beaches in the area you ada's Department of Fisheries and Communications Division have picked. Oceans" will tell you about the depart- Scotia-Fundy Region • Do not harvest shellfish from PSP ment's various activities and responsi- One Sackville Place closed areas, sewage contaminated bilities, which include fisheries man- Halifax, N.S. closed areas, areas susceptible to agement and research in coastal and (tel) (902) 426-3550 sewage contamination from urban inland waters, economic development or agricultural upland uses and ma- and marketing within the fishery, in- jor boat anchorage locations. ternational fisheries negotiations, • Do not eat raw shellfish unless they oceanographic research, hydrogra- have been taken from clean waters. phic surveying and charting and the Bacteria are destroyed if the shell- development and administration of fish is well cooked. If stored, the fishing and recreational harbours. shellfish should either be frozen or "Canada's 200-Mile Fishing Zone" Direct Sales Now held at a temperature below seven describes how the extension of Cana- degrees Celsius. dian jurisdiction to 200-miles offshore Open to Individual • Be aware that paralytic shellfish has resulted in a more secure future Fishermen poison and sewage contamination for the Canadian fishing industry by only affect bivalve molluscs (shell- securing more of the resource for the The Department of Fisheries and fish with two shells). Other shell- Canadian fleet, and preventing the Oceans has recently ruled that indi- fish such as shrimps, prawns, depletion of important fish species vidual fishermen may participate in crabs, etc. as well as finfish are not through proper management and programs for the sale of fish directly to affected. However, care should be quota restrictions to ensure that Can- foreign buyers this year, regardless of taken in handling shellfish. For in- ada's fisheries remain a renewable whether they happen to be members stance, cooked crabs should not be reqource. of any formal fishermen's organiza- rinsed in contaminated water. The advantages of the govern- tion, association or union. • People eating shellfish should be ment's "Fishing Vessel Insurance Any fishermen who feels he is being aware of the symptoms of Paralytic Plan", which was developed at the re- prevented from participating in a di- Shellfish Poisoning (PSP). The first quest of fishermen and provincial go- rect sales program is urged to contact indication of poisoning is a numb- vernments to give fishermen adequate the Department. ness or tingling of the lips and protection for their vessels and their tongue which spreads to the fin- livelihood, are clearly explained in a gers and toes. These symptoms are separate brochure. The plan is avail- followed by a loss of muscular able to anyone having an insurable in- coordination terminating in paraly- terest in a Canadian Fishing Vessel. sis and inability to breathe. At the A pamphlet entitled "The St. An- first sign of symptoms, INDUCE drews Biological Station" provides a VOMITING, TAKE A LAXATIVE highly informative account of the im- AND DRINK A SOLUTION OF portant work which has been carried BAKING POWDER OR BAKING on for many years at Canada's oldest SODA, THEN GET MEDICAL fisheries research institution. ATTENTION AS QUICKLY AS Within the Scotia-Fundy Region, POSSIBLE. the Department's Fisheries Develop-

3 Task Force to Survey Fishermen's Income and Expenditure Patterns The Task Force on Atlantic Fisher- venue to give fishermen an adequate survey has been designed to ensure ies is carrying out the most compre- level of income." that information about any individual hensive survey ever undertaken of the Kirby added that the Task Force ex- will be kept confidential. It will be im- income and spending patterns of fish- pects the survey to produce an accu- possible to identify survey results with ermen and their families on Canada's rate picture of what fishermen and any particular participant. east coast. their families earn, what they spend, Each person who will be requested About 1,300 fishermen in the Mari- how much it costs to be a fisherman to take part in the survey will shortly times and Newfoundland will be inter- and how fishermen spend their time, receive a letter from Mr. Kirby asking viewed. The results of the survey are both during the fishing season and in for their help in completing the expected to make a major contribu- the off-season. questionnaire. tion to the work of the Task Force. "The survey will enable us to under- The Task Force was established in "A vital part of our mandate is to pay stand regional differences in incomes January by Prime Minister Trudeau to particular attention to the questions of among fishermen, depending on inquire into current conditions and protecting and stabilizing fishermen's where they live, what species they examine possible future directions for income levels," said Task Force catch, what kind of vessel they fish the Atlantic Coast fishery. Its purpose Chairman Michael Kirby. from and what kind of gear they use. is to recommend how to achieve and "The deep-seated problems in the "Every one in the industry with maintain a viable Atlantic fishing fishery are not simply the financial whom we have consulted has told us industry. problems of fish processing compan- that it is essential that we take these ies and their owners. The industry's fi- differences into account in the re- nancial problems have enormous so- commendations of the Task Force." cial implications as well. The existence The survey is being carried out in of many communities on the Atlantic co-operation with the Department of coast depends on the incomes which Fisheries and Oceans. The interviews fishermen can earn and subsequently will be conducted by Community Ser- spend," Kirby said. vice Officers from DFO in the Mari- "We need to know more about both time provinces and by DFO Fisheries New Buoyage incomes and spending patterns of fish- officers in Newfoundland. ermen so that we will be able to judge Those to be interviewed have been System Being the impact on fishermen of any policy selected randomly by computer from changes we recommend. We espe- a list of all persons known to hold Introduced Next Year cially need to know if a particular commercial fishing licences in New- Beginning in 1983, the Canadian fishery is not generating enough re- foundland and the Maritimes. The Coast Guard will be introducing a new bouyage system in Canadian waters. This system, which has been adopted for use worldwide by the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities, includes both lateral and cardinal buoys. The principle features and uses of the various buoys are described in a special pamphlet which can be ob- tained from the following Coast Guard locations in the Scotia-Fundy Region. All fishermen are strongly urged to familiarize themselves with the new system before it becomes operative.

CANADIAN COAST GUARD OFFICES

P.O. Box 7730 Station A Saint John, N.B. E2L 4X6

^ - . P.O. Box 1000 Dartmouth, N.S. B2Y 3Z8 New 63-metre (205) C.G.S. CYGNUS arriving in its home port of Halifax in mid-May. The CYGNUS will be responsible for fisheries surveillance and enforcement of regulations within Canada's 200-mile fishing zone.

4 , 1 Fshenes and ooean. 1► Pèches et oceans

IrS AND OCEANS

L

Vol. 2, No. 4 October/November, 1982 (ISSN: 0714-9794) Scotia-Fundy Region

The Scotian Shelf Flatfish Stocks by K. Metuzals

No one is likely to mistake any one At about the time the larvae settle to shelf is also a preferred area. of the flatfish for any other fish! What the bottom, the skull twists in the The plaice fishery is directed (fish- strikes one immediately is their course of development, so that one of ing effort is aimed at catching this flatness! the eyes, which was originally on the species only) in the summer but only The flatfish does not Iie on its belly, side which will become its under- a by-catch (fishermen getting inciden- rather it lies on its side, either right or neath, migrates around the head, until tal catches while using gear to catch left with its eyes close together. It both eyes finally come to lie close to- other species of groundfish) fishery makes for a funny looking fish! Yet this gether on its new topside. exists in the winter. Since 1975 land- flatfish - and there are six commer- Look also at the shape of the mouth! ings have fluctuated around 6,500 cially important species in Canadian It is perfectly adapted to open side- tonnes. Foreign exploitation has been waters, produces one of the finest tast- ways. You can see the advantage of minimal since 1977. USSR vessels ing fillets on the market. the location of the eyes, to look out for caught 5,000 tonnes in 1974 but since What is commonly sold as "sole" danger or prey while feeding sideways then their involvement has declined to can be either yellowtail flounder, witch on the sea urchins and starfish. an insignificant catch. flounder or winter flounder, (some- Most fish have a swimbladder to as- The bulk of the plaice caught comes times called blackback). Most people sist them in boyancy compensation from Div. 4V, the eastern section of the know the thick steaks of the Atlantic during vertical migration. Flatfishes do shelf and most (85%) is taken by large halibut, the largest flatfish! not undertake extensive vertical migra- otter trawlers. The other species of flatfish are tion and they have no swimbladder. American plaice and Greenland hali- but otherwise known as turbot. American Plaice (other common American plaice, yellowtail flounder The purpose of Fisheries News is names: Canadian plaice, plaice, dab, twofold: it informs the fishing industry and witch flounder make up the bulk sand dab, flounder, sole, long rough of the latest developments in Depart- of the commercial flatfish catch. dab}, mental programs and policies, and The plaice is among the most widely assists in improving the lines of Biology communication between industry and distributed of the flatfish. Distribution government. What is so interesting about the flat- of the species on the shelf, determined With these objectives in mind. we fish is that their whole life is not spent from research vessel surveys and invite you to respond to any of the in- on the bottom of the sea, or that they commercial fisheries information, is formation contained in "Fisheries News" or make suggestions of your were not always flat! Flatfish spawn widespread with main fishing concen- own regarding content near the bottom, but the eggs are trations located on Banquereau Bank. Please address all correspondence to: buoyant and pelagic, or free-floating Plaice prefer the cooler water tempera- in the sea-water column. The eggs de- The Editor/Fisheries News tures of depths between 50-100 Department of Fisheries and Oceans velop and become the usual fish- fathoms rather than the warmer, shal- Communications Division. P 0 Box 550 shaped larvae, with the eyes being on lower waters on the banks. The deep Halifax, N S B3J 2S7 each side of the head as usual. water on the slope of the continental

' + Canada Postes Post Canada

Bulk En nombre third troisiéme cWss classe

Halrfax.NS ' Canaua Fisheries of the Scot/an Shelf, 1CNAF Res. Doc. 73/102. Leim, A. and W. B. Scott (1966) of the Atlantic Coast of Canada. Fisheries Research Board of Canada. Ottawa. American Plaice Witch Winter Flounder Marshall, N. B. (1969) The Life of Fishes. Redwood Press Limited, Trowbridge and London. Policansky, D. (1982) Asymmetry of Flounders. Scientific American, May 1982.

Yellowtail Greenland Halibut Atlantic Halibut New Approach Used to Protect Egg-Bearing Yellowtail Flounder (other common February-March period. Greenland names: rusty dab, yellowtail). halibut is caught almost exclusively by Lobster Yellowtail has a localized distribution otter trawlers. A recent conviction, involving a on sandy and muddy offshore banks fisherman having a lobster in his catch in depths usually less than 50 fathoms. Winter Flounder (other common which had been scrubbed free of The densest concentrations in Cana- names: blackback, sole, flounder, dab, eggs, was the result of the coordi- dian waters are located on Banqu- lemon sole, Georges Bank flounder). nated effort involving both enforce- ereau, particularly on the Eastern Winter flounder are mainly concen- ment personal and biologists from Shoal, Sable Island and Middle Banks. trated in inshore waters. They are Fisheries and Oceans. The largest yellowtail fisheries in the essentially "stationary" by nature i.e. Throughout the past few years in- northwest Atlantic take place on the apart from seasonal movements into creased policing of lobster regulations Grand Banks and on Georges Bank. deeper water in winter and back to has reduced the number of under- The Canadian yellowtail flounder shoal water for the summer, they do sized lobsters taken ashore. Reducing fishery is primarily a by-catch fishery. not exhibit long migratory movements. the poaching of egg-bearing females Total catches averaged 1,800 tonnes Catches have been fluctuating at has been somewhat more difficult. from 1970-1980. Catches from 1963- around 1,000-1,200 tonnes. It is a Until the recent conviction, fishery of- 1969 averaged 6,000 tonnes. Most of fishery composed of mainly inshore ficers were required to either detect a the yellowtail catch also comes from small draggers less than 40 ft. berried lobster in a fisherman's catch Div. 4V during the summer months, or catch the person in the act of especially July. Smaller catches are Atlantic Halibut (other common names: "scrubbing" the eggs free to obtain the reported in Div. 4W land Div. 4X. Side halibut). evidence necessary for a conviction. otter trawlers take about 500/c of the The halibut is a resident of the cold The new approach, utilizing biological catch, followed by stern otter trawlers waters on the boreal and subarctic statistics, has extended the fishery of- and Danish seiners. Atlantic. Although not very abundant ficer's reach and has simplified the at the present time, it is distributed task of identifying those violating Witch Flounder (other common names: from as far south as Virginia and New regulations. gray sole, pole flounder). Jersey, US waters, the southern most Both fishery officers and research This flounder is found in moderately extent of its range, to the area of scientists have been involved in sam- deep water, in the Gulf of St. Law- commercial fishing around Georges pling catches for a number of years. rence and on the southern Grand Bank and the Nova Scotia banks. It is From these port samples the "normal Banks and south to Cape Hatteras. also found along the southern part of ratio" of lobsters in an area has been Witch flounder landings from the the Grand Banks and the Flemish Cap established. This ratio has proven to central and eastern Scotian Shelf and in the northern part of the Gulf of be relatively constant from year to reached a high of 22,000 tonnes in St. Lawrence including the west coast year. 1968, peaked again at 17,000 tonnes in of Newfoundland. It undergoes exten- In this case, to determine that egg 1971 and gradually declined since that sive migrations in these areas. bearing females had actually been time. Since 1975 landings have been The average catch has been 1,000 scrubbed, a berried lobster was re- around 3,000 tonnes. The species is between 1963-1980. Most catches are moved from the suspect's lobster taken mainly by otter trawlers (60%). from Div. 4X peaking in June but there traps, marked and then returned. After are year-round catches. Halibut is checking the fishermen's landings for Greenland Halibut (other common mostly taken by longiiners (70%). a few days the marked lobster ap- names: turbot, Newfoundland turbot). peared — with no eggs attached and The Greenland halibut is a deep Other readings: (available through signs of being "scrubbed free" of water fish inhabiting the Arctic and your local library). eggs. Chemical testing of the lobster north Atlantic regions. It ranges from Bigelow, H. and W. Schroeder (1953) indicated that it had been recently waters off Baffin Island to Georges Fisheries of the Gulf of Maine. Fishery scrubbed free of eggs. This evidence Bank. Bulletin of the Fish and Wildlife Ser- was required to establish to the satis- Landings since 1977 have averaged vice. Vol. 53. U.S. Gov't Printing Office. faction of the courts that the violation approximately 460 tonnes. Relatively Washington. indeed occurred and the fisherman high landings are recorded in the Halliday, R. G. (1973) The Flatfish was convicted. 2 Invertebrates and Marine Plants Division - Fisheries Research Branch Project Update

Scallops Cruises to the major fishing areas: underwater photography, are now has been monitored by SCUBA divers Georges Bank, Browns Bank and also being investigated. to determine its impact on lobster and Lurcher Shoal in the offshore fishery, Surveys are being conducted to de- crab numbers. The study will provide and the Bay of Fundy and Grand Ma- termine the catch rates, distribution, a better understanding of how ocean nan in the inshore fishery, are con- and size of underutilized crab stocks. dumping affects lobsters and what ducted yearly. Random sampling of Based on the surveys, the commercial can be done to minimize the impact locations within these areas indicate potential of crabs - such as the jonah on the lobster fishery. the age, size, sex, and relative abun- crab and deep-sea red crab, are being dance of specific scallop populations. evaluated. Offshore: The survey data, in conjunction with The offshore lobster fishery is small information from respective scallop Lobsters and operates under many regulations. commercial fisheries, are used to pro- Inshore: Knowledge on these lobsters is in- vide management advice. In the Bay of Fundy and S.W. Nova complete; thus, studies are underway Scotia the main lobster project in- involving the tagging of offshore trap- Squid volves a study of the fluctuation in caught lobsters on the commercial Early-season oceanic surveys from numbers of lobsters in relation to the grounds (4XN, 4XP, and 5Ze). The aim January to April are conducted to de- commercial fishery, especially at Port is to determine: 1) the degree of termine the distribution and abun- Maitland, Grand Manan, Chance Har- movement between offshore grounds dance of spawning stocks and larval, bour, and Alma. and the deep-water and shoal areas; as well as, juvenile squid (lllex illece- This project involves tagging lobs- 2) growth and molt frequency; 3) egg brosus). These, and similar surveys ters and observing their growth in rela- production; and 4) the percentage of conducted during the period they re- tion to reproduction, movement, and the total number of lobsters that are side on the Scotian Shelf, provide data exploitation rates. As well, attempts captured by the annual fishery. on growth, maturation, feeding, and are being made to compare fishing ef- other biological characteristics of the fort, landings, and lobster sizes to Marine Plants species, with the overall objective of changes in water temperatures over Irish Moss (Chondrus): developing new management 10-30 years. Irish moss landings have fluctuated strategies. Another project is being carried out considerably between different years. to determine the effect of a commonly A study is currently underway to de- Ocean Quahogs occurring marine worm, shown to be termine what causes these fluctua- Inshore areas between (and includ- a predator of lobster eggs, on lobster tions. The study is based in Lower Ar- ing) St. Margaret's Bay and St. Mary's egg production in the Grand Manan gyle, Yarmouth County, but also Bay as well as offshore areas on the fishery. covers the grounds in Shelburne Scotian Shelf were surveyed with a A study which began this year will County. Plant growth is being corre- hydraulic dredge. The objective was provide information on the growth lated with plant nutrients (phosphates to assess ocean quahog distribution and reproduction of lobsters along and nitrates), light and temperature. and abundance and to study its biol- Nova Scotia's eastern and southern .The ultimate aim is to predict the ogy. Divers also marked and released shores. With the cooperation of volume of Irish moss available yearly quahogs for growth studies. fishermen in ports from Shelburne to to the harvesters. As well, a project is Sydney, lobsters were captured, being conducted to develop a hand- Shrimp tagged, and returned to the lobster rake design and harvesting strategy A shrimp research cruise was un- grounds. Hopefully, upon recapture, that will permit harvesters to attain the dertaken from April 19-29. Abundance fishermen will gather and return the maximum Irish moss harvest. and distribution were estimated by information requested so that the random trawl survey. An unexpected study can be completed successfully. Kelp (Laminaria): result of this research was discovering Knowledge of either lobster larvae There is a kelp fishery in Shelburne different size distributions of shrimp (lobster which live in the surface wa- and Yarmouth Counties based mainly from different areas, suggesting ters immediately after leaving the egg on rockweed (Ascophy/lum). This ma- separate stocks. stage) or the very young bottom- rine plant is commercially important dwelling lobsters is currently incom- because of the chemical, algin, it con- Snow Crabs plete. A study was recently initiated in tains. A study is now underway to as- The Snow Crab fishery around St. Margaret's Bay, N.S. to determine sess the amount of harvestable kelp Cape Breton Island's Atlantic coast is what time of the year and where lobs- available in these areas and determine annually monitored through tagging, ter larvae occur. In addition a project the best harvesting techniques which port and at-sea sampling of commer- in Shelburne County will monitor a will obtain a maximum crop without cial catches, and fishermen's log- group of young lobsters to determine harming future crops. The effect of dif- books. These assessments of the their food preferences and growth ferences in sunlight, plant nutrients fishery permit the provision of advice rates. and temperature on the growth of the on the size, harvest potential, and Dredge spoil was dumped over a rockweed is being evaluated. A study growth of the commercial stocks. Al- small area of juvenile lobster grounds is also underway to assess the effect ternative stock assessment tech- in Halifax Harbour in March, 1982. of kelp harvesting on other fisheries. niques, such as beam trawling and The dump site and neighboring area 3 Species Interaction important fish, such as lobster, and from the coking plant which is likely Grazing sea urchins have removed crab. The study is conducted close to the major source of PAH input to the many of the seaweeds in Guysbo- McGraw's Cove, Halifax County and Harbour. rough, Halifax, Lunenburg, and involves a count of the different types Based upon these preliminary re- Queens Counties. A study is being of animals caught in seaweed beds sults, a detailed sampling of the Har- carried out to determine how impor- and on areas not covered by seaweeds. bour and its surroundings (Point tant seaweeds are to commercially- Aconi to Louisbourg, N.S.) was car- ried out during the Fall of 1981 (Fig. 1). The result of this study showed that PAH Contamination of Lobster in the area could be divided into three zones: Sydney Harbour 1. The South Arm of the Harbour. by J. F Uthe and G. R. Sirota Lobsters captured within the South Arm of the Harbour had extremely For many years, the Department of late them in their tissues, often high levels of PAH in their tissues. The Fisheries and Oceans has been re- reaching levels which may detrimen- concentration of benzo (a) pyrene in sponsible for both inspection and tally affect the health of the consum- hepatopancreas (tomally) were, for scientific research on toxic chemicals ing public. example, as much as 1000 times the in freshwater and marine plant and In May, 1982, DFO began to study level judged safe for human consump- animal life, particularly in those spe- PAH levels in lobsters taken from deep tion by some nations. Based upon cies which are commercially explo- within Sydney Harbour, N.S. Due to these results, the South Arm of the ited. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocar- the presence of the Sydney Steel Harbour was closed to commercial bons (PAH) are a group of such smelter and its associated coking facil- fishing in 1982 (Fig. 1). chemicals formed during the combus- ities, as well as other sources of PAH 2. The remaining portion of the Har- tion of fossil and other fuels. They also in the Harbour, DFO scientists ex- bour. Levels of PAH in lobsters cap- are present in high concentrations in pected to find levels of this material in tured in the Northwest Arm and the materials such as coal tar and creo- lobster that were higher than levels in outer reaches of the Harbour were sote, two agents which are widely lobsters captured in areas relatively much lower than levels in South Arm used in preservation of wooden struc- free from PAH inputs. The levels in lobsters. The levels in this case were tures such as wharves and pilings. Sydney Harbour lobsters were, how- about the same as the highest levels The PAH cause cancer in experimen- ever, extremely high. This was espe- found in more usual human food- tal animals and have also been impli- cially the case in lobsters captured stuffs. While there is still concern over cated in human cancers. Shellfish ex- within the South Arm of the Harbour. these levels, they were judged to be posed to these compounds accumu- The South Arm receives discharges low enough to allow the fishery to continue in this area of the Harbour Figure 1. Sydney Harbour, Nova Scotia, and its environs. The city of Sydney is with intensive re-investigation of the I located on the east side of the South Arm of the Harbour. lobsters taken during the commercial fishing season in 1982 (May 15- July 15). 3. The area outside the Harbour. Lobsters taken outside Sydney Har- bour had still lower levels of PAH in their tissues than lobsters from outer reaches of the Harbour. In general these levels were characteristic of lev- els of PAH in lobsters captured in other areas of the Maritimes. These studies show that the extent of serious contamination of lobsters at 0 Sydney is limited to deep within the Harbour, in the South Arm. Studies carried out during the commercial fishing season in 1982 have shown that the situation has remained essen- tially unchanged since the Fall of 1981. The lack of change suggests that a relatively long-term situation ex- ists within the Harbour and that there will be no sudden increase in the area closed to the commercial fishery. The refurbishing of the smelter plant and the ultimate rebuilding of the coking facility will substantially reduce the in- put of PAH into the Harbour, however, the rate of reduction of contamination in lobster will likely be slow

4 Fisheries Development Branch — Highlights of Current Activities

Lumpfish: Gillnet Fishing and Roe Square Mesh Cod-end tions for the cost-effective insulation Processing Square mesh cod-ends are being of various types of vessels. Results will Fishing trials continued this year to evaluated for comparison with dia- discuss detailed procedures for guid- determine the extent of lumpfish con- mond mesh cod-ends, traditionally ance in the installation of vessel centrations and to further assess the used in bottom trawls, to determine if insulation. viability of semi-processing the roe as this type of cod-end can reduce "cavier". Three vessels from Wood's catches of juvenile fish. It is antici- Fish Quality Improvement Harbour, Cape Sable Island and West pated that debris in the net would be Various activities aimed at fish qual- Pubnico, each fishing 30 nets, and reduced thus increasing quality while ity improvement include the following: one from Lockeport, fishing 60 nets, decreasing energy used due to excess The effects of various combinations participated. Catches were poor this drag. of gutting, bleeding and washing dur- year in all areas surveyed for unknown ing the onboard handling of ground- reasons. In 1980 and 1981, promising Long lining fish are being evaluated in conjunc- catches were made in several areas of Experiments are being conducted tion with the 4X Haddock Mesh Size the Nova Scotian coast, and nineteen on various designs of longline equip- Study. This study will determine the ef- barrels of salted lumpfish roe were ment. A complete random baiting sys- fect of using 130-mm mesh cod-ends packed and marketed. tem, using both traditional and mono- instead of the 120-mm mesh currently filament fishing gear will be tested for in use. These handling techniques are Offshore Mackerel Exploration a one-year period. A mechanized also being evaluated in other fisheries Two herring seiners participated in component which hauls the line, un- for Groundfish, such as the Canso a project to explore and develop a hooks and removes twists from the area. fishery for offshore mackerel. The gang ions and places the hook directly Gutting machines continue to be vessels explored areas beyond 12 onto a storage magazine is also being placed onboard vessels from various miles from the coast. Unfortunately tested. ports in the region to familiarize few schools of mackerel were located fishermen with this equipment. although there appeared to be an Dogfish Longlining Evaluation of various herring han- abundance inshore during this time. A vessel from Pubnico has been dling techniques is continuing with outfitted with special longline equip- the assessment of the submersible Wire Wing Trawl ment, including a random baiter. A "Karm" unloading pump installed on- The project, initiated in 1981, is portion of the dogfish caught to date board a Pubnico herring semer. Modi- aimed at reducing the resistance of has been smaller than processors re- fications have been made to the conventional rope trawls by replacing quire for a good yield — under 66 cm herring gillnet shaker and haulers the rope in the front section of the (26 inches). Fishermen are reasonably tested last year and further trials are trawl with a smaller diameter material satisfied with the operation of the taking place aboard a gillnet vessel of increased breaking strength, such equipment. from Wedgeport. Local buyers have as corrosion-resistant wire. Other ad- had a positive reaction to the im- vantages, such as reduced mainte- Grand Banks Scallop Survey proved quality of fish landed from nance and a herding effect on fish A survey to determine the potential both projects. caused by the vibration of the wire, are for a commercial scallop fishery on anticipated. This year, "Kevlar" brand the Grand Banks has just been com- Energy Conservation rope, which has a higher breaking pleted with preliminary results that are Information on energy consump- strength and smaller diameter than con- not encouraging. tion patterns for various types of ves- ventional rope, is being tested on the The project, a joint effort by both sels under actual fishing conditions is top and sides of the trawl with the wire the Newfoundland and Scotia-Fundy being collected through the use of an being retained along the bottom. Fish- Development Branches, involved the electronic monitoring system. ing is centered on midwater trawling chprtering of two Lunenburg-based This "data logger" system is cur- close to the bottom, rather than the offshore scallopers. The vessels con- rently being installed onboard the East bottom trawling experiments. A vessel ducted over 900 sets during approxi- Point I. Fuel consumption will be mon- from Beaver Harbour will continue to mately thirty days of fishing but did itored before and after a propeller test the gear following modifications not, for the most part, find commercial nozzle installation. of the trawl doors. concentrations. One large concentra- tion of Icelandic scallops was located, Dockside Grading Canso Hole Shrimp Fishery however, they were of poor quality. A 65-foot dragger from Port Bicker- As one element of the Department's ton was provided with a shrimp trawl Vessel Fish Hold Linings ongoing commitment to quality, a pilot to conduct a commercial shrimp Two materials, one a high-density dockside grading project is underway fishery. Instruction was provided to polyethylene (plastic), the other, a in Cape Breton. The project, mounted the vessel crew in handling the trawl fibreglass strand impregnated materi- jointly by DFO's Inspection Division and catch. Although catches have al ("Masterbond") have been selected and the Fisheries Development been fair to date, additional effort is for demonstration on various vessels Branch, is being carried out at the needed to determine if commercial throughout. the region. Both linings Bluenose Fisheries Division, United quantities can be caught over the long will be spray applied and appear to be Maritime Fishermen at Alder Point, term. substantially cheaper than fibreglass. Cape Breton. The firm has employed A study on insulation systems is three dockside graders who are grad- underway to develop recommenda- ing according to 3 grades. 5 Grade A fish, for which fishermen This innovation is a follow-up to the taken from the results of the survey, receive a three-cent premium, is de- introduction of Scottish-designed self- may be of interest to you - (the fined in the case of groundfish as fish tensioning rope reels by the Depart- numbers have been rounded off for that has been bled, gutted, washed ment in 1979. ease of understanding): and well iced at sea, has good texture The new equipment eliminates the Number of full-time fishermen and appearance and is free from any need for costly hauling winches. It that replied - 3200 objectionable odour. In order to main- saves valuable deck space, reduces Number of part-time fishermen tain a grade A rating, there can be no fuel requirements and reduces wear that replied- 1800 Total - 5000 blood clots or discolouration, totalling on the expensive seine net ropes. The greater than two centimeters in each reels also simplify the deck arrange- Number in favour of a categor- fillet. Blood clots and discolouration ment, making the fishing operation ization program exceeding two centimeters can lower safer for the fishermen. The reel is be- Full-time - 2700) the grade of fish to either grade B - 76% ing produced commercially and will Part-time - 1100) or C. cost less than conventional machinery The regular price is paid for grade B used by Canadian vessels engaged in Number satisfied with the fish. Fish in this classification may be this type of fishing. present system Full-time - 2000) slightly poorer in texture than grade A The reel can be scaled down to fit - 56% or is downgraded because of odours, vessels in the 15.2-19.8 m (50-65 ft.) Part-time - 800) discolouration or some other quality range or can fit on larger trawlers. parameter, but are still good quality. From the above it can be seen that a Fish that meet all the grade A criteria, large majority of those that took part in but are not gutted, are placed in this Categorization of the survey are in favour of a categori- category. zation program. However, a bare ma- Grade C fish, which are purchased Fishermen jority are satisfied with the present for three cents less than the regular system that is used to categorize price, may be slightly soft ungutted The categorization of commercial fishermen into full-time and part-time iced fish or moderately soft gutted fishermen was studied by, and will be status. iced fish. Any fish not iced which included in, the recommendations of Since the recommendations of the would otherwise be grade A is down- the Kirby Task Force. In addition, a Kirby Task Force are not expected to graded to grade C. Fish may also be survey was carried out early this year be available until late this year, it has downgraded to C by not meeting in the Scotia-Fundy Region to evalu- been decided to carry on with the other quality criteria. ate the categorization system. A ques- present categorization program for Poorly handled, moderately soft fish tionnaire was sent to the 12,000 com- 1983 and to make changes for 1984 is considered reject as is soft fish, mercially licensed fishermen in the based on the findings of the Task even though it may have been gutted, region. The following information, Force and the results of our survey. washed and iced. Other quality factors may also lead to fish being relegated This aerial photograph of Yarmouth Harbour is the first of a series to appear in to this category. "Fisheries News". Similar grades are used for flatfish, the major difference being that flatfish must be bobtailed rather than gutted. The project is proceeding well with the majority of fishermen participat- ing. Plant personnel are following the graded product through the process- ing operation and are applying the Department's proposed end-of-line grade standards. Valuable data con- cerning the effectiveness of dockside grading is being accumulated from this project and will be used to help industry and the Department to devel- op new quality guidelines for the future.

A Canadian Innovation The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Scotia-Fundy Region, has developed the world's first fully- powered rope reels for use in Scottish and Danish seining. The prototype, constructed in New Brunswick, has successfully completed sea trials aboard the 56.2 m MONIQUE H. op- erating out of Caraquet, a major cen- tre for this type of fishing. 6 â-- P^^ - o^ w oceans

RARY FISHERIE.S AND B13LiQTAQUE ^ PECIlES El` OCÉANS

Vol. 2, No. 5 December, 1982 ( ISSN: 0714-9794) Scotia-Fundy Region

During his career in law, Mr. Urban Affairs in September 1974. De Band pleaded cases before most of As Minister responsible for Franco- the levels of jurisdiction in Canada, in- phone Affairs and External Relations, cluding the Supreme Court. He was Mr. De Bané led several Canadian dip- also a Professor of Law at Laval Uni- lomatic missions promoting coopera- versity and contributed to two Quebec tion and improved relations between City dailies, Le Soleil and L'Action, fol- the Government of Canada and the lowing his admission to the Bar in francophone countries. His represen- 1964. tations and efforts have contributed to He became special assistant to enhancing Canada's trade relations Pierre Elliott Trudeau at the time when and have augmented Canadian busi- Mr. Trudeau was Minister of Justice. ness exchanges in that part of the Mr. De Bané was elected Member of world. Parliament for Matapedia-Matane on I n May 1982, Mr. De Bané received June 25, 1968 and was re-elected to an Honorary Degree from the Univer- the same constituency in 1972, 1974, sity of Moncton to salute his contribu- 1979 and 1980. Mr. De Bané's previous tion to the development of the Aca- appointments with the federal gov- dian community. ernment include the positions of Min- ister of Supply and Services and Re- De Bané New Minister ceiver General for Canada in 1978. In 1980 he was appointed Minister The purpose of Fisheries News is The Honourable Pierre De Bané, of Regional Economic Expansion and twofold; it informs the fishing industry who was appointed Minister of Fisher- in addition held the position of of the latest developments in Depart- ies and Oceans on September 30, Minister-Advisor for Francophone Af- mental programs and policies, and 1982, has represented the Quebec fairs to the Prime Minister and the Se- assists in improving the lines of communication between industry and constituency of Matapedia-Matane cretary of State for External Affairs. government. since 1968. He was appointed Minister of State With these objectives in mind, we He received his early education at for External Relations at the time of invite you to respond to any of the in- the École Brébeuf in Ottawa and formation contained in "Fisheries the -^,government reorganization an- News" or make suggestions of your completed his classical studies at the nounced on January 12, 1982. own regarding content. Collège St-Alexandre. He then at- He was Parliamentary Secretary to Please address all correspondence to: tended the Séminaire de Trois- the Minister of External Affairs from Rivières and Laval University's Faculty The Editor/ Fisheries News December 1972 to January 1974, to Department of Fisheries and Oceans of Law and Social Sciences, followed the Minister of Consumer and Corpo- Communications Division, P.O. Box 550 by graduate studies in law at Laval rate Affairs from January to Sep- Halifax. N.S. B3J 2S7 and Ottawa universities. tember 1974, and to the Minister of

Canada Postes Post CanaOa

Bulk En nombre third troisiéme class classe 5056 Halrfax. N S Canad' Marine Fish Division Project Updates Stock Assessments effects of various fisheries manage- small fish have grown to full maturity, Every March to May, assessments of ment regimes on the operation of fish- and have now entered the commercial fish population size are conducted to ing fleets. fishery. Fish from Canso, Guysbo- allow prediction of the upcoming The key fisheries in which the pro- rough County, have been recovered year's catches. Assessments are car- gram operates are the foreign ground- from Browns Bank, and fish from ried out for most of the cod, haddock, fishery on the Scotian Shelf, the winter other areas show a similar wide pollock, and herring resources on the French cod fishery in 4RS and 4Vn, dispersal. Scotian Shelf. For smaller fish popula- Japanese tuna longlining, the Canadi- There is a $3.00 reward for return of tions, more limited biological reviews an offshore groundfisheries, and the marked pollock. Information is re- are undertaken. These assessments northern shrimp fishery. However, the quested on location, date, and method bring together all information, both program is often called upon to inves- of capture. The length of the tagged research and commercially derived, tigate other specific ^fisheries. In the fish would also be most useful. pertaining to particular fish stocks. In summer of 1982 the program played a this regard they represent the most key role in monitoring the effect of in- Tagging up-to-date view of the biological sta- creasing mesh size in NAFO Division Tagging operations have been car- tus of the fish resources. 4X from 120 mm to 130mm. ried out on various species since 1973 All assessments undergo an exten- to identify stock structure and migra- sive peer review process under the Grey Seals tion patterns. Herring, cod, and pol- auspices of the Canadian Atlantic Fish- Grey seals are the principal host in lock have been the prominent species eries and Scientific Advisory Commit- the transmission of cod worm. Our tagged but more recently haddock tee (CAFSAC) before being released present programme is to obtain popu- and redfish studies have been initiated publicly. This ensures the mainte- lation data to find the number of grey in the Bay of Fundy and off St. Mar- nance of a high standard of technical seals and their distribution, and cor- garet's Bay respectively. and scientific quality in all biological realate this with the number and dis- Herring tagging in the Bay of Fundy advice pertaining to the management tribution of the worms. We have a and Chedabucto Bay have shown a of the Scotian Shelf fish populations. large seal tagging programme based relationship between these two fisher- in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and on Sa- ies. Cod have been tagged on the Sco- Review of Canada - USSR Joint ble Island. Marked seals from these tian Shelf and in the Gulf of St. Law- Research areas can be expected over the whole rence. Results from these taggings are With the declaration of a new 200- of Scotia-Fundy Region and in the now being analysed. mile zone in 1977 came an invitation Gulf of Saint Lawrence. There is a to those foreign nations that pre- $10.00 reward for tags returned with Fishery Ecology Program viously fished in the area to conduct location, date, and method of capture. The objective of this program is to programmes of joint scientific re- develop the background for improved search with Canadian scientists. The Harbour Seals management advice through the USSR has been one of the most active The removal of the bounty from study of factors affecting the produc- participants under this agreement and harbour seals in 1976 has resulted in a tivity of a commercially important continues to carry out joint pro- dramatic increase of the stocks in cer- groundfish stock. Haddock on the grammes with Canadian specialists tain areas. Our present study is de- southwest Scotian Shelf (NAFO sub- from both the Scotia-Fundy and New- signed to assess the mixing between area 4X) has been selected as the fo- foundland regions to the present day. areas of high density and low density. cus for this research program. Scien- Soviet vessels have been engaged in Fishermen's complaints about inter- tists from several other institutions joint programmes investigating cape- ference with fixed fishing gear are and divisions of the Fisheries Re- lin, plankton, squid, and silver hake in being investigated, and stomach con- search Branch have also expressed an almost every year since 1977. These tents examined to ascertain if harbour interest in directing their research in- cooperative surveys serve to fill a gap seals eat lobsters. terests to this area. in Canada's own research efforts and Many seals have been tagged, and The program is divided into sub- are invaluable in heightening or un- there is a $10.00 reward paid by DFO programs, each with a small working derstanding of the non-traditional for recoveries. group to coordinate projects. These species that are a vital resource in our sub-programs include: distribution waters. Pollock processes; biology during the demer- Pollock are found over most of the sal phase (living near the ocean bot- The International Observer Program Scotian Shelf with concentrations in tom); and analysis of the fishery. The International Observer Pro- the Bay of Fundy and S.W. Nova Sco- The time frame for the program is gram has been operating since 1977. tia. There are large spawning concen- 5-6 years beginning in 1982. Field pro- The goal of the program is to monitor trations around Sable Island, S.W. jects will run for about three seasons the activities of both foreign and Ca- Nova Scotia and in Massachusetts with the remaining time for data pro- nadian fishing vessels in the Scotia- Bay in the U.S.A. The relationships cessing and analysis. Fundy and Newfoundland regions. between these groups are not under- The program has yielded valuable stood and the extent of mixing is not National Sampling Program scientific information to the depart- known. The primary objective of the na- ment in terms of the distribution of To further understand this and to tional sampling program is to collect fishing effort, the magnitude and vari- provide a management guideline, ation of catch rates, the variation of large numbers of "Harbour Pollock" fish size with area and season, and the have been tagged. Some of these 2 reliable biological information on f in- covers the entire Scotian Shelf from Caution! fish from commercial landings in the northern Cape Breton to and includ- Scotia-Fundy Region. This ranges ing the Bay of Fundy. Standard trawl Material — Plastic from information on size structure and tows are made at about 150 randomly Color — Brownish-Red data relevant to seasonal variation in chosen sites during each cruise and Size — 10 x 4.4 x 3.2 cm fish quality gained from tag returns. information is collected on the weight (4 x 13/4 x 1 1/4 inch) The biological data collected by the and numbers of each species caught national sampling program are used as well as the length, sex, maturity, to present stock assessment models and age composition of commercially and, as such, provide the basis for ra- important species. Numerous other tional management on the fisheries. biological, hydrographic, and meteo- This information on the fisheries is rological observations are made at utilized to help refine and test the ac- each trawling site. The data are used curacy of models used to assess fish extensively in species assessments abundance. and in more general biological studies dealing with, for example, the life his- tory, distribution and migration of var- Scotian Shelf Ichthyoplankton ious species. Trawling surveys and Program operations for other fisheries research This study was designed to de- programs are carried out by the three scribe the geographical and seasonal department-owned or chartered distribution of fish eggs and larvae trawlers, E.E. Prince, 40 m (130 ft.), over the entire Scotian Shelf. Numer- Alfred Needier, 50 m (165 ft.), and ous plankton surveys over the last five Lady Hammond, 58 m (190 ft.) The object pictured above was years have provided data that will bet- found in a cod stomach; the fish was ter enable us to outline the spawning Acoustic Development Project caught in the Cape Sable Island area areas and period of many commer- The aim of this project is to develop in July, 1982. It's origin and purpose cially important species of fish, as well the method for using echo sounders are unknown but the contents may be as aiding to estimate mortality rates to make direct estimates of quantities harmful if injested by humans or if and growth rates. Other information of fish. This involves: (1) determining contact is made with the eyes. Per- about the hydrography (ocean map- when and where the stock can be ob- sons finding such objects, or other ping) and the production of different served by echo sounders; (2) deter- unidentified containers inside fish, in forms of plankton will provide more mining how big an echo an individual the water or washed up on the beach, details about processes that affect the fish produces. The first is being de- are requested to forward them intact production of fish in this complex termined by exploratory acoustic sur- to Dr. Zitko, Biological Station, St. area. veys in different areas in the Bay of Andrews, N.B., EOG 2X0. All unidenti- Fundy and on the Scotian Shelf in fied containers found should be Research Survey Vessels winter and summer. The second is be- handled with care. The research surveys unit conducts ing determined by experimental meth- three trawling surveys a year (spring, ods combined with studies of the be- summer and fall) for groundfish; each haviour of surveyed fish.

«mittee meets on the last Thursday of Licence Appeal System — Scotia-Fundy Region each month and on reviewing a case The Department of Fisheries and icies. Should the Area Committee find may recommend to the Director Gen- Oceans has developed a formal ap- that the request conforms to the reg u- eral that an exception to the licensing _ peal system over recent years to deal iations and policies, approval is policy be made. Exceptions to regula- with appeals in cases where judge- granted. However, should the request tions cannot be made under any cir- ments must be made concerning an corftravene the regulations or the poli- cumstances. Fishermen may appear appl;cant's eligibility for obtaining a li- cies, the request must be denied. The before the committee or send a repre- cence or replacing a vessel. Area Committee may forward the re- sentative to present the circumstances Licensing requests should be di- quest, with recommendations , to the supporting their appeals. Should the rected to the local Fishery Officer who Scotia-Fundy Region Licensing Ap- Regional Licensing Appeal Commit- can approve those that conform to ex- peal Committee in Halifax for review tee deny a fi sherman's appeal, he may isting licensing policies and regula- should it be felt that there are extenuat- appeal the decision to the Minister. tions. Requests that fall outside the ing circumstances that warrant further When a fisherman is not satisfied policies may then be directed through consideration. A fisherman also has with the decision of the local Fishery the appeal system. the option of personally forwarding Officer, he may submit his appeal Three Area Licensing Committees his request to the Regional Appeal through the three established levels have been formed in the Scotia-Fundy Committee. outlined above. These being; (1) the Region. These committees are located The Regional Licensing Appeal local Area Licensing Committee; (2) in St. Andrews, N.B., Yarmouth, N.S., Committee is comprised of four the Regional Licensing Appeal Com- and Sydney N.S. and are accountable members with the chairman of the mittee; and (3) the Minister. to the respective Area Managers. The committee àt present being the Exec- Further information concerning the committees review each request utive Assistant to the Director Gen- Appeal System may be obtained by based on existing regulations and pol- eral, Scotia-Fundy Region. The corn- contacting your local Fishery Officer. 3 Survey of Abnormalities in minerals that buffered the acid rain. The most vulnerable systems, includ- Marine Finfish and Shellfish ing the Westfield have bedrock of granite, which allows little chance of The Halifax laboratory is interested looks unusual, keep it on ice or in a the water being buffered against acid in receiving any finfish or shellfish refrigerator and telephone the infor- precipitation. Prince Edward Island with odd lumps, skeletal deformities, mation collect to John Cornick at 426- has few lakes and in these the waters abnormal coloration, external ulcers 8381 or Carol Morrison at 426-6206. are well buffered. or any other abnormal features. Draw- The fish should not be frozen. Fisher- Scientists at the St. Andrews Biolog- ings of some of these features are men operating near Halifax could ical Station began working on the acid shown below bring the fish, in a plastic bag on ice, rain problem after rain chemistry data This data is being collected to con- to the laboratory at 1707 Lower Water collected by the Atmospheric Envir- tribute to an international effort to de- Street - preferably within a few hours onmental Service of the Department termine whether these conditions are of capture. If this is not convenient the of the Environment indicated that the associated with polluted areas. The lab will, when possible, arrange for acid rain build-up could wipe out lab is interested in receiving informa- pick-up at your landing point or home. many Maritime freshwater fisheries. tion on any sudden increase in ab- Information on the area where the fish Preliminary studies by two Fisheries normalities which could affect fish was caught and depth would also be and Oceans, Halifax-based scientists, stocks. Those finding a fish which useful for the lab's analysis. G. Farmer and W. Watt, suggested that a series of rivers and lakes in south- Illustrations of several types of abnormalities. western Nova Scotia had acidified to the point where they could no longer support salmon. These follow-up studies by the St. Andrews team have provided more ev- idence that the pH levels are danger- ously low and that the threshold for successful salmon rearing may be Striped Bass with ulcer and pugnose near. Eel with cauliflower disease

DFO Job Creation Program As part of the Canadian Govern- ment's emphasis on creating em- Herring with cunrature of the some ployment the Scotia-Fundy Region of Lobster showing mottling or and tail rot DFO has initiated a job creation pro- discoloration gram. Projects chosen will be fisheries-related and are designed to aid unemployed workers maintain Are Maritime Fish close to the minimum level below their skills and provide lasting benefit which salmon eggs won't hatch. to the community. Coping With Acid This summer's studies show a sal- In the region, 17,000 weeks of work Rain? mon fry mortality rate on the Westfield will be provided to those involved in of about 60%, due to low pH levels. these projects or just over 4 million How are Maritime waterways and The St. Andrews scientific team also dollars of salary. In support just over their fish populations coping with the think that the present levels may re- $1.5 million has been provided to DFO acid rain problem? Scientists from the duce the amount of sex hormones in for operating and capital costs. As of St. Andrews Biological Station have the blood of ripening male salmon. October 31 over 70 people were em- spent this past spring and summer Also, the transformation of salmon ployed in five projects under the pro- monitoring a key river system in south- parr into smolts at the time of migra- gram in the region. They are: western Nova Scotia. While the jury is tion to the sea may not occur. - N.B. River Fisheries Enhance- still out, the evidence suggests that In 1981, the St. Andrews group ar- ment, 927 weeks of the situation is rapidly approaching ranged for the survey of 112 lakes and employment. the critical stage for young salmon. streams in New Brunswick and Nova - N.B. Scientific Support, 2066 The Westfield River, a tributary of Scotia, recording pH levels and fish weeks of employment. the Medway that reaches into the interior populations. Another 33 lakes were - N.S. River Fisheries Enhance- of Nova Scotia north of Liverpool, has checked this past spring and summer. ment, 1311 weeks of long been regarded as an important Besides the critical situation on the employment. salmon spawning area. A monitoring Westfield, a smaller area of acidifica- - N.S. River Monitoring, 1084 system involving counting fences, tion is the Lepreau-Musquash drain- weeks of employment. electro-fishing and laboratory tests age system along the Fundy coast of - N.S. Scientific Support, 3489 shows that while the Westfield is still southwestern New Brunswick. Most of weeks of employment. supporting a salmon population, the the lakes surveyed in central New Those requiring further information stream's pH level averages about 4.9, Brunswick were found to contain on the program or interested in sub- 4 mitting proposals should contact the DFO co-ordinator for the program in each area listed below: Southern N.B. William Haley Area Co-ordinator St. Andrews Biological Station (506) 529-3156 Eastern N.S. ^ ^.L. Ed Keating Area Co-ordinator . Canso, N.S. ^, t^ .. (902) 366-2399 ^cmr^ne t ^^r^ ^ a S.W Nova Scotia Clayton d'Entremont Area Co-ordinator Yarmouth, N.S. (902) 742-9281

Fish Quality Tips General Principles of Fsh Spoilage Soon after fish die, they begin to spoil, therefore fresh caught fish pass through various stages of decay until they eventually become putrid and un- New Research Vessel employed with the Fisheries Research fit for human consumption. Therefore, Board and served as Deputy Minister fish must be carefully handled to avoid The ALFRED NEEDLER is the new- of Fisheries in Ottawa from 1963-1971. est Scotia-Fundy research vessel. The spoilage and retain quality. The vessel will work out of the Bed- vessel has a 21 crew complement Spoilage occurs for two main rea- ford Institute, primarily for the Marine comprised of 6 officers, 15 crew and sons: firstly, the controlled biochemi- Fish Division of the Fisheries Re- 10 scientific staff. It is 50.3 m (165 ft.) cal processes brought about by diges- search Branch. It will be used to carry long and was built at an approximate tive enzymes which occur in all living out inventory surveys of various cost of $10.5 million. It is fitted with the tissues to assist the digestion of food, commercial fish species, particularly latest navigation, communications continue after death in an uncon- groundfish as well as squid, research and research equipment. trolled manner. These digestive en- studies of fish stock movements, fish The Alfred Needler was named after zymes then begin to attack the sur- logging and general biological Dr. Alfred Needler, who now resides in rounding flesh, causing it to break studies. St. Andrews, N.B. He was formerly down and become soft. Secondly, microorganisms are present on the gills, in the surface form or another is used throughout slime and in the intestines of live the world to prolong the storage life of healthy fish, but not in the flesh, which fish. Lobster Tagging is sterile. Soon after death these mi- Since microorganisms from both in- Port Mouton croorganisms multiply rapidly and can testines and surfaces with which the soon be detected in the flesh near the fish come in contact, play a major part The Invertebrates and Marine Plants skin and belly walls. The spread into in fish spoilage, high standards of Division of federal Fisheries and the flesh can be much more rapid if cleanliness at all stages of handling, Oceans in the Scotia-Fundy Region is the fish have been damaged in any prbcessing, storage and distribution conducting a tag release and recovery way, such as by improper handling. are essential. This means that strict at- program on lobsters in the Port Mou- The microorganisms continue to mul- tention must be given to the efficient ton area. The research will assist Fish- tiply inside the flesh, and at the same cleaning of the fish, the regular clean- eries and Oceans staff to obtain more time begin to break down the tissues ing of all surfaces with which the fish complete knowledge of lobster into a series of compounds with come in contact, the provision of an growth and movement. strong odours and tastes, and thus the uncontaminated water supply and the Fishermen recovering tagged lob- fish become spoiled. In some species hygiene of workers. These factors are ster in this area are requested to pre- with high oil content, such as mack- all important in order to provide the sent them with information on the erel and herring, fat oxidation will also consumer with good quality whole- location and depth where they were quickly occur and alter the flavour. some food. caught for local Fisheries and Oceans The rate of chemical change and of Chemical composition of fish flesh personnel. The lobster will be mea- microbial activity depends on tempera- varies from species to species and sured for growth and returned to the ture. In general, the closer the tempera- even within species according to sea- fishermen. $5.00 is offered for a ture is to that of melting ice, 0 de- son, maturity, fishing ground, feed, tagged lobster and $3.00 is offered for grees C (32 degrees F), the slower the etc. The rate of spoilage can therefore a tag returned alone. rate of chemical and microbiological vary, and the spoilage pattern can be spoilage. For this reason, ice in one influenced by these factors. 5 6 man uponapproval byhislocal will begranted only tions under licence, and Fishery Officer. lobster fishery.Such riod, icy. However,during during whichhecanretainfullyhis fishery licence status, tive employmentoutside their livelihood. those fishermendepending "A" The changesare protect Department Lobster FisheryPolicyby recent ment outside ity with licences Fundy RegionwhoheldCategory Aerial The Lobster fishermen licence the new policyallowsanyCategory photo of for a changes made and managethe fisherman willnotbeissued will beallowed respect the holder topursuealterna- cannot participate of one-year "recess"period the and Fisheries existing licensingpol- Blacks Harbour, designed, to seekingemploy- fishery, can exerciseallop- once per a the of the to recess period more and as setoutin the the recess pe- fishery the as well, on Oceans. Inshore flexibil- lobster Scotia- federal fisher- in the it New Brunswick. Lobster LicensingPolicy "A" for for to a Fu discontinued. gory the an (in effect depend upon ployment status years a tus to maintaintheirfisherman'ssta- Licence reserve his loses hisvesselwillbeallowedto ces during the temporary employmentoutside age lobsterfishermentoseek to reduceeffort. tions of the riod blanket recess Fishing rt lobster fishermanwhosells this her, under annual basis; fi in practice Department mayauthorize shery byeliminating "B" for the are for replacement order toprotecttheirlicen- type District renewal would,however, the licences poor the is designedtoencour- licence for last fiveyears) willbe the revised policy: the of whole the This recess period; and of when upgrading Cate- A specific timepe- as to Category fisherman's em- blanket recess it isnecessary practice has of a reviewed stock up totwo purposes. the Lobster condi- Changes need "A" on or a tion directed toyour — Any of the inthe will beadvised upcoming season. of the 29, 1983 would bevalidatedJanuary ample, sis Shelburne Co.)willbevalidated split by season effort inthe full-time fishermen;contributing, Lobster fishermenwhofish ona by season over 1983 magnetic from 1, 2,4A&4B licences forthe been seentofavourpart-timeover of the questions or (January-December). time, to licensing procedures above mentioned licences inDistrict above in May a to December Lobster Fishing to unwantedincreased line drawn fishery; local 31, 1983;November (District changes calendar yearba- upcoming fishing further clarifica- Baccaro Fishery Officer. near 4 due should be 31, 1983. has been Districts 4A &4B For District for the in one future Point, south ex- 1,

Photo Bria n Thompson