F shees Pêches I I° and Oceans et Oceans

RARY HERIES AND OCEANS UOTHÈQUE !CUES ET OCÉANS

Vol. 3, No. 2 February/March 1983 (ISSN 0714-97941 Scotia-Fundy Region

1983 Atlantic Groundfish Management Plan

Canadian East Coasi fishermen are through a process of consultation with nally established to promote a more entitled to catch 38,200 tonnes more fishermen's organizations, fish pro- orderly and equitable approach to groundfish this year than in 1982, ac- cessors and the governments of the harvesting by the offshore trawler cording to the 1983 Atlantic Ground- five eastern provinces. fleet. fish Management Plan announced in One other new addition to the mid-January by Fisheries and Oceans Implications for the Scotia-Fundy Groundfish Plan is a strategy to over- Minister Pierre De Bané. Region come the problem of seasonality in Under the plan, Canada will take In 1982, total fish and shellfish land- smaller groundfish processing plants. 997,355 tonnes or about 76% of the 1.3 ings for the Scotia-Fundy Region rep- More than 80% of groundfish is landed million-tonne total Atlantic groundfish resented some 484,884 tonnes valued between April and October, which allocation inside and outside the 200- at $255,641,000. Of this, groundfish creates serious gluts and shortages in mile fishing zone. accounted for approximately 42% of supply for these plants, most of which Since implementing the zone in the Landed Value and 5 5 °/o of the do not own fishing vessels. An alloca- 1977, the Total Allowable Catch for Landed Volume. Close to 4,000 ves- tion of 27.000 tonnes of varied species Atlantic groundfish has increased over sels are involved in the groundfish has been reserved for a program to three times from some 425,000 tonnes fishery in this Region alone, and thou- help extend the operating season of to the over 1.3 million tonnes for 1983. sands of people derive their employ- these "resource short" plants, many of However, biologists believe that with ment from the industry. which are located in northeastern the exception of No rt hern Cod off As in 1982, Sector Management of Newfoundland. Newfoundland, the rate of stock re- the groundfish fishery for vessels The table of allocations can be covery in most other groundfish spe- under 65' will enable the Regional Di- found on page 2. cies has already leveled off and will rector General to make local man- increase little more. agement decisions independently of Groundfish species represent ap- the other Regions. The Scotia-Fundy proximately two-thirds of the volume Region administers Sector Three of all fish landed on the Atlantic coast, which is comprised of NAFO Areas with over 35,000 fishermen licensed to 4 VVyX and 5. fish them. Unlike 1982, the detailed company We invite you to respond to any of the Groundfish Management Plans quotas initiated last year have not information contained in "Fisheries News .' or make suggestions of your own regard- have been implemented annually been allocated in 1983. Instead, those ing content. since 1977 to conserve and restore companies involved in the offshore Pease address all correspondence to: fish stocks, and to fairly allocate the trawling industry have agreed upon The EditorFisheries News resource. According to scientific ad- quotas for the first three months of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans vice provided by biologists (see arti- year. Discussions will be held to re- Communications Division. P.O. Box 550 cle: "Biological Inputs" elsewhere in view the situation at a later date. Indi- Halifax , N.S. B3J 257 this issue), the plans are developed vidual company quotas were origi-

I Aka 5oaentada loasntaesd .

1r • • Bulk En nombre trurd troisieme class classe 5056 Halrfa> N S Canae Species Total Vessels less than Vessels 65'-100' Vessels more temperature of the fish will have a and Canadian 65' (19.8 m) 19.8 m-30.5 m than 100' marked effect on its potential keeping Sub-areas Quota' Fixed Mobile Fixed Mobil (30.5 m) time. COD When vessels are taking ice to sea, 4Vn (j-a) 9,200 800a 800b 100 100 7,400 only fresh clean ice should be taken 4Vn (m-d) 13,900 11,000° 1,900d 100 100 800 on board at the beginning of each 4VsW 61,000 12,500e 7,400d 1,250 850 39,000 voyage. Ice left from the previous 4X 30,000 20,250d 6,000d 200 400 3,150 voyage should be discarded. 5Y 1,500 700 700 - - 100 The best bulk stowage is the shal- 5Z 22,500 7,400 3,000 425 425 11,250 lowest, with the fish well mixed with HADDOCK finely divided ice. Any large lumps of 4VW 19,000 1,150 2,450' - 400 15,000 ice can cause damage to fish. It is not 4X 32,000 8,850 15,000 f 100 1,000 7,050 sufficiently recognized that fish at the 5 10,000 800 1,700` 100 100 7,300 bottom of a deep pile can lose consid- REDFISH erable weight. It has been observed, 4VWX 27,000 1,100 - 2,000 21,500 for instance, that haddock at the bot- tom of a hold one metre (three feet) YELLOWTAIL deep can lose as much as 15 per cent 5 3,000 3,000 of its initial gutted weight after about two weeks' storage. FLOUNDER Shelf stowage oftens involves the 4VWX 13,750 750 4,450 - 200 8,350 laying out of single layers of fish side by side and head to tail, belly down on POLLOCK a bed of ice, but with no ice among or 4VWX, 59 40,000 10,600 7,750 - 250 22,400 on top of the fish. Single fish laid out in this manner are only cooled from SILVER HAKE one side, and therefore cool down less 4VWX 1,000 - - - - 900 rapidly than fish well mixed with ice. (plus 100t re- The backs and heads of the fish can serve for remain quite warm throughout the "resource storage period, and micro-organisms short" plants) orginating in the gills can spread rap- idly along the backbone. It has been 'Quantities in tonnes found that fish when shelf stowed in this way, is inferior in quality when a When 700 t of quota has been caught before the second week of April, fishery compared with fish which has been will revert to a 1500 kg/trip limit. shallow bulk stowed at the same time. b Fishery will close at 95% of quota and revert to 1500 kg/trip limit. ` Fishery will close at 80% of quota and revert to 1500 kg/trip limit. Where fish is shelf stowed, ice d Fishery will close at 90% of quota and revert to 1500 kg/trip limit. should always be added, around and e Fishery will close at 85% of quota and revert to 1500 kg/trip limit. on top of each layer. f Under special haddock licences effective January 1. A sufficient quantity of ice is neces- sary, not only to cool the fish, but to maintain it in a cool condition. If, at Fish Quality Tips the end of a voyage, fish are no longer completely surrounded by ice, then an insufficient quantity has been used. Icing the Catch length of time the fish remains at the It is to be emphasized that the ap- It is well known that temperature is higher temperature. It is, therefore, propriate quantity of ice required by the single most important factor in most important to chill the fish quickly each boat can only be determined by maintaining fish quality. It has been to the temperature of melting ice, trial and error. The best method of de- shown that cod spoils about five and soon after capture, and maintain it in a termining this is to measure the half times as fast at 100C (500F), and chilled condition until it reaches the temperature of the fish from time to about two and a half times as fast at consumer. In some areas, refrigerated time. 4.4° C(40° F), as it does at 0° C(32° F). sea water or refrigerated brine is used Some small inshore vessels do not As a result, cod that would remain ed- for chilling and storing the fish. Here use ice or any other form of preserva- ible for about 14 days stored at 0°C again, the chilling should be rapid and tion, and consequently there is often would be edible for only six days if the system should be capable of main- considerable and unnecessary loss of stored at 4.4° C, and for less than three taining the fish at -1 ° C(30° F). fish quality. days if stored at 10° C. Fish should not be exposed to di- Packing fish into containers with ice It is also known that the effects of rect sunlight or to the drying effect of at sea offers a number of advantages increasing temperature are cumula- winds, or any other harmful effects of for certain fisheries. When properly tive; that is, some potential keeping the elements, but should be carefully iced the fish can remain undisturbed time is lost each time the temperature cleaned, washed and cooled down to in the containers until they reach the of the fish is allowed to rise. The ex- the temperature of melting ice, 0° C, as processor. Unloading the catch can tent of this loss depends both on the quickly as possible. Any careless become a simple operation, and more degree of temperature rise and the treatment or delay in reducing the ice can be added to the containers at 2 the dockside without disturbing the another overfilling with ice or fish Boxes used, should be equipped with fish. should be avoided as it will result in a drainage system. Generally, boxed fish which has the fish being crushed and damaged. Boxes, holds, or other areas where been properly iced should be of For efficient cooling, each box should fish and ice is stored or makes contact higher quality than fish caught the contain a layer of ice on the bottom, should be thoroughly cleaned after same day and stored in other ways. then sonne fish and ice mixed to- the catch is landed. Since boxes are stacked one on top of gether, and lastly a top layer of ice.

Biological Input to Groundfish Management Plan by Dr. R. G. Halliday, Chief, Marine Fish Division and present Chairman of CAFSAC

The development and implementa- the biology of the species and the rea- fishing activities. The Purchase Slip tion of Atlantic Groundfish Manage- sons for changes in their production. and Fishing Log Record system was ment Plans has been an annual event The biologist's first job is to de- established in the late 1940's and has since extention of fisheries jurisdiction scribe the stock structure within a fish not changed greatly since. Although in 1977. Management of Atlantic species. There are separate biological the Statistics Branch is responsible for Coast groundfish stocks through reg- populations associated with particular compilation of these statistics, the ulation of Total Allowable Catches geographic features such as banks or main user is the biologist for popula- (TACs) had been going on since 1970 oceanographic current systems. tion dynamics and stock assessment under the International Commission These populations breed freely studies. for Northwest Atlantic Fisheries among themselves but do not have Statistics on catches and fishing ef- (ICNAF). It was the increasingly com- much interchange with other popula- fort are supplemented by collection of plex sub-allocation plans to share tions of the same species and are biological samples of landings. Bio- TACs among fleet sectors which, by called stocks. In setting up manage- logical staff stationed in the major fish- 1977, required production of annual ment units or areas, efforts are made ing ports around the Region regularly fishing plans. The role of the biologist to have these correspond as closely as measure samples of each species in providing the scientific basis for possible to stocks so that the exploita- landed and remove the ear bones, or management did not change greatly tion of each stock can be controlled. otoliths as they are called. These ear with extension of fisheries jurisdiction, This allows optimization of yield on a bones have rings laid down in them although more advice was required by stock by stock basis. The most widely each year and counting these tells the Canadian fisheries managers and less used and most generally successful age of the fish. From these samples, by international fisheries commis- method of determining fish migrations changes in the size and age composi- sions. The role played by ICNAF was and stock structure is through tag- tion of the landings from each stock in part taken over by the new interna- ging. Traditionally, the yellow Petersen are monitored and this gives informa- tional organization, the Scientific disc type tag has been used for tion on the effects of fishing. Council of the Northwest Atlantic Fish- groundfish but more recently the Floy To predict future catches it is nec- eries Organization (NAFO). NAFO T-bar type tag has proved successful essary to know the strength of new provides scientific advice for those and is easier to use. The latter was first . broods, or year-classes which will en- stocks which lie outside 200 miles and used successfully for tagging herring. ter the fishery in the next year or two. for "trans-boundary stocks" — those Other stock separation methods in- Research vessel surveys using small- which lie partly inside and pa rtly out- clude measuring di fferences in body meshed trawls which catch pre- side Canadian jurisdiction. Biologists shape or in the number of vertebrae or commercial sized fish are used to needed another scientific organization fin rays, looking for differences in par- measure the abundance of new year- to deal with stocks which are com- asites and, more recently, biochemical classes. These surveys also give a pletely inside Canada's limits and they methods have been used to determine measure of the stock of commercial- created the Canadian Atlantic Fisher- genetic differences in different groups sized fish which is independent of that ies Scientific Advisory Committee of fish. obtained from commercial fishery sta- (CAFSAC) to advise Canadian fisher- The next task for the biologist is to tistics. This gives a cross-check which ies managers. learn what he can from the commer- has been particularly valuable in re- These scientific organizations deal cial fishery. The fisheries statistical cent years with changes in fishing only with the final stages of the biolo- system in its present form was initially patterns of commercial vessels and gist's work — the provision of advice designed to meet the biologist's needs misreporting of catch and effort data on stock status. Most of their work in- for information. In particular, the biol- as a result of increased management volves the collection and analysis of ogist needs to know where fish are be- restrictions on fishing. The A.T. Ca- scientific data on the fisheries. A mon- ing caught, (i.e. from which stock), meron has conducted the Scotian itoring system for collection of com- and the fishing effort used to catch Shelf surveys every July since 1970 prehensive data from the commercial them, (i.e. the catch rate and hence but she is now being replaced by the fisheries has been in place since the abundance). He also needs to know newly constructed research vessel, Second World War and annual re- the total catch, of course. More re- the Alfred Needier. Meanwhile the search vessel inventories have been cently, with the introduction of de- charter vessel Lady Hammond is conducted from 1970. These are sup- tailed control of allowable catch, this bridging the gap. The southern Gulf of plemented by a variety of special stud- information has also become impor- St. Lawrence surveys are conducted ies designed to further knowledge of tant in the day to day regulation of by the E.E. Prince. 3 In the spring of each year, when the ough review, it provides safeguards draft plan is taken "on the road". This preliminary statistics from the pre- against any individual bias, or influ- is a series of open meetings with fish- vious years fishing become available, ence by external pressures, by involv- ermen and industry held in a wide var- the biologists sit down to analyse the ing quite large numbers of indepen- iety of ports around the Region to status of the stocks and project poten- dent scientists from different organiza- consult on the issues raised by the tial catches for the following year. In- tions and regions. plan. A Regional biologist usually at- formation on total catches, their size The job of the biologist is still not tends each of these meetings to and age composition, on stock abun- over. The biological advice has to be answer questions of a biological dance from both commercial and re- presented and explained to fisher- nature. search vessels, and on recruitment men and industry. The Chairman of The final task for the biologist is to prospects, along with new information CAFSAC is a member of the Atlantic answer the "what if?" questions. There on the biology of the stocks, are Groundfish Advisory Committee are always differing views on how best brought together and analyzed. The (AGAC) and it is his job to explain to to solve problems, and supplementary first projections of potential yield are its members the status of stocks and advice is required on the biological usually done assuming that fishing the implications for management. In implications of adopting various will be at the FO.1 level. This level of recent years this has been done at strategies in a search for a satisfactory fishing mortality (F) was explained in meetings held in June and November. solution. Sometimes these questions an earlier article (Vol. 1, No. 1, - March Biologists also work with other De- come from Departmental fisheries 1981). Fishing at FO.1 is the manage- partmental staff in developing the managers and sometimes from ment strategy adopted for most technical aspects of draft groundfish members of AGAC. With that done, groundfish stocks to optimize yields management plans. This is done in the another annual groundfish manage- from Canadian fisheries. AGAC Working Group which handles ment plan is laid to rest - not long Once the basic scientific analysis is the staff jobs for the Advisory Commit- before the whole cycle starts again in done the individual biologist takes his tee. Then, sometime in the fall, the the following March. report to the Groundfish Subcommit- tee of CAFSAC. The Subcommittee, composed of all the biologists doing Energy Efficient Fishing stock assessments, meets in early May. Its job is to review in detail all of Significant interest has been gener- the stock status reports of individual ated recently in ways to improve the biologists, to discover any errors, to energy efficiency of fishing vessels. make improvements in the analyses Suggested improvements include the and to produce a standardized, high- use of nozzles, controllable pitch pro- quality report on the status of stocks. pellers and waste heat boilers, but the In the last week in May the CAFSAC truth of the matter is that the single Steering Committee reviews the Sub- most important energy control device committee report. The Steering is already in the hands of every opera- Committee is composed of Directors tor, the throttle. of Fisheries Research Branches in the Unlike automobiles which show Atlantic region and of the chairmen of only minor reductions in fuel con- Speed in Knots the various CAFSAC Subcommittees, sumption for slower speeds, savings and has its own full-time chairman. of up to 50% can be realized for many Figure 1. This graph compares the The job of these 12 or so senior De- fishing vessels simply by reducing the respective increases in power required partmental scientists, once they sat- maximum operating speed by one between an average fishing vessel and isfy themselves that the best possible knot. a cargo ship for an equivalent increase job has been done by the Subcommit- For any vessel, two major compo- in speed. tee, is to formulate the advice which is nents act to resist forward movement to be passed on to fisheries managers. through the water: A CAFSAC Advisory Document is a) The frictional drag between the speed-power curves similar to Figure then produced and the Chairman of water and the hull, and 1, whereby ever-increasing power CAFSAC presents this to the Assistant b) The wave-making drag stem- demands are required for minimal in- Deputy Minister of the Atlantic Fisher- ming from pushing the water aside creases in speed. Unlike airplanes, a ies Service. to make waves. fishing vessel has no "most efficient For those stocks dealt with by the The effects of these two components speed". The fact is, slower vessel NAFO Scientific Council the system is tend to vary proportionally according speed (except in rare cases), will re- much the same. The two levels of re- to vessel size and design. For fishing sult in greater fuel economy and in a view are provided by a Standing vessels of normal displacement, smaller fuel bill! Committee on Fisheries Science and energy outlays of 70% are not un- When a vessel reaches the speed at secondly by the full Scientific Council. common to overcome wave-making which the length of the waves it gen- Indeed, a two tier system is widely fa- resistance, while frictional drag would erates equals its own length, the ves- voured by scientific advisory groups account for the remaining 30%. In sel tends to "squat" in a trough formed around the world. It allows individual large tankers and cargo ships, the re- astern of the transom. To increase biologists to concentrate on determin- verse applies, with frictional resistance speed beyond this point, the vessel ing the status of stocks and leaves to a between hull and water being the requires an excessive increase in senior committee the final job of inter- more significant factor. power in order to "climb" out of this preting their reports in terms of provid- Whether you operate a large tanker trough and over its own bow wave. ing advice. This not only ensures thor- or small fishing craft, all vessels have Some vessels, however, designed with 4 the figure. The curve that intersects your line at the top of the figure cor- responds to your boat (you may have to draw a new curve). d) Identify the reduced speed you have chosen, and draw a line to the curve identified in (c). Read across to determine fuel reduction.

Example 1 Length overall 65 feet maximum speed 11 knots reduced speed 9 knots

Therefore, the energy saving in re- ducing speed by two knots is 65%.

Recent Publications Small Craft Harbours Map for Nova Scotia Fishing boat attempting to climb over its bow wave. A map locating Fisheries and Oceans Small Craft Harbours in Nova planing hulls or equipped with hydro- use the curves. The graph is not en- Scotia has been completed and is now foils are able to surpass "maximum tirely precise for every vessel, since it available to all interested fishermen hull speed" without substantially in- is based on boats of specific dis- and recreational boaters. creasing their power requirements. placements which are assumed to be The map identifies each of the 297 While all vessels have similar speed- powered to their maximum practical departmentally administered Small power characteristics, the maximum speed. However, it will provide a good Craft Harbours around Nova Scotia. practical speed of any vessel depends indication of how much it is costing On the reverse side of the map, an al- to a great extent on its length and size. you in fuel to speed up just those cou- phabetical listing provides a bilingual In general, the longer the vessel, the ple of knots extra. SLOW DOWN AND index of the facilities (berthage space, higher the speed it can afford to main- SAVE! haul-out facilities, floodlights, diesel tain before "squatting" in the trough. fuel, etc.) available at that harbour. As a result, less energy is used per Included as well, is information on ton to operate a longer boat at moder- Search and Rescue procedures, ate speeds than for a smaller one. emergency radio frequencies, weather However, before anyone jumps to the reports and fishing safety. conclusion that instead of reducing speed, they should acquire a longer Fisherman's Income Tax Guide boat, remember, longer boats usually This Guide has been prepared to weigh more, and there is nothing to be help those engaged in fishing as a gained by pushing unneeded weight business to calculate the fishing in- through the water. come they should report on their 1982 How then does a vessel owner se- Income Tax return. The Guide also . J-4-4 - I lect the optimal speed for his boat? No ^ explains some special rules important one can tell a fisherman how fast he to fishermen. should go. The selection of speed is a i-150 ô Chapters in the Guide cover such compromise between spending topics as: Income and Expenses; Cap- money on fuel and losing time steam- / vv ô ital 80 Cost Allowance; Eligible Capital ing to and from the fishing grounds. 'a Expenditures; Averaging of Income; 1 95 Other factors, such as weather, tides - s Capital ftlo Gains and Losses, and and returning the catch to port as Speed Curves in Knots Partnership. soon as possible are all important The Guide is available in both offi- Figure 2. Graph used to determine considerations. The best advice is cial languages at your District Tax approximate fuel savings through re- simply: "Go as slow as your time will Office. duction of speed. allow". Adopting the practice of steaming at a steady moderate speed Accounting Guide for Small will save more money than setting off Use of Figure Companies in the Canadian too slowly, and returning later at full a) Record the maximum speed of your Processing Industry throttle (and vice-versa). boat and its length overall. The purpose of this guide is to as- As an indication of just how much b) Enter the*overall length on the right, sist small and medium size companies one can save by reducing speed, Fig- and read across to your maximum which have the basic elements of an ure 2 (refer to graph) has been in- boat speed. accounting system already in place to cluded with an explanation on how to c) Draw a line vertically to the top of establish a plan of procedures which 5 will provide management with up-to- Underwater World Fact Sheets date information on product price, unit cost and profitability. Titles presently available: Oceans Annual Review 1981-82 To obtain a copy of this publication, American Lobster Scotia-Fundy/Gulf Regions write to: American Oyster Offshore Oil and Gas Director American Plaice Economic Policy Branch Atlantic Groundfish Fish Habitat: Conserving Our Hid- Fisheries & Oceans Atlantic Herring den Assets Ottawa, Ontario Atlantic Mackerel Careers In Fisheries and Oceans K1A 0E6 Atlantic "Pelagic" Fish Atlantic Shellfish Atlantic Fishing Methods Atlantic Snow Crab Acid Rain Capelin Are You Licensed and Harp Seal Lobsters and Fishermen Irish Moss Registered for 1983? Cape Breton Snow Crab Fishery Red Hake Renewal applications for 1983 Red Tides To obtain free copies of any of the Commercial Fisherman's Licences Roundnose Grenadier above or other Fisheries and Oceans and Commercial Fishing Vessel Regis- Sea Scallop publications write to: trations should by now have been Spiny Dogfish Communications Division completed and returned by fishermen VVitch Flounder Fisheries and Oceans and vessel owners who held them in P.O. Box 550 1982. Other new releases include: Halifax, N.S. Individuals who, in 1982, did not Department of Fisheries and B3J 2S7 hold a Commercial Fisherman's Li- cence or who owned vessels not reg is- tered with the Department must ob- tain application forms from their local fishery offices. Fishermen planning to participate in a particular fishery in 1983 must pos- sess the 1983 documents before they can legally fish. Fishermen or vessel owners who have not complied with this requirement are fishing illegally. The 1983 Vessel Registration appli- cation, as was the case in 1982, has been reduced to a shorter format. The long form previously used will be used again in 1984 and every three years thereafter or when changes in owner- ship or vessel structure occur. To speed up the renewal process, a tear-off section on the first page of each application will serve, upon vali- dation by the Halifax Licensing Unit, as a temporary document until a per- manent one is mailed to the fisher- man. The second page of the applica- tion, therefore, must not be detached, and the completed form must be re- turned for validation. Furthermore, all 1982 Limited and Specific fishery licences, as well as Fixed Commercial Fishing Unit Regis- trations must be renewed at the local departmental fishery offices before commencing fishing activities in 1983. It is required by law that all commer- cial fishing licence documents be car- ried during fishing operations so that they can be produced for examination upon request by a Fishery Officer. Further information or assistance in completing renewal applications can OUR APOLOGIES! The photo on page 6 of the December, 1982 issue was not be obtained from local Fishery Blacks Harbour, but Back Bay, New Brunswick. Above is the proper photo of Officers. Blacks Harbour showing the government wharf and fish plant. 6 No

Vol. 3, No. 3 1983 Scotia-Fundy Region

Eastern Scotian Shelf Shrimp

The Canadian shrimp fishery con- the 4VW area are not believed to have sists of vessels based in Newfound- reached their yearly sustainable levels. land and Quebec that harvest shrimp For instance, where as the estimated stocks in the Gulf of St. Lawrence; minimum sustainable yield for 1980 vessels from northeastern New was 5,044 tonnes, less than 1,000 Brunswick that harvest shrimp in the tonnes were caught. eastern Scotia Shelf area as well as in There are three distinct concentra- the Gulf, and large freezer trawlers tions of shrimp in the 4VW area of the that fish off the Labrador coast. The Scotian Shelf: Canso, Louisbourg and fishery was developed in the 1960's Misaine channels. The Misaine chan- and is therefore relatively new as nel is farthest from the coastline and compared to other east coast fisher- the distance from ports, combined ies. Although this fishery represents a with the rough bottom, makes it large- small share of the total Canadian fish ly inaccessible to small fishing vessels. landings, it's importance in terms of The Canso and Louisbourg channels value and volume is increasing. have smoother bottoms and are lo- There has been sporadic harvesting A female (top) and a male (bottom) cated closer to the coastline, and thus of shrimp on the western Scotian pink shrimp which are caught com- are more accessible. The midshore Shelf by Canadian vessels since the mercially in the Scotia-Fundy Region. New Brunswick shrimp fleet has re- late 60's. In the peak landing year of cently been limiting their efforts to 1970, grounds in the Bay of Fundy these two stocks. creased to almost nothing in subse- and off Shelburn County were har- The total yearly catch from the three quent years. Shrimp harvesting vested by over 50 vessels. Catches in stocks have ranged from 309 tonnes ceased to be commercially viable due that year exceeded 800 tonnes but de- 1977 to 984 tonnes in 1980. Catches in to the failure of in-coming year classes.

New Brunswick vessels have har- We invite you to respond to any of the ERRATUM vested shrimp from the eastern Sco- information contained in "Fisheries News" tian Shelf stock areas (NAFO 4VW) or make suggestions of your own regard- ing content. Due to a production error, the pre- since 1977. These catches have, in Please address all correspondence to: vious issue of Fisheries News was la- part, been either landed in North Syd- The Editor/Fisheries News belled Vol. 3 No. 1 on the French and ney and trucked to New Brunswick for Department of Fisheries and Oceans Vol. 3 No. 2 on the English. To avoid processing or directly landed in North- Communications Division, any further confusion this P.O. Box 550 issue is la- eastern New Brunswick. Although it is Halifax. N.S. B3J 2S7 belled Vol. 3 No. 3 in both languages. difficult to measure, shrimp catches in

Canada Postes Post Canada I/ I Bulk En nombre third troisième class classe /^ 5056 HaAax,NS ` ai1,i^la, this has increased to between nine based on research estimates, it is im- and eleven in the 1979-82 period. possible using existing data and re- The catch rate, fluctuating from search techniques to make projection year to year, varied within the May to beyond a year-to-year basis. October harvesting season. It has de- Shrimp, in the two areas close to creased over the course of the season shore, ( Canso and Louisbourg) can in 1977 and 1979 by 30% less than at be harvested by appropriately sized the beginning of the season and by otter trawl vessels. Due to the com- 50% in 1980. No definite trend was in- plementary nature of the gear used - dicated in the 1978 season. otter trawls - most existing shrimp DFO research trawl surveys in the trawls also harvest groundfish. Due to three areas were carried out in 1978, the limited engine power, the high rela- 1979, 1981 and 1982. From these sur- tive cost of converting to the shrimp veys shrimp appear to be concen- fishery and the often unfavourable trated in deep holds of depths greater weather, few vessels under 13.7 m than 180 metres and water tempera- (45 ft LOA) are likely to be capable of tures less than 6°C. It is not known to harvesting shrimp economically. what degree stocks interact between The conversion costs for longliners the areas, or if so at all. For a conser- would be significantly higher than for vative measure they are assumed to trawlers and seiners, due to the re- contain independent stocks. Each dis- quired deck equipment. tinct concentration of shrimp is thus DFO plans to issue nine licences for managed separately with its own TAC the 1983 fishing year. These licences Trawler equipment used for the and allocation policies. Based on bio- are being offered on a first-option ba- shrimp fishery. mass estimates, the TAC for 1983 is sis to fisherman owned, contiguously set at 1400 tonnes for the Canso hole based, groundfish draggers/seiners in 1981 decreased to 454 tonnes then area, 2000 tonnes for Louisbourg area the (45-65 ft.), (13.7-19.8 LOA) rose to 569 tonnes in 1982. In 1977 and 2400 tonnes for Misaine hole. category. there were three vessels involved and While the TAC may be valid for 1983,

Fish Spoilage and Quality Defects

Fish flesh, during storage, under- flesh, during chilled storage, gradually goes certain chemical changes, which loses its flexibility, then becomes soft is perceived as spoilage. The change and mushy. is reflected in the odour, appearance, texture and flavour of the flesh. The Discoloration most reliable test of fish quality is the Fish flesh may become discolored assessment of these changes by due to a number of factors resulting in trained, experienced fish inspectors a lowered quality product, which will and specialists. more than likely return a lower price Landed fish may be effected differ- on the market. ently by various physical, chemical If fish is not properly bled its flesh and biological influences. The fish may be pinkish or darkly discolored. may be male or female, sexually ma- The flesh of fatty fish can become yel- ture or immature, spent (spawned), lowish from either pigments in the pre or post moulting ( lobster, crab) skin (corotinoid) or from oxidation of feeding or not feeding. The flesh the lipids or fats. Herring and mack- could be lean (less than 1% fat such as erel can also become reddish due to DFO inspection officers regularly ex- cod and haddock) semi-lean (1.4-1.5% spoilage. Cod fillets may have pinkish amine fish fillets to assess overall fat such as sole) or fatty (3-28% such (salmonlike) colouring of the flesh quality. as herring or mackerel). Fish flesh will from pigment absorbed from its feed. spoil at different rates according to its Red fish (ocean perch) may have

physiological condition or whether it brown or blackish spots due to me- weight loss will also occur and pro- , is in whole, dressed or it is in a filleted lamine pigments, compounds found duction costs increase. Dead or bled state. in the flesh. fish will not bruise, prompt bleeding Shortly after the fish is killed, it goes will therefore prevent bruises. through a stage referred to as "rigor Bruising mortis". During this stage the muscle Bruising is caused by mechanical Puncture stiffens and contracts. Once the com- force which damages the blood ves- Defects from punctures will most pounds responsible for the stiffness sels and flesh. The blood migrates into likely be confined to the damaged are exhausted the stiffness recedes. the tissues where it turns brown or area. Discoloration or a "blood spot" The duration of rigor mortis may vary black. A discolored fillet will have a at the site of the puncture is the most from hours to days. The pre and post lower consumer appeal. When the common defect. The damaged flesh rigor mortis muscle is flexible. Fish bruised part of the fillet is removed a should be removed to improve the ap- 2 tache de sang à l'endroit de la perforation chez des poissons tels le hareng Parasites et poissons sans texture est le défaut le plus commun. La chair en- suralimenté. Certains poissons peuvent être infestés dommagée doit être enlevée pour amé- Pour minimiser le dommage causé par de parasites qui ne constituent pas par liorer l'apparence du produit et accroître ces enzymes, le poisson doit être éviscéré eux-mêmes un danger pour le consomma- son attrait pour le consommateur. et minutieusement lavé dès sa capture, teur. Certains de ces parasites sont visibles L'étendue du dommage dépendra de la après quoi il doit être rapidement réfrigéré. et sont extirpés durant la transformation, partie du poisson qui a été perforée, de la Si l'éviscération n'est pas pratique, comme alors que d'autres sont microscopiques et quantité et du type de bactéries qui se se- dans le cas du hareng et du maquereau, le ne peuvent être éliminés facilement. Cer- ront logées dans la perforation, de la tem- poisson doit être réfrigéré rapidement et tains parasites excrètent des protéines qui pérature et de la durée de l'entreposage, transformé peu après. pénètrent la chair, la rendent spongieuse du contenu en gras du poisson et de l'état et sans texture et conséquemment moins de celui-ci au moment où il a été perforé. Autres enzymes attrayante pour le consommateur. Les cellules dans les tissus du foie, du Chair blafarde rein, de la rate, du cerveau et du muscle On nomme chair blafarde la chair de contiennent eux aussi des enzymes. Avis aux pêcheurs poisson qui est d'un blanc mat, opaque, Quand ces enzymes sont libérées elles s'en prennent aux tissus. Leur action sur le molle et flasque, par rapport à la chair qui Une partie de la recommendation muscle résultera en un amollissement de est normalement brillante, translucide et numéro 21 du Groupe d'étude Kirby con- la chair, ce qui facilitera l'apparition de ferme. La chair de poisson dans l'état state que la pêche à la ligne et hameçon précité n'est pas nocive pour le consom- composés nocifs et la croissance de cer- est préférable à la pêche aux filets mail- taines bactéries. L'activité de ces enzymes mateur, mais son attrait est sûrement dim- lants et aux étalières, et devrait alors est accélérée par une manipulation trop inué. La chair du flétan et de la plie se s'encourager. rude. Leur action est également hâtée par trouve fréquemment dans cet état. Le Ministère aidera les pêcheurs, jusqu'à des augmentations de température à 50 pour cent des coûts, à changer de la l'entreposage. Consistance gélatineuse pêche aux filets maillants à la pêche à la La chair de consistance gélatineuse palangre. Pour de plus amples détails, Rance des corps gras (lipides) contient environ 4 pour cent plus d'hu- entrer en contact avec votre agent des La portion de gras dans les tissus du midité et à peu prés 4 pour cent moins de pêches local. poisson est sujette à deux formes de rance protéines que la chair normale. Elle est (ou détérioration des corps gras). L'action souvent présente dans les filets de grosses hydrolytique libérera des acides gras, dont plies. Cela est dû à un bas niveau de pro- quelques uns ont une odeur et une vapeur Rapport de surveillance téines dans la chair étant donné que la plie désagréables. Étant donné que la vitesse utilise prioritairement les protéines dans la internationale de 1982 du processus est dépendante de la tem- croissance des gonades. Dans bien des pérature, elle ira s'accroissant à mesure cas, le poisson de cette consistance ne Heures d'observation qu'augmenteront les températures d'en- convient pas à la mise en marché. Nombre d'heures de vol d'observation: treposage. L'oxygène est nécessaire à la plus nombre de vols. formation des formes de rance les plus Poisson de composition étrange communes, aussi l'emballage sous vide en Maritimes: Certains poissons, comme le requin, réduit les effets. L'humidité semble égale- Courantes: 1033.2 (182 vols) l'aiguillat et la raie ont une saveur et une ment enrayer ce processus: de là l'effi- odeur désagréable s'il ne sont pas saignés Participation cacité de la conservation en saumure. Les conjointes: 742.3 (137 vols) à la capture. L'urée dans le sang de ces poissons gras, tels le hareng, le maque- poissons est responsable de cette odeur et reau et le saumon sont particulièrement Terre-Neuve de cette saveur. D'autres poissons par sujets à devenir rances. contre, émanent une odeur d'iode ou de Courantes: 1683.2 (326 vols) 167.5 ( 31 vols) sulfure d'hydrogène, ou encore contien- Détérioration microbiologique nent des quantités excessives de bases Les bactéries utilisent les tissus du pois- Accostages par des bateaux du MPO volatiles. Les composés offensants doivent son pour bâtir leurs cellules et alimenter Domestiques: En mer 139 Au port 0 être retirés de ces poissons après leur cap- leur machinerie biologique. La saveur et ture, afin de les rendre comestibles. Étrangers : En mer 91 Au port 38 l'odeur désagréables, de même que la tex- Conjoints bateaux du MDN: ture molle de la chair sont le résultat de ce Domestiques 4 Étrangers 5 Détérioration dûe à des facteurs chi- p rRcess us . miques — Enzymes digestifs Bien des types de bactéries sont à l'oeu- TOTAL: 277 Après la mort du poisson, les enzymes vre dans notre environnement. Celles qui digestifs peuvent s'attaquer à la chair du endommagent le plus le poisson sont cap- Jours en mer (Che- 0 degré Celsius poisson. Ces enzymes émigrent hors du ables d'agir autour de bucto, Cygnus, tract digestif ou encore sont libérés par (32 degrés Fahrenheit). La vitesse à la- Louisbourg) = 506.6 une rupture ou une perforation. Les en- quelle les bactéries endommageront le Nbre d'agent des pêches zymes dans les crustacés, tels que le crabe poisson dépendra à la fois du rythme (Internationaux) = 11 selon lequel les bactéries pourront foncti- et le homard, sont très puissants et c'est ce Nbre de surveillants (In- qui explique que les crustacés morts ne se onner au degrés de température de l'en- ternationaux) = 2 conservent que peu de temps. Afin d'en treposage, et du nombre et du type de préserver la qualité, ces poissons doivent bactéries présentes. Sorties du destroyer = 2 La contamination bactériologique de la être conservés vivants jusqu'à leur Sorties du MDT = 2 transformation. chair de poisson survient surtout lorsque la transformation ne s'opère pas dans des Contrairement aux bactéries qui ont be- Nbre de vols d'AURORA (Courants = conditions sanitaires et que l'entreposage soin d'une certaine température et de 48 vols (460.9 heures) temps pour se multiplier, les enzymes et la manutention sont inadéquats. n'ont besoin que de la température pour L'étendue du'dommage que les bactéries Nbre de milles navigués par le MPO (Che- Cygnus, endommager la chair. Le dommage causé pourront causer dépendra de la tempéra- bucto, Louisbourg) = 98,622 par les enzymes ou l'apparition de ventres ture et du type de bactéries présentes, de Nbre de missions (S.A.R.) par le MPO cuits peut s'effectuer assez rapidement même que de la durée de l'entreposage. (Chebucto, Cygnus, Louisbourg) = 45

3 1982 Exploratory Grand Banks Scallop Survey Harbour Managers Scotia-Fundy Region The scallop industry is of major These meats were then frozen indi- economic importance to the Scotia- vidually with information tags, for la- Small Craft Harbours Fundy Region. Since the offshore fleet boratory weight determination by Fish- is experiencing difficulty maintaining eries Research Branch personnel. Harbour managers are appointed landings from Georges Bank, addi- Two areas of interest were dis- by the Minister of Fisheries and tional effort has been placed on locat- covered in the central portion of the Oceans to supervise the daily opera- ing new commercial grounds. Grand Banks. These are estimated by tions of the fishing harbours. The offshore fishery is based on the the researchers to range in size from There are many reasons why the giant or sea scallop. Another species, between 200 to 600 square miles in services of a harbour manager are the Iceland scallop supports an in- total area. The density of catches var- necessary but the first and most im- shore fishery in the northeastern Gulf ied considerably in these areas and portant is to ensure that the use of the of St. Lawrence and is also known to further work would be required to de- harbour is coordinated so that there is be distributed on the Grand Banks. termine actual concentrations. Minor no interference with the commercial Fisheries and Oceans in 1982 funded concentrations of scallop were found fishermen's operation. Since fisher- an exploratory survey on the Grand at other locations on the Grand men are the prime clients there must Banks (NAFO division 3L, 3N and 30) Banks. be an insurance that the facilities func- to determine the distribution and The scallop beds located tended to tion in the manner for which they were abundance of Iceland scallops. be comprised of older scallops heavily provided. Two commercial offshore scallop encrusted with barnacles. These The basic operations of safe berth- draggers were chartered during July barnacle-ridden scallops frequently ing, unloading the catch, loading and August 1982. Both vessels towed yielded soft, stringy meats. The meat supplies, and access to the wharf are 13 foot New Bedford offshore scallop yield varied from about 30 (per pound) the main concerns of these managers. rakes with 2, 3 and 4 link configura- on St. Pierre Bank to 80 or more on The managers do not receive regular tions. In total 859 sets were com- other locations. The areas producing wages but are paid a percentage of pleted, of these, 511 were survey sets clean shelled scallops produced the revenue received from the har- and 348 were directed fishing sets. meats with preferred size, firmness bour. If there is little or no revenue The survey plan was based on a and texture. there is little or no pay. Many manag- sampling technique which was modi- While the taste and flavour of Ice- ers receive very little salary but are fied to accommodate known or sus- land scallops appear to be compara- motivated by community interest. pected areas with scallops. Approxi- ble with sea-scallop the meat quality They are the communication link be- mately half of the (24 hour) day was with the barnacle-ridden scallop was tween the government and the fisher- spent towing at randomly plotted sta- poor. Both charter captains suggested men on harbour issues. Most of the tions. The remaining time was used that repeated dragging of the areas managers are or were fishermen at for directed fishing, where the skipper would probably contribute to healthier one time. In most cases they live in the and observer team deviated from the scallops with higher quality meat. fishing community and are familiar planned survey route to further assess An industry report of the project has with the operational requirements of a promising bed or to try new areas. been printed and will be distributed to the particular fishing harbour. In addition to the above, approxi- those in the offshore scallop fishery. Harbour managers have the author- mately 200 independent biological Others may receive copies by mailing ity to give directives for the safe, effi- samples were obtained for laboratory a request to : cient and effective operation of the analysis at the Department of Fisher- harbour. As Small Craft Harbours rep- ies and Oceans, St. John's, Newfound- Fisheries Development Branch resentatives, they are responsible for land. The adductor muscle was care- Fisheries and Oceans crown land, marine structures, build- fully shucked, ensuring that pieces of P.O. Box 550 ings and water lots in their areas. meat were not left on either shell. Halifax, N.S. B3J 2S7 Before any fish buyer, commercial or other operation can locate at the harbour the harbour manager must determine that the new business is Some like it hot; others like it cold The phenomenon known as 'red acceptable by the fishermen, that - say below 9° C. That's what St. An- tide' continues to confound and chal- there is room for it and that it will not drews staff are finding out about ma- lenge marine scientists. It has oc- interfere with the regular commercial ture female lobsters raised at warm curred with increasing frequency in fishing activities of the harbour. temperatures in the lab. Scientists Japan - as many as 300 last year - In order to be effective they must have placed these previously unpro- and information from that region is be- have the co-operation of the fisher- ductive female lobsters in a natural ing applied to red tide outbreaks in the men, the fish buyers, plant operators, temperature cycle that includes a few Bay of Fundy. These dinoflagellates, towns and municipalities, other com- months of water temperatures below as scientists call them, are often toxic mercial operators and the general 9°C. Presto: they spawned. It's hoped and on-going studies will try to see public. Where port committees are or- that this will also reduce the lobster's what effect they have on the Fundy ganized the harbour manager works reproductive year from twelve to nine fisheries and what this toxin does to in close co-operation with them to or even six months by shortening the the marine food chain. help develop and promote their necessary winter period. priorities. Many of the best proposals come from the fishermen, as they are the 4 ones that regularly use the facilities. programs that are available for har- harbour management system by re- Managers are encouraged to obtain bour improvements. cruiting additional managers and by fishermen's input for improvements to The main functions of such manag- enlarging the area of those already in the harbours as well as methods of ers have been mentioned. In addition, place. It is anticipated that the present operation, dredging or other harbour the managers also supervise berthing, and proposed level of harbour man- improvements. parking, cleaning, lighting, billing for agement will meet the goal of provid- Most of the Scotia-Fundy harbour revenue, space allocation, supervise ing better services to the fishing managers supervise one harbour but contractors engaged in garbage re- industry. there are many that supervise two or moval, snow removal and repairs and more. At the present time, there are maintainence, posting signs and in- fifty-eight managers for the four vestigating accidents and fires, pollu- FOR FURTHER INFORMATION hundred harbours in the region. Addi- tion, and fueling. CONCERNING HARBOUR MANAG- tional managers are being recruited to Scotia-Fundy harbour managers ERS, PLEASE CONTACT: improve the level of service. meet once a year with each other and D. F. Simmons A manager can assist in solving Small Craft Harbours to exchange Chief, Harbour Management problems at the harbour before they ideas on harbour management and to Small Craft Harbours Branch cause further damage. He is in regular discuss new policies and procedures. Fisheries and Oceans contact with the office of Small Craft The Small Craft Harbours Branch is P.O. Box 550 Harbours and is therefore aware of planning an expansion of the present Halifax, N.S. B3J 2S7

Markets for Scallop Meat With Roe?

If it were solely up to the European meat would increase the weight, thus portation costs. Fluctuating currency lovers of coquilles St. Jacques, scallop dollar return, by approximately twenty rates make such a venture, at present, meat with roe attached, would be five percent, a significant return to all uncertain. gracing their plates. Over 20 selected involved. It is difficult to determine if in future European exporters were presented Markets have been isolated for Ca- years an export market for scallop with frozen samples of Canadian nadian scallop-with-roe mainly in products, in addition to meat, will scallop-with-row and found them to France and Belgium, the major con- develop. be acceptable. suming countries. The Canadian scal- Over the years the federal govern- lop was determined to be acceptable. ment has been analyzing the Euro- However, main considerations for a For copies of a printed report contact: pean demand for scallop products. feasible export market would be; the Fisheries Development Branch This was primarily to increase the dol- size of our scallops (the smaller the Fisheries and Oceans lar value of Canadian scallops. Export- scallop the lower the price) currently P.O. Box 550 ing scallop with row attached to the differences, import taxes and trans- Halifax, N.S. B3J 2S7

Seal Bounties

Are you aware that the Department pays the following bounties on grey seals killed between March 1st and December 31st of any year: Adults — $50.00 each Juveniles (less than one year) — $25.00 each

Payment is made upon submission of the lower jaw to any fisheries pro- tection officer. There is no bounty program on harbour seals. Commer- cial fishermen may obtain permits from the Nova Scotia Department of Lands & Forests to carry rifles for the purpose of killing grey seals in Nova Scotia. In New Brunswick fishermen may obtain permits from the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources.

Aerial view of Digby, Nova Scotia showing wharf and processing plant. Sea Cucumber Total Landings and Landed Values of Commercial Unattractive to Us; A Fish for 36 Major Fishing Ports in the Scotia- Delicacy for Others Fundy Region, 1982 While most Atlantic coast species Quantity Value are harvested to their maximum, there Port (tonnes) $ are a number of species which remain Lunenburg 72,913 34,405,928 underutilized. One of these is the sea Riverport 13,339 10,227,880 cucumber, which may be mainly due Saulnierville 18,432 10,029,092 to its somewhat unattractive appear- Digby 11,647 9,976,693 ance. North American and European Canso 28,857 9,155,529 consumers have yet to create a de- Louisbourg 21,960 7,865,195 mand for sea cucumber products but North Sydney 17,603 6,366,057 it holds a reputation as a delicacy in Wood's Harbour 9,790 6,348,410 many parts of Asia. Yarmouth 18,851 6,162,399 Studies have been carried out by West Head 8,099 4,869,645 the Fisheries Development Branch in Lockeport 7,571 4,794,263 the Scotia-Fundy Region to determine Sambro 7,075 4,780,013 the feasibility of developing a sea cu- Shelburne 5,092 4,192,486 cumber fishery. Indications are that Lr. West Pubnico 8,494 4,137,760 healthy concentrations exist off the Halifax 11,185 3,946,631 Scotia-Fundy coast to support a lim- Clark's Harbour 3,786 3,724,446 ited fishery and appropriate harvest- Glace Bay 6,721 3,483,996 ing and processing techniques have Country Harbour 5,264 3,483,755 been investigated with encouraging Little River 6,047 3,333,460 results. However, the main barrier in Meteghan 4,960 3,255,253 developing a fishery will be meeting Petit de Grat 10,633 3,097,001 the market's quality standards. Yarmouth Bar 1,773 2,965,100 The world-wide market for raw sea Liverpool 4,153 2,900,464 cucumber is now limited. The best Newellton 3,706 2,760,496 prices are paid for processed products Sandy Point 4,737 2,696,413 - salted, fermented intestine and Ingall's Head 2,604 2,612,280 gonads; dried body meat (trepang or Port Mouton 3,159 2,532,104 beche-de mer) and excised longitudi- Stoney Island 3,279 2,396,361 nal muscles. Dried sea cucumber Alder Point 4,003 2,335,836 meat is the most popular product. Westport 2,713 2,217,427 On a pilot project basis, four Port Medway 2,792 2,021,241 hundred and twenty-four sea cu- Gunning Cove 2,782 1,851,649 cumbers were obtained from St. Wedgeport 1,902 1,702,085 Mary's Bay, off Saulnierville, Nova Voglers Cove 2,580 1,578,167 Scotia. The cucumbers were held Seal Cove 1,276 1,567,391 under different conditions to deter- East Ferry 2,957 1,533,746 mine the best handling and holding procedures and maximum keeping time. A number of the cucumbers were also dried and salted into the ac- ceptable product forms. The pro- cessed samples have been tested and shipped to Asian markets to deter- mine acceptability. DFO still awaits consumer reaction to the test ship- ments. For a copy of a report on this project contact:

Fisheries & Oceans Fisheries Development Branch P.O. Box 550 Halifax, N.S. B3J 2S7

Map of the Scotia-Fundy Region showing numbered "Fisheries Statisti- cal Districts". 6 1982 Vessels by Length and District in Scotia-Fundy Region District 0-30 31-45 46-65 66-100 >100 Total District 0-30 31-45 46-65 66-100 >100 Total U1 181 60 241 34 60 175 10 3 11 259 04 58 37 1 96 35 27 18 45 06 98 102 2 1 2 205 36 7 71 16 6 9 109 07 116 116 7 7 246 37 50 115 22 187 08 45 14 59 38 18 40 58 116 09 106 27 6 139 39 72 23 3 98 14 37 6 43 40 30 17 1 48 15 174 45 5 3 227 41 15 12 27 16 19 10 29 42 39 5 44 17 55 26 6 1 88 43 25 6 31 18 28 24 52 44 7 12 19 19 141 23 4 168 48 74 21 95 20 123 32 155 49 12 30 1 43 21 10 10 2 9 31 50 37 118 21 3 179 22 133 66 5 2 206 51 92 91 30 1 1 215 23 120 35 1 1 157 52 47 35 2 1 85 24 3 5 8 53 26 40 17 7 1 91 25 172 55 227 55 10 1 11 26 161 51 1 17 57 287 56 13 1 14 27 53 59 1 113 57 7 7 28 94 95 12 9 4 214 58 1 1 30 62 84 7 5 2 160 79 9 9 31 107 154 14 8 2 285 81 19 1 20 32 232 374 22 3 5 636 3300 2549 278 69 124 6320 33 284 198 8 3 2 495

Summary of Fishermen's Income, 1939 (Following Scotia-Fundy Boundaries)

Number of $ Income Boundary of Number of $ Income Boundary of Counties Fishermen per man Sub-District Counties Fishermen per man Sub-District New Brunswick Guysborough 391 165 From Antigonish Co. line to Fox Island, Charlotte 221 400 From International Boundary Line to inclusive. Public Wharf, Back Bay. 900 253 From Fox Island to Isaac's Harbour 382 797 From Public Wharf, Back Bay to St. inclusive. John Co. line. 363 237 From Isaac's Harbour to Halifax Co. 355 350 West Isles and Deer Island. line. 264 448 Campobello Halifax 548 209 From Guysborough Co. line to East 655 487 Grand Manan Ship Harbour. 456 131 Saint John 170 535 Saint John Harbour, including Mispec From West Ship Harbour to, but not and Saint John River. including, Cole Harbour. 500 176 294 Remaining portion. 1,538 From Cole Harbour to Pennant Point, inclusive. Albert 92 8 622 357 From Pennant Point to Lunenburg Co. line. Nova Scotia Lunenburg 437 430 From Halifax Co. line to, and including, Richmond 541 216 From Inverness Cd^., line to St. Peter's Mahone Bay. Canal, including Isle Madame. 1,244 658 From Mahone Bay to Queens Co. line. 472 193 From St. Peter's Canal to Cape Breton Co. line. Queens 336 435 All of county. Cape Breton 93 256 From Richmond Co. line to White Shelburne 445 910 From Queens Co. line to, but not in- Point, inclusive, and Head of East Bay, cluding Shelburne town. inclusive. 1,000 352 From, and including, Shelburne town 493 460 From White Point to Bridgeport, inclu- to Yarmouth Co. line. sive. Yarmouth 609 385 From Shelburne Co. line to Pinkney's 265 894 From Bridgeport and Head of East Bay Point. to Victoria Co. line. 500 515 From Pinkney's Point to Digby Co. line. Victoria 169 354 South of Path End, inclusive. 145 374 From Path End to Green Cove, inclu- Digby 319 251 From Yarmouth Co. line to the Sissi- sive. boo River. 156 311 From Green Cove to Inverness Co. 592 540 From Sissiboo River, inclusive to An- line. napolis Co. line, and including Digby Neck. Cumberland 14 195 Bay of Fundy shore. Annapolis 315 117 AII of county. 28 104 Bay of Fundy shore. Kings 106 206 All of county. Colchester 30 198 Bay of Fundy shore. 32 138 Bay of Fundy shore. Hants 105 88 AII of county.

7 NAFO Boundary Lines — 200 mile fishing limit NAFO convention area Subareas Divisions

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Vol. 3, No. 4 1983 ISSN 0714-9794 Scotia-Fundy Region

Fisheries Improvement Loans

Full-time fishermen seeking finan- - Maximum loan repayment, usu- cial assistance in order to purchase a ally in the form of 2 chattel mort- new fishing vessel, make major repairs gage on the item purchased or on to their existing vessel or purchase real estate, must be offered along additional equipment will be pleased with a written promise to repay the to learn that the Fisheries Improve- loan. ment Loans Act has been renewed, as Certain restrictions: of the end of June, 1983 for a period of - Refinancing existing debts or two additional years. borrowing funds for working capi- Under the Act, the federal Govern- tal do not qualify as conditions for ment will guarantee participating lend- obtaining a loan under this ing Institutions against any loss in- program. curred on loans in accordance with the So, if this program could be of some Act and its regulations. These Institu- benefit, why not discuss your financial tions include all chartered banks, requirements with the manager of the Credit Unions, Caisses Populaires or financial institution of your choice, other Cooperative Societies, trust panying equipment). and ask him to provide the necessary companies, loan companies and in- - Development or improvement of application forms. Further information surance companies which have ap- a primary fishing enterprise (e.g. on the Program is available from the plied and been designated as lenders installing a water system or moving following address: under the Act. a shore installation from one site to Fisheries Improvement Loans What this means to the fisherman is another). Administration that he can apply for a loan for any of Some of the terms and conditions of Fisheries and Oceans the following purposes: loans Act are as follows: 240 Sparks St., - Purchase or construction of a - $150,000 maximum per fisher- Ottawa, Ontario fishing vessel. man at any one time. K1A OE6 - Purchase or construction of fish- -v- Loans can be used to finance up ino equipment such as auxiliary to 75% of the cost to purchase or We invite you to respond to any of the boats, engines, winches, electronic construct fishing equipment and up information contained in "Fisheries News" equipment, weirs, nets, traps etc. to 90% of the cost of the purchase or make suggestions of your own regard- ing content. used in his fishing operations. or construction of a fishing vessel. Please address all correspondence to: - Major repair or overhaul of a fish- - Rate of interest is set at 1% The Editor/Fisheries News ing vessel at costs exceeding $400. above the prime lending rate, but Department of Fisheries and Oceans - Purchase or construction of a can fluctuate with changes in the Communications Division, P.O. Box 550 shore installation (e.g. piers, prime lending rates of the chartered Halifax, N.S. B3J 2S7 wharves, boat houses, and accom- banks for the duration of the loan.

Bulk En nombre third troisième class classe 5056 HalAax, NS. Ca nada catch. The mesh size used in the Scot- tish experiments was 80-mm. Energy Tips: Preliminary Testing of Fuel Heaters Prompted by Robertson's work and some very impressive underwater vid- You may already have heard or read be remembered that the tests were eo footage of the square mesh trawl in that pre-heating marine diesel fuel in conducted at full R.P.M., which would action, the Fisheries Development winter will eliminate gelling; resulting seldom occur for more than short dur- Branch decided to carry out similar in a more efficient combustion, and ations under most normal fishing trials in the waters of the Scotia-Fundy consequently, in an overall reduction operations. Region. in fuel consumption. That, at least, has The encouraging fuel-saving poten- Experimental fishing was carried been the claim of the manufacturers tial realized during these trials has out aboard a 58-foot vessel out of of the fuel heaters now available on prompted the Fisheries Development Saulnierville which was chartered and the market. Branch to conduct further similar tests completed 16 fishing days from the In order to test the effects on con- with a less viscous (i.e. lighter) diesel end of October to the beginning of sumption and power output of heated fuel at varying engine loads (e.g. 1/2 December. The waters fished were lo- fuel fed to a diesel engine, DFO's Fish- and 3/4 ). The work may also include cated on the north side of Dig by Neck eries Development Branch decided to examining other engines with different and in St. Mary's Bay (NAFO sub- conduct controlled test studies, car- combustion chambers. The results of division 4X). ried out under contract by the Techni- these tests and their practical implica- The experiments involved compar- cal University of Nova Scotia. tions will most probably be the subject ing the length distribution of cod Using an Acadia-Hercules marine of a future article in this column. caught when alternating the following diesel engine, five test runs were made P.S. The first two booklets in a se- trawls: with fuel from the same lot of Texaco ries entitled: Fishing for Profit have re- (a) 121-mm square mesh versus #2 diesel fuel, pre-heated to tempera- cently come off the press thanks to a 130-mm diamond mesh codends tures between 80-180 degrees Faren- collaboration of the Fisheries Devel- for 16 tows; heit (27-82 C). Each run was made at opment Branches of the Scotia-Fundy (b) 130-mm square mesh versus full load (i.e. maximum rated power) and Newfoundland Regions. 130-mm diamond mesh for 20 tows. with a speed of 2200 R.P.M., and for a The first, "Cutting the Cost", pro- duration of 30 minutes. The specific vides fishermen with tips on how to Results (actual) fuel consumption for each run make their fishing operations more It was found that, of the total was measured by weighing the re- profitable by saving them time, trou- number of codfish caught by each maining fuel at fixed time intervals. ble, fuel and expenses. codend, 1.8% were undersized (under As expected, power output de- The second, "Picking a Prop'', ex- 43 cm) in the 130-mm square mesh creased by 10°/o as fuel was heated plains the basic principles of how best codend, compared to 13.2% in the over the temperature range men- to match the correct propeller to a 130-mm diamond mesh codend. tioned above. However, an unex- boat and its fishing operations. It A similar comparison of the 121-mm pected 6% decrease in fuel consump- could help you save time and fuel codend indicated a retention of un- tion (per unit power output) was dollars. dersize fish representing 2.1% of the observed. In other words, fuel con- To obtain free copies of these book- total catch versus 8.9% for the sumption dropped at a faster rate than lets in English or French, write to our 130-mm diamond mesh. did HP. The result is a net fuel savings address on the front cover of this In both cases, the square mesh cod- per delivered HP. Furthermore, it must publication. ends appears to have allowed appre- ciably more undersized fish to escape than did the diamond mesh codends. It was also noticed that the square Square vs. Diamond Mesh Codend Trials mesh codends were usually compara- tively free of debris and such un- Following encouraging trials late method of ensuring the release of the wanted by-catch species as sculpins, last fall, the Fisheries Development undersized fish. crabs, shells and sea cucumbers Branch will undertake, again this year, This problem was recognized years which are normally retained by a con- further experiments comparing ago, and the first practical attempt to ventional codend. square to diamond mesh codends. correct it was made in 1929 by J. E. Although there were no attempts to Square mesh netting is diamond net- Gelder who designed a rectangular measure fish quality, the large ting turned onto the square. mesh codend held ridgidly open by a amounts of trash retained by the dia- One of the problems with conven- wooden frame. mond mesh codend could be ex- tional otter trawls equipped with dia- The most recent experiments were pected to have some adverse effects mond mesh codends is that as the cod- conducted in 1981 by J. B. H. Robert- on landed quality. end becomes weighted with fish or son of the Department of Agriculture It would also seem reasonable to debris, causing the diamond meshes and Fisheries in Scotland. Test results expect a reduction in fuel consump- in the lengthening piece and the front were very encouraging when it was tion with square mesh nets since there section of the codend to elongate and found that square mesh codends re- would be less weight (trash) to tow close. When this happens, undersize leased a much higher percentage of and a more efficient water flow fish can only escape from a few rows small fish than diamond mesh cod- through the net. of mesh immediately in front of the ends. Moreover, there was a notice- catch. This is the case even when us- able reduction in the amount of debris Problems and Recommendations ing 130-mm mesh. Therefore, increas- retained, better fuel consumption and Last year's trials demonstrated that ing mesh size is not a totally efficient an improvement in the quality of the ordinary mesh netting turned on the

2 square, but not heavily bonded, is un- New Biological Sampler Leaves Relatives at the Gate suitable for square mesh codends. Although the codends were con- The MININESS is not a smaller rela- structed of double 4-mm polypropy- tive of the legendary Loch Ness mon- lene which was heat treated and pre- ster, but a cousin of the MOCNESS streached, the bonding of the knots and BIONESS. No, this is not a was not strong enough to prevent the mockery of the Gathering of the square mesh netting from deforming. Clans. This was noticed after heavy bags of Let's put it to you this way: the fish were taken onboard, and it is ex- MININESS is a towed, nine-net, multi- pected that it occured when the cod- ple opening and closing net and en- end was suspended while bringing it vironmental sampling system. Tho- onboard. roughly confused? It has been recommended that for Developed by the Marine Fish Divi- this year's trials, a heavily bonded sion of DFO'S Research Branch at the nylon netting resistant to knot slip- Bedford Institute of Oceanography, e page be used, and that the splitting the MININESS is able to obtain nine strap be modified to reduce the separate plankton samples from dif- MININESS viewed from the front with amount of fish taken onboard in each ferent depths. As well as plankton, the sampling net in open position. lift. In addition, strengthened ropes sampler can collect fish larvae and will take the strain on all four seams of eggs, and monitors characteristics sired by means of a conductor cable the codend. such as the salinity, temperature and from the surface vessel. Since a slightly larger percentage of depth of the seawater from which the Other advantages of this system marketable fish escapes from 130-mm plankton samples are taken. over its predecessor are its ease of square mesh than from diamond This development should go a long handling and its stability over a wide mesh codends of the same size, con- way to help DFO biologists improve range of towing speeds. Earlier ver- sideration may be given this year to the accuracy of the data upon which sions of the MININESS suffered from testing smaller square mesh codends they assess and predict haddock, excessive rotation, pitching and rol- (possibly 120-mm) in an attempt to herring and other fish populations. ling; so much so, that it was not infre- identify the mesh size which retains Previously, only single sampling quent for the unit to be found to be the same amount of marketable fish as tows were possible, and their results towing upside down or back-to-front. regulation diamond mesh. could often be confusing, because the These problems were solved by in- It is hoped that Atlantic coast fish- open net would continue to collect bi- corporating a new three-level foil and ermen will be sufficiently encouraged ological material as it was being raised wing design into the framework. This by the advantages of the square mesh from its towing depth to the surface. resulted in a self-trimming capability codend to switch over from the less The MININESS uses an arrange- which eliminated the adverse affects efficient diamond mesh version. ment of nine nets distributed horizon- of currents on the stability of earlier tally across the width of the frame- models. With its reduced front profile work from front to back. The unit is and dark grey surface, the sampler towed at three to six knots at depths has been made as inconspicuous as Dial-A-Tide Service up to 5,000 metres. The nets can be possible to the marine species (from triggered to open sequentially as de- 0.3mm to 20cm in length), that it is Introduced .capable of catching. As well, the all- aluminum uniframe construction is If you've ever lost your copy of the light-weight (272 kg), low in mainte- tide tables or missed the high and low nance requirements and rugged tide times on the radio, then a new enough to withstand the effects of service offered by the Canadian Hy- winter sampling programs on the Sco- drographic Service (CHS) of Fisheries tian Shelf. The MININESS can be de- and Oceans should be of interest to ployed and retrieved with the same you. equipment as is used for lighter, single By dialing (902) 426-5494 in Nova tow nets such as the bongo net. Scotia or (506) 648-4429 in New This spring, the MININESS was Brunswick, the caller will receive up- used during the Early Life History of dated recordings of predicted times Haddock Studies on Browns and for high and low tides and such other Georges Bank. In the future, it will in significant phenomenon as the tidal all likelihood become the workhorse bore at Truro, and for the tourist, the of plankton process-oriented studies times of slack water at the Reversing on Browns Bank for Haddock and in Falls, Saint John. the Bay of Fundy for Herring. First started last year by the CHS Future tow tank tests and gear trials Tidal Office at the Bedford Institute of are planned for later this summer in Oceanography, this unique 24-hour order to understand better the capabil- telephone service will be expanded MININESS•as viewed from behind. ities and limitations of this new gear, throughout the Atlantic provinces Note the sampling nets (five) and the and how to adapt it to other applica- within the next year. foil system which allows for greater tions. stability. 3 Changes in Unemployment Insurance Fishing Benefits

As of June 5, 1983 there are new first time or after a long absence, you'll Your rights under the federal privacy rules for unemployment insurance need 20 weeks to qualify for seasonal laws (UI) fishing benefits. These changes fishing benefits. Under Part IV of the Canadian could affect your claim. If you have Your weeks can be in a combination Human Rights Act and the federal pro- any questions after reading this infor- of fishing and non-fishing work. But tection of personal information legisla- mation sheet contact your local Can- you must have a minimum of six tion, you have the right to know which ada Employment Centre. weeks of fishing employment in your records held by the federal govern- qualifying period to qualify. ment contain personal information When Can You Claim Seasonal Fish- If you qualify, you'll get five weeks of about you. You also have the right to ing Benefits? benefits for every six weeks of insu r- see that information, request correc- There are now two periods a year able employment. Benefits may be tions to it and have notations made to when seasonal fishing benefits are paid longer depending on the rate of your file if a request for correction has paid. unemployment in the area where you not been accepted. • From the week of November 1 to live. To find out more about your rights the week of May 15. and the uses of your unemployment • From the week of May 1 to the How much is paid? insurance and employment records, week of November 15. Ul benefits are still 60 per cent of consult the Index of Federal Informa- To qualify for seasonal fishing ben- your average weekly income, up to a tion Banks, starting at bank number efits during these benefit periods, 1983 maximum of $231. For seasonal 4000. Copies of the Index are available claimants must have the required fishermen with 15 or more fishing in- for public reference at most Post Of- number of weeks of insurable em- sured weeks this average will now be fices and municipal libraries. ployment during their qualifying pe- based on your earnings from the riod or since their last claim started, 10 best weeks of fishing. Fishermen WARNING whichever is more recent. with fewer than 15 fishing insured • If you're claiming seasonal benefits weeks will continue to have their bene- Anyone who, for any reason, received from November to May, your quali- fit rate calculated on the basis of all unemployment insurance benefits to fying period sta rts the week of the weeks in their qualifying period or which he or she is not entitled, will be March 31. the last 20 weeks. required to repay those benefits. Mak- • If you're claiming seasonal benefits ing false or misleading statements from May to November, your quali- Boat building knowingly is an offence under the law. fying period starts the week of Sep- Ul regulations now allow a fisher- It can result in an administrative pen- tember 30. man who builds a boat for his own or alty or prosecution before the courts. There is no change to the number his crew's commercial use while get- This information sheet contains of weeks needed to qualify for bene- ting benefits to be considered unem- general information only. When a fits. Most claimants will need 10 to ployed. (This has always been the question arises, the Unemployment 14 weeks of insurable employment. If case for claimants repairing boats or Insurance Act and Regulations must you recently started working for the gear.) govern.

Breakwater Studies for Glace Bay

The turbulent waters of Glace Bay Harbour, which threaten to damage fishing and recreational boats as well as the dock itself, may soon be lulled. To solve the problem, Glace Bay Har- bour manager, Art LeGrow, and repre- sentatives of DFO's Small Craft Har- bours Branch and the Department of Public Works recently flew to Glace Bay Harbour in Burlington, Ontario. To be more precise, they flew to the Canadian Centre for Inland Waters, where scientists have been working on a model of the harbour, set up in a wind-wave flume tank that tests such things as the effects of wind and waves on shoreline structures. The model is built on a 1:60 scale, which means that 10 centimetres in the Craig Bishop (le ft ) and Art LeGrow are seen examining the entrance to the Glace model is equivalent to 6 metres in the Bay Harbour model at the National Water Research Institute in Burlington, Ontar- real harbour. For the study, waves up io. Sensitive wave probes on metal tripods feed information to a computer for to the equivalent of 6 metres (just later analysis.

4 under 20 ft.) were tested. Craig Bishop, a coastal engineer Vanuatu to develop small-scale com- It is hoped that the project, initiated with the National Water Research In- mercial fishing enterprises by giving two months ago, will provide the stitute said that experiments with the practical instruction in fishing meth- answers to the problems faced by model should be finished at the be- ods (trolling, longline, deep bottom harbour traffic in Glace Bay. The ginning of September. Funding for the dropline), in operation and mainte- flume tank is an excellent way to test project has been budgeted by the nance of small boats, motors and ice the effects of the placement of break- Small Craft Harbours Branch. machines and, in marketing and waters when a number of optional Glace Bay Harbour manager, bookkeeping. Applicants should have sites exist. With the model, a new LeGrow, was amazed by the accuracy five years' commercial fishing expe- breakwater can be built in 10 minutes, of the model. In his own words, "I can rience, master's ticket/courses in then installed and tested for its effec- identify every bit of the harbour on the small motor repair and refrigeration, tiveness. It is hoped that the testing model. They haven't left anything out." and bookkeeping experience. Bilin- will help guarantee that the real If the results of the work being done at gualism would be an asset. breakwater will be as effective as in- the Centre for Inland Waters are suc- tended, and that the enormous costs cessful, then users of Glace Bay Har- Contracts are for two years. Salaries of construction will not have been in- bour dan look forward to smoother are low ($4,000-$8,000 per annum), curred in vain. sailing in the future. but are adequate for overseas' living costs. Placement takes at least six months, so apply now. Send your Lobster Claw-Binder to Technical University of Nova Scotia, resumé to: these money-losing problems could CUSO Fisheries-Cl Program Undergo Sea Trials soon be a thing of the past. 1546 Barrington St., 4th Floor Their solution is a device that rap- Halifax, N.S. B3J 1Z3 What do lobster claws and bread idly closes and binds shut inserted bags have in common? Well, for one lobster claws, by wrapping them in a Can salmon help us to learn more thing, both can be kept shut with poly- commercial packing tape. The tape, about heart attacks? Probably not, but ester adhesive tape. Two years ago produced by the 3M company of Can- a long-term study has begun on the August, we ran an article on DFO re- ada for use in the frozen-fish trade, is salmon's blood cholesterol and hor- search scientist, John Castell's suc- saltwater-resistant and falls away eas- mone levels. Preliminary results indi- cessful use of polyester adhesive tape ily in the boiling water used in lobster cate that those salmon maturing in as a safe, easy, effective and inexpen- cookers. The machine will be foot- sea water have a lower incidence of sive way of keeping lobster claws operated and small enough to use on atherosclerosis than those maturing in closed. inshore lobster boats as well as at fresh water. Scientists aren't worried The idea was to improve over the pounds. about salmon ending up in intensive two other more traditional methods: Russell and Cottreau hope to have care; instead, these and other tests are pegging with wooden or plastic plugs, up to five machines available for sea aimed at increasing our knowledge of and banding with elastic bands. Both trials by mid-autumn. Funding for the this complicated fish and applying it to have serious drawbacks. project has been provided jointly by our expanding aquaculture industry. Pegging causes open wounds DFO and 3M Canada Inc. which leave pegged lobsters suscep- table to the fatal blood disease, Gaf- fkemia. Mortality of pegged lobsters in Work Overseas a pound due to the spread of this in- with CUSO fectious disease, can range from 10 or 20% up to 90%. Other drawbacks of CUSO, Canada's largest, independ- pegging relate to the quality of the ent international development organi- meat. Pegs toughen and can discolour zation, has several positions available the meat at the joint where the peg is in the South Pacific for people with .^• ^ :e-- inserted. experience in commercial fishing. ^ __ _.--•^ While an improvement over peg- ging, elastic banding of claws has its Fisheries Officer own disadvantages. Fishermen often - to develop and coordinate com- find it frustratingly difficult to apply mercial fishing in Vanuatu by investi- the bands. Over time, the bands tend gating suitable locations, arranging fi- to erode or break and fall off, leaving a nancing for local cooperatives, marauding lobster free to inflict open supervising construction and repair of wounds on other defenseless, banded boats and gear, negotiating fishing lobsters. This increases the risk of privilege agreements and teaching mortality due to Gaffkemia. Lobsters groups how to catch, care for and sell will die from eating broken or eroded bait fish. Applicants should have five bands, and those bands that are left years' commercial fishing experience on during the cooking of healthy lob- and small business or administrative Aerial view of Glace Bay Harbour, sters sometimes disagreeably alter the experience. Bilingualism would be an Cape Breton, seen here on a calm day. flavour of the meat. asset. • An additional breakwater is being Thanks to the work of professor planned to prevent damage to vessels Leslie T. Russell and student re- Village Fisheries Advisors at the wharf on rough days (see article searcher, Darren Cottreau at the - to work with local fishermen in elsewhere in this issue). 5 Small Craft Harbours Location Description Total Cost $(000)'s Projects: 1983-84 Alder Point Skidway & Wharf Construction 1,000 Canso Dredging 150 The Scotia-Fundy regional Small Cheggogin Point Breakwater Construction 1,200 Craft Harbours Branch of Fisheries Dennis Point Dredging/Wharf Construction 3,000 and Oceans will be kept busy over the Dingwall Dredging/Wharf Extension 495 next two years as a result of the gov- Dipper Harbour Dredging/Breakwater & 4,600 ernment's Special Recovery Capital Wharf Construction Projects Program, announced in last Fall's Point Dredging/Wharf Extension 3,200 April's federal Budget. This is in addi- Forchu Dredging 150 tion to its regular Harbour Develop- Glace Bay Wharf Reconstruction/ 2,800 ment and Maintenance Programs. Entrance Modifications Under this new program, the federal Half Island Cove Deck Leveling 35 government will invest $140.7 million Larry's River Wharf Repairs & Extension 100 in fisheries infrastructure and harbour Little River Breakwater Extension 100 development projects across the Louisbourg Floating Wavebreaks 50 country. These projects are expected Meteghan Marginal Wharf/ 1,200 to generate some 49,000 weeks of Wharf Extension work. Neil's Harbour Breakwater Construction 2,700 Approximately $105.8 million of the New Harbour Armour Stone 40 funding will be allocated to improve North lngonish Dredging/Breakwater Extension 455 Small Craft Harbours across the coun- Petit de Grat Wharf Extension 1,425 try. This will include harbour rehabili- Port Maitland Breakwater Reconstruction 1,200 tation and protection, development of Port Morien Dredging/Breakwater Extension 500 commercial fishing and recreational Wedgepoint Dredging/Wavebreak 1,100 harbours, and measures leading to the West Head Marginal Wharf/ 1,200 improved quality and quantity of Wharf Extension landed fish. In Nova Scotia, $25.4 million has Harbour Development Program: The following is a general list of projects that been earmarked for various harbour, are being undertaken under the Harbour Development Program. wharf and breakwater projects. In ad- dition, it is proposed to spend $4.4 mil- lion on fish unloading and handling Location Description (c) capital Total Cost systems, as well as ice making and/or (m) maintenance $(000)'s ice storage facilities at a number of Throughout N.S. (c) Land Acquisition 300 locations. Throughout N.S. (c) Advance Planning 300 In New Brunswick, an estimated Throughout N.S. (c) Minor Works less than $25K 170 $10 million will be set aside for pro- Throughout N.S. (m) Minor Works less than $25K 700 jects including a number of harbour Throughout N.S. (m) Harbour Evaluation & Safety 150 improvements and dredging work. Throughout N.S. (m) Redredging less than $25K 200 Fish unloading and handling systems Riverport (c) Wharf Reconstruction 580 will be installed at some 28 locations Sandy Cove East (c) Structural Sti ffening 300 at a cost of $2.2 million, and ice- New Waterford (c) Dredging 55 making and/or storage facilities will be Throughout N.B. (c) Land Acquisition 85 provided at various places. Throughout N.B. (c) Minor Works less than $25K 27 Projects: Here follows a list of the Throughout N.B. (m) Minor Works less than $25K 125 projects that have been planned for Throughout N.B. (m) Harbour Evaluation & Safety 65 the Scotia-Fundy Region over the St. Andrews (m) Wharf, Pierhead & Approach 97 next two years. Repairs

DFO's new patrol vessel, the 32.2m (76-ft.) Cumella, replaces a 32-year veteran of the same name. Built at A.F. Thériault and Son Shipbuilding Ltd., Meteghan River, N.S., Cumella will pa- trol the southern Bay of Fundy Area. dK11en25F P2CIie5 and Ocea¢ e, Ocians

1llS ES ET OCÉANS

Vol. 3 No. 5, 1983 SSN: 0714-9794 Scotia-Fundy Region

Foreign Fishing in the 200-Mile Zone

Prior to 1977, it was not uncommon to have over 600 foreign vessels fish- ing at one time off the Atlantic coast. Today, due to the 200-mile fishing zone, the number has dropped to under 100. Just what countries are now fishing within Canada's Atlantic 200-mile fishing zone and for what species? The main countries are USSR, Portugal, Japan, Cuba, Ger- man Democratic Republic, Federal Republic of Germany, France, Poland, Norway and Denmark. They mainly fish for species underutilized by Can- ada's fishing industry, but also for tra- ditional species surplus to our needs, or in geographical areas where Cana- 7aZ dian fishermen do not wish to venture, ^ - - - ^^ such as the far north. Traditional spe- cies are also fished under special ar- rangement, such as in selected cases The greatly reduced foreign fishing effort is closely monitored. where Canada gives access to fish stocks in return for market access for the location and the period they can and period the vessel is licenced. Any Canadian fish exports. Whatever the be fished. changes to its fishing plan must be case, all foreign vessels fishing within Before any foreign vessel is Ii- the zone do so only with Canadian cented to fish in Canadian waters it permi3son and within guidelines set must name a representative in Canada We invite you to respond to any of the by Canada. to liaise on its behalf with Canadian information contained in "Fisheries News" Foreign countries wishing to fish or make suggestions of your own regard- officials. The representative will final- ing content. within Canada's fishing zone conduct ize details of licencing and fishing ac- Please address all correspondence to: yearly bilateral negotiations with Ca- tivity. It is the representative's respon- The Editor/Fisheries News nadian government representatives. sibility to ensure each fishing vessel Department of Fisheries and Oceans During these sessions if quotas are has its licence onboard before fishing Communications Division, P.O. Box 550 available to that country, they are es- and understands the details of licenc- Halifax, N.S. B3J 2S7 tablished for each species, including ing such as quota, area to be fished

^ ^t^ ' CaPost Canada Bulk En nombre third troisième class5056 classe Halifax. N. S. Canad'â. approved through this representative with Canadian officials. Canada's Fish Habitat Law Foreign fishing vessels must, while inside the zone, comply with the var- Anyone planning work that might and the stream will flow as before on ious reporting requirements concern- have some impact on coastal waters, the surface, but it will not be a spawn- ing movement of the vessel and the salt marshes, streams, river beds, lake ing stream. Some fish, and the food catch. Initially, entry permits are shores or marine offshore areas organisms on which they depend, required upon entering the fishing should first inquire how Canada's need fast-running water to survive, zone. Each vessel must report its in- fisheries habitat protection laws could and if the water is dammed they may tention to enter the zone 24 hours in affect their plans. be lost. Landfilling and paving over advance and provide the time and Protection of fish and those natural marshes can cut off the flow of nut- place it plans to enter the fishing zone. environmental systems that support rients and food which fish need for Similarly, before entering any Canadi- fish is provided for under the federal growth. an port a report must be submitted Fisheries Act. This Act dates back to 24 hours prior to entry. Daily log re- Confederation and is a strong tool to What harms habitats? cords must be maintained by each ensure the sound management of this Fish habitats can be damaged in vessel for fishing, production and valuable resource. Responsibility for ways both obvious and obscure and transhipment operations. A weekly administering the Act lies with the by changes big and small. A multi- report of these activities must be pres- Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and million dollar hydro project can take ented to the Department of Fisheries his Department. Their responsibility is its toll, but so can a poorly installed and Oceans, detailing the daily catch not to Parliament alone, but also to the culvert on a farm lane that blocks fish by species, tonnage, area where the clients and users of the fishery, the migration by crossing a salmon or fish was caught, discarded fish, and people of Canada. trout stream. transhipment activities. These reports Among the most common threats provide Fisheries ànd Oceans with in- What is a "fish habitat?" posed to fish habitats are those asso- formation concerning foreign vessel The term "fish habitat" covers a ciated with: movement and catch. great variety of environments where — removal of sand or gravel from In order to keep a daily check on fish live. The Fisheries Act defines beaches, riverbanks or streambeds foreign vessels within the 200-mile them as: "Spawning grounds and — industrial and municipal waste fishing zone, surveillance activities are nursery, rearing, food supply and discharges conducted by Fisheries - and Oceans migration areas on which fish de- — stream diversion patrol vessels and also by aircraft of pend, directly or indirectly, in order — dredging or filling of tidal flats or the Department of National Defence. to carry out their life processes." marshland Foreign vessels are regularly boarded (Section 31 (5)) — dredging for deep-sea port by international surveillance officers In other words, the habitats include construction from Fisheries and Oceans who check not only the water in rivers, lakes, — accidents during the development records, licences, gear and the catch. streams and oceans, but also the total of offshore oil and gas reserves The Department also places observers surroundings in which plants and — seabed mining on board to monitor both fishing activ- other life forms interact to make fish — introduction of silt, contaminants ity and conduct biological sampling of life possible. and other pollutants the catch. Submitted catch reports One problem up to now has been — land clearing to provide for agricul- from foreign vessels are cross- that most people do not automatically tural or urban development checked with boarding and surveil- recognize the value of fish habitats. It — improper use of pesticides lance reports submitted by fishery of- is easy to enlist public support to pro- — construction of electric power ficers and observers to certify the tect a majestic river valley or a favour- installations accuracy. ite swimming beach. An ordinary — dyking and stream channelization Canada now has first access to the marsh or a smelly tidal flat is far more — building of causeways, wharves, stocks and foreign fishing has been likely to be dredged, paved over or marinas and reservoirs reduced to a level where it does not otherwise destroyed as a fish habitat — logging and log storage interfere significantly with the Canadi- without the public realizing that some- — pipelines, transmission lines, road an catches. Foreign fishing is still thing of significant economic and so- and rail construction. conducted inside the 200-mile fishing cial value has been lost. And yet fish zone but is kept at a low level and habitats are vital assets to Canadians These projects and many others monitored so that Canadians receive — in fact, money in the bank. They are may do irreparable damage and can most of the benefits from waters off essential to the survival of fish and cause social and economic losses to the Atlantic coast. represent the bedrock of our com- fisheries if not carefully planned. So mercial and recreational fisheries. may any project that upsets the physi- They are as essential to those indus- cal, chemical and biological balance tries as topsoil is to farming. of fish habitats. New Format Another problem is that a fish habi- tat can be wiped out without much vis- Check before starting. Beginning with our first issue of ible evidence of the destruction. For The existence of federal laws relat- Fisheries News in 1984, we will be example, the eggs of salmon and trout ing to the aquatic environment does presenting a new format which will cannot survive just anywhere — they not mean that fisheries management make the publication easier to read must be laid in streams where there is personnel will be blocking every pro- and more interesting. a bed of gravel. Take away the gravel ject affecting fish habitats. It does

2 t

mean, however, that the project's im- show possible dangers to fish habitat, ernment official responsible for fish pact on fisheries will have to be consi- the Minister can order that the plans habitat management will make it pos- dered before the activity begins. The be changed. sible to devise a plan that meets the Minister responsible for the Fisheries Failure to comply with the law may needs of all concerned. Fish habitat Act can require a developer to submit result in fines of up to $50,000 or up to experts can provide advice and assis- complete information, including two years imprisonment on conviction tance that may well improve the pro- plans, specifications, studies and after indictment. ject for the developer, even while en- samples, for scrutiny by fisheries In most cases, early consultation hancing the fisheries resource base. management authorities. If these between the developer and the gov-

Herring Gillnet Spindle/Shaker Trials

Herring gillnet vessels play an im- portant role in the Bay of Fundy fishery, landing up to ten percent or more of the annual quota in good years. Since the fishery is carried out in the spawning season, much of the herring is utilized for the production of roe. Other uses include filleting, round frozen and over-the-side sales to for- eign vessels. Over the past two years, the Scotia- Fundy Fisheries Development Branch has conducted a pilot project to im- prove handling practices onboard these vessels. The main objective was to make improvements to the fishing operations to both reduce the labour requirements and improve quality losses in the catch. Through decreas- ing the labour involved in the fishing operation, it was felt that additional crew-time could be reallocated to handling and storing the herring. Em- ployees of the branch anticipated that a reduction in quality losses through better handling and storage could possibly open new markets and in- crease prices for the roe and also the Layout of vessel used in gillnet hauler/shaker project. herring flesh. Discussions with local representa- roller was designed with sloping sides deck space and was lightweight, be- tives identified three areas where im- which made contact with the net at the ing constructed of aluminum. The provements could best be made to two ends. It was anticipated that the shaker was reciprocated in action and reach the stated goals. The first in- roller would cause significantly less driven by the vessel's hydraulics. On volved changes to the labour-intensive phYsical damage to the fish, over the the west coast, shakers are installed hauling procedure. Rollers used in the traditional tube-design rollers which on gillnet vessels and are found to re- . fishery, at this time, applied excessive made contact with the net across their duce labour and quality losses to the pressure on the herring resulting in total expanse. The new roller operated fish, all with little or no damage to the bruises to some of the fish. Secondly, smoothly resulting in a reduction in nets. since fish were bulk-stored on the manpower, this freed crew members In addition to improvements made deck, fishermen were unnecessarily to improve handling and holding. One onboard the fishing vessels, changes damaging the catch when they walked thousand pound insulated containers, were made to the offloading proce- over it during fishing. The third source jointly supplied by the branch and dure. The insulated containers, used of damage identified was losses due provincial fisheries, were placed on to store the catch, could be quickly to poor, improper icing or no ice being each vessel. They were located be- transferred from the vessel to the used at all. An additional source of tween the stern rollers and net hauler, dockside, with a minimum of damage quality losses was determined to be directly under the nets being hauled. to the fish. Extra winches were in- damage to fish due to fishermen man- An adequate supply of ice was stored stalled at the landing sites to facilitate ually shaking fish from the nets. on each vessel during the trials. the offloading. Once the catch was Three vessels were selected for the To reduce quality losses due to the landed on the dock it was removed trials, one from St. Mary's Bay and two manual net shaking, an automated net from the containers, placed on a con- from Wedgeport. The vessels were shaker was installed onboard the gill- veyor where the fish were washed and equipped with a stern-fitted spindle netters. It was located adjacent to the moved into insulated wharf boxes. roller to spread open the gillnets. The net hauler. It took up a minimum of While, to date, a thorough evalua- 3

tion of the project has not been con- Acid Rain ducted, the equipment appears to sig- nificantly reduce quality losses. Both Another 33 lakes in Nova Scotia and of 4.5-5.0 delays hatching and inhibits fishermen involved in the project and New Brunswick have been surveyed salmon smoltification. Experiments on processors purchasing the catch were as part of the national study on acid Atlantic salmon in the Westfield River optimistic and felt that higher quality precipitation. This brings to 145 the in Nova Scotia show that while eggs herring was landed on the project ves- number of Maritime lakes in which the survive at pH 5.0, seventy to eighty sels. One local processor, in fact, paid water chemistry and fish populations percent of the newly-hatched fry will a higher price for what he felt was have been examined. The pH level is die before they are one-month old, as higher quality fish. the critical indicator: the lower it is, the compared to 5% in the Westfield water more acidic the water, and not surpris- treated with lime. ingly, that's hard on aquatic life. A pH

Statistics by province from January to September 1982 Final, 1983 Preliminary

LANDED VALUES ($'000) LANDINGS (TONNES) NOVA SCOTIA NEW BRUNSWICK NOVA SCOTIA NEW BRUNSWICK Species 1982 1983 1982 1983 1982 1983 1982 1983 Cod 54,550 51,492 4,120 5,145 121,118 122,251 11,271 12,535 Haddock 18,655 20,442 100 65 37,583 33,836 173 91 Redfish 2,898 3,620 556 286 13,804 15,846 2,134 1,060 Halibut 4,576 5,751 47 67 1,686 1,930 19 24 Small Flatfish 4,912 5,815 543 356 13,421 14,962 1,963 1,242 Greenland Turbot 309 165 9 10 1,524 792 41 42 Pollock 8,563 7,401 485 167 27,096 29,053 1,235 491 White Hake 2,071 1,643 368 168 6,455 5,784 1,723 842 Cusk 2,389 1,511 1 5,637 3,846 2 Catfish 557 504 4 1 2,311 2,106 12 7 Tomcod 2 4 20 42 Other 1,095 384 4 3 2,425 1,117 17 11 Groundfish Total 100,576 98,728 6,237 6,275 233,060 231,521 18,610 16,386

Herring 14,055 8,578 6,223 4,458 71,664 51,746 35,451 26,823 Mackerel 1,550 1,120 597 484 6,467 3,931 2,275 1,502 Swordfish 650 634 238 215 Bluefin Tuna 38 6 39 31 13 3 18 24 Alewife 550 366 540 563 2,374 1,222 3,193 2,858 Eel 22 9 214 84 13 13 123 46 Salmon 416 188 586 424 59 27 88 63 Shad 64 36 58 19 72 48 64 23 Smelt 22 10 771 190 32 6 1,650 414 Other 245 129 72 66 85 91 54 32 Pelagic & Estuarial Total 17,613 11,077 9,101 6,319 81,017 57,302 42,916 31,786

Clam 1,358 1,358 1,270 880 1,945 1,717 2,337 1,147 Mussel 2 2 25 23 3 2 86 61 Oyster 12 13 184 15 15 190 Scallop 41,012 49,915 2,951 5,292 47,272 37,785 3,088 3,566 Squid 361 2 1 1,096 3 1 4 Lobster 33,310 45,572 18,571 17,353 6,356 7,901 4,181 4,060 Snow Crab 2,866 3,495 15,268 26,510 2,151 1,829 17,862 17,260 Other Crab 274 165 129 38 267 319 472 167 Shrimp 1,433 2,241 2,231 1,828 821 1,141 1,763 1,434 Other - 2 8 20 3 9 21 Mollusc & Crustacean Total 80,627 102,763 40,635 51,945 59,926 50,715 29,989 27,721

Fish & Shellfish Total 198,816 212,568 55,973 64,539 374,003 339,538 91,515 75,893

Marine Plants 811 683 252 172 7,721 8,268 869 246 Other Products 13 3 6 4 2 1

Overall Total 199,639 213,254 56,225 64,718 381,728 347,808 92,384 76,140

4 Attention Fishermen!

Previous Site C2 43°03' 65°46'

1April 1983 Cape Sablé C3 42°52' 65°54' C9 42°46' 66°09' C10 42°49' 66°01'

November 1983 C7 42°32' 65°19' C8 42°44' 66°24'

C3 ___.-- _ ,, ----^C1© , i;ÇB

Browns Bank •C7

The Bedford Institute of Oceano- endangering the underwater instru- subsurface instruments. Please com- graphy, Dartmouth N.S., has been ments and additionally, damage may municate with the Bedford Institute of conducting an oceanographic survey occur to trawls and/or bottom drags. Oceanography, P.O. Box 1006, Dart- off S.W. Nova Scotia since May 1979. We would appreciate learning of mouth, N.S., or phone collect The object of this survey is to measure any accident which may occur with 426-3474 or 426-2450 or contact your currents, water mass properties and these buoys or the recovery of the fishery officer. biological parameters over all sea- sons, permitting predictions of mean Aerial photo of Battery Point near Lunenburg. flows, upwelling and tidal currents in the area leading to a better under- standing of the physical factors affect- ing the growth and survival of fish and lobsters. Scientific instruments have been lo- cated at several sites off Shelburne and Cape Sable since 1979. In early April '83 three new sites were installed on or near Browns Bank and in early November '83 two additional sites will be established on or near Browns Bank. These sites are marked by a tri- angular array of three marker buoys 5-6 cables apart. The underwater cur- rent meters are within the triangle of buoys. The buoys are 5 ft diameter steel spheres with tripod masts, radar reflectors, are lettered and have a flashing white light. Draggers and trawlers are cau- tioned not to approach within a cable of these sites while fishing for fear of

5 Canada Again Leads World in Fish Exports

For the fifth consecutive year, Can- Among the important export spe- sumption of 7.2 kg, a marginal in- ada was the world's top fish exporter cies were cod, which accounted for crease over 1981. in terms of value in 1982, according to close to $400 million, salmon, Improved fishery resources through statistics from the Organization for $245 million, and herring, $158 mil- sound stock management, a steady Economic Co-operation and Devel- lion. Shellfish were also heavy con- demand for fish and seafood, and a opment (OECD). tributors, with crab accounting for continued effort both nationally and Canada led the United States, $106 million, lobster, $88 million, and internationally by the federal Depart- Denmark, Norway, Japan and Iceland scallops, $68 million. ment of Fisheries and Oceans to pro- in that order among the exporting The latest figures show 55 per cent tect species and to promote fishery OECD member countries. The Paris- of the value of Canada's fish exports products, have sustained the growth based OECD is an organization of in- was accounted for by the United of Canada's fishery sector despite dustrialized nations whose objective is States, 16 per cent by the European prevailing economic hardship in re- to facilitate trade and investment, and Economic Community, and 15 per cent years. to analyze and deal with general eco- cent by Japan. "Our recent restructuring moves to nomic problems. Canadian landings were about improve the financial state of the east The value of Canadian exports of 1.39 million metric tonnes in 1982, coast industry will give us more stabil- fishery products exceeded $1.6 billion with a total marketed value of Canadi- ity," said Fisheries and Oceans Minis- (Can.) in 1982, a 6 per cent increase an fisheries production in excess of ter Pierre De Bané. "But I am espe- from the preceding year. In volume $1.9 billion, up 3 per cent from 1981. cially keen in the coming year to terms, fish and seafood exports were Canadians consumed about 176,800 improve marketing with better plan- up 3 per cent. Among all food exports, tonnes of fishery products last year, ning, stable prices, and even more fishery products ranked second to corresponding to a per capita con- emphasis on top quality," he noted. grains in dollar value.

Average Unit Values of Fresh Fish as Landed, Within Scotia-Fundy Region, 1939

COD HADDOCK HAKE & CUSK HERRING MACKEREL SARDINES LOBSTERS PROVINCE & $ per $ per $ per $ per $ per $ per $ per COUNTY cwt. cwt. cwt. cwt. cwt. cwt. cwt. NOVA SCOTIA Richmond 1.08 1.97 0.40 0.56 0.80 8.78 Cape Breton 1.29 2.13 0.48 0.92 1.37 9.20 Victoria 1.22 0.53 0.50 0.54 0.61 7.06 Inverness 0.80 1.61 0.58 0.78 2.64 6.62 Cumberland 1.00 1.00 2.00 0.36 1.97 6.57 Colchester 1.09 0.50 7.00 Guysborough 0.91 1.88 0.48 0.97 0.86 10.28 Halifax 1.26 1.72 0.50 0.78 0.96 10.28 Lunenburg 1.35 1.93 0.56 0.63 0.80 12.91 Queens 1.24 1.98 0.64 0.50 1.97 17.21 Shelburne 1.45 1.93 0.57 0.59 1.21 17.58 Yarmouth 1.18 1.83 0.66 0.50 0.95 17.71 Digby 1.04 1.51 0.48 0.51 1.11 0.50 18.18 Annapolis 1.02 2.18 0.41 0.42 2.00 16.74 Kings 1.50 2.00 1.00 1.00 3.00 18.07 Hants 2.00 1.00

Average for N.S. 1.29 1.70 0.52 0.67 0.95 0.50 11.38

NEW BRUNSWICK Charlotte 0.90 2.10 0.42 0.64 0.91 18.75 Saint John 1.32 3.12 0.56 0.58 0.90 16.13 Albert 14.81

Average for N.B. 0.93 2.17 0.50 0.42 1.32 0.91 14.11

Taken from; "Report on the Canadian Atlantic Sea-fishery, Royal Commission on Provincial Development and Rehabilitation - Nova Scotia", by Stewart Bates, 1944

6 1# â.^r-^ ^ , 0^-é^^

^ISSN a-s^Af!8i Or JL, Scotia-Fundy Region ^•r^'-^C .. -F ^

Mike Dadswell of the St. Andrews Why Acadia? Because its biology Biological Station quite naturally sees department has developed a highly- himself as a fisheries biologist. At least regarded program on estuarine biol- five young assistants to one of his pro- ogy and because Acadia, back in 1976 jects regard him more as a successful hosted an influential workshop on the career counsellor. Environmental Implications of Fundy Back in the summer of 1980 they Tidal Power. This produced a number began working with Mike tagging of important papers and prompted a shad in the upper Bay of Fundy, a job number of scientists in the Atlantic completely new to all but one of them. area, including Mike Dadswell and Steve Burbine of Sackville, N.B., came Dave Wildish at St. Andrews and Dave from a long line of commercial shad Greenberg at the Bedford Institute of fishermen, a tradition broken when his Oceanography, to look more closely father decided to become a high at what proposed tidal projects might school math teacher. Steve joined do to Fundy marine life. Mike Dadswell's team in 1981 and by Mike's shad-tagging program, 1983 was the captain of one of the 21- which marked the first time since 1924 foot Eastporters used in the tagging that biologists had looked closely at job. this species, in the upper Bay of Now Steve Burbine is a full-time W Fundy, has turned up some significant commercial fisherman, just as his Shad tagging operations in the Cum- results. By far the greatest returns, grandfather Carl Burbine was before berland Basin of the Bay of Fundy. over 70%, have come from the Ameri- him. Using Sackville, N.B. as his base, can seaboard, from as far south as Steve fishes shad and lobster out of Now Carl is in his third year of Acadia Florida. The shad is a major commer- Wood Point on the Cumberland Basin. University's biology program. cial fish in the United States, with land- He admits that a major factor in his Another biology student, Daphne decision to follow his family's tradition The{nelis of Guelph, Ontario, also We invite you to respond to any of the was being a member of the Dadswell plans to begin graduate work at Aca- information contained in "Fisheries News" team. dia after several summers' exposure to or make suggestions of your own regard- ing content. Carl Jarvis had just graduated from shad. Mike Kellock had just received Please address all correspondence to: an Ottawa high school when he got his B.Sc. from St. Francis Xavier in The Editor/Fisheries News what must have seemed like a strange 1982 when he joined the team; he too Department of Fisheries and Oceans summer job. Up to that point, he didn't is now studying at Acadia, along with Communications Division, know what he wanted to do and he another summer worker, Jim Williams P.O Box 550 Halifax, N.S. B3J 2S7 knew absolutely nothing about shad. of Port Elgin.

Canada Posles , ^ Post Canada

Bulk En nombre third troisiéme " dass classe 5056 Halrtax, N9 3 Canada ings averaging 4-5 million pounds an- sewage treatment systems and pollu- like the current one on the Annapolis nually. It also is an important sports tion controls, this shad fishery has river would not be a serious deterrent fish: 50,000 shad were angled in the staged a remarkable recovery. This to spawning or feeding shad, but a Delaware river alone in 1982. explains the great American interest in much bigger dam across Minas or The shad is an anadromous fish, the Dadswell tagging program and the Cumberland Basin could produce a like the salmon, and journeys to fresh flood of tags sent in by sports fisher- high shad mortality rate. The fish enter water spawning grounds. In summer, men from rivers along the eastern and leave the mud flats in these basins they migrate in huge numbers to the American seaboard. with each tide. Since they tend to re- upper reaches of the Bay of Fundy. The huge wall that Mike Dadswell main in the area for as long as 30 days, They begin arriving early in the spring used to plot the tag returns indicates they'd have to pass through the tur- and are present most of the summer, that several shad stocks are involved. bines up to 60 times. Many wouldn't feeding in the turbid or muddy waters. The Saint John river, for instance, is make it. Mike's research indicates that as many the spawning ground for a stock Whatever happens to the tidal as one-third of the entire Atlantic which later migrates to the Gulf of St. power projects, the recently-complete coast shad population may participate Lawrence. Shad using the southern shad tagging program has widened in this annual Fundy migration. No American rivers spawn just once, but our knowledge of this long- wonder this has created a commercial the hardier northern stocks like those overlooked commercial fish. It has fishery for Maritime families like the returning to Maritime rivers spawn also encouraged Steve Burbine to be- Burbines, a fishery that dates back several times. Those favouring the Mi- come a commercial shad fisherman 200 years. In fact, the first fishery regu- ramichi have been known to spawn as and holds out the prospect of full-time lation ever passed by a Nova Scotia many as eight times. biological careers for at least four of government, was intended to protect Mike and his team tagged 7,000 fish his former summer co-workers. Ob- the shad. in the Cumberland basin and another viously, Mike Dadswell's enthusiasm Around 1900, the American shad 5,000 in Minas Basin - two of the toward his chosen profession is fishery all but disappeared because of most-mentioned locations for pro- contagious. river dams and sewage pollution. posed tidal power dams. Preliminary Since 1960 and the installation of studies indicate that a small barrage

Energy Tips: The results of these initial tests were DFO plans to continue the testing by encouraging, with a 6% fuel saving be- varying the r.p.m. of the engine simul- Effectiveness of Fuel ing observed as the fuel was heated taneously with the load. Heaters in Doubt over the temperature range men- tioned above, and with the engine at DFO Organization (Follow-up article) full load. Fuel heaters as fuel savers may not The latest tests, conducted in July Change be all that they are cracked up to be, of this year, were conducted under With the division of the Maritimes according to DFO's latest test results. identical conditions, with the excep- Region into the Scotia-Fundy and Two issues ago in this column, we tion that the engine was tested at not Gulf Regions came several changes to featured an article on the effectiveness only full-load, but at 3/4,1/2 and 1/4 loads the organization of DFO and the geo- of fuel heaters. Preliminary tests indi- as well. graphical boundaries within which it cated that the use of fuel heaters Two separate full-load runs, using a undertakes its Fisheries Management might result in potential fuel savings to Texaco #2 and the slightly lighter Tex- responsibilities. the owners of vessels equipped with aco #1 diesel fuels, yielded fuel sav- As a result of one recently approved marine diesel engines. ings similar to those of the earlier tests recommendation, it was decided that Since that time, DFO's Fisheries (approx. 7%). District Protection Officers and Area Development Branch has conducted However, for the part-load tests with Conservation Chiefs shall henceforth more extensive tests, again carried out #2 Texaco, the opposite trend was ob- be re-named under one title: under contract by the Technical Uni- served. Fuel consumption actually in- District Officer. versity of Nova Scotia. The results of creased as the temperature of the pre- 4 In addition, the districts have been these latest tests now cast serious heated fuel was increased over the re-described as follows: doubts as to the basic overall effec- 80-180 F. temperature range. At % tiveness of fuel heaters in their ability load, this effect was minimal, but at'/^ District #1: 4 to save fuel. and'/< loads, the increase in fuel con- Southern New Brunswick The original five test runs were con- sumption was substantial. District Officer - St. Andrews, N.B. ducted last March on an Acadia- Conclusions: For a constant r.p.m. District #2: Hercules marine diesel engine, with engine, pre-heating the fuel from Cape Breton and mainland Nova Sco- the same lot of Texaco #2 diesel fuel 80-180 F, tia to Pennant Point pre-heated to temperatures between a) reduces the specific fuel con- District Officer - Sydney, N.S. 80-180 degrees Farenheit (27-82 C). sumption at full load, but at the District #3: Each run was made at full load (i.e. same time decreases the avail- Pennant Point to the Shelburne/Yar- maximum rated power) with a speed able brake horsepower, and mouth County line I of 2200 r.p.m., and for a duration of b) causes an increase in the spe- District Officer - Liverpool, N.S. twenty minutes. The specific (actual) cific fuel consumption at part District #4: fuel consumption was measured by loads. Remainder of the province of Nova measuring the remaining fuel at fixed To relate these test results more Scotia not included in Districts 2 & 3 intervals. closely to actual vessel operations, District Officer - Yarmouth, N.S. 2 Rotary Fish Washer Fisheries Advisors No one can deny that, to produce starboard. The system on the port side Needed for South the finest quality fresh or frozen fillets was removed and replaced by the new in the plant, top quality bled and gut- rotary washer. In this way, the results Pacific ted fish which has been thoroughly using the rotary washer could be Many Canadians have not heard of washed and iced at sea must be compared directly to those of the ex- Vanuatu, an unspoiled South Pacific landed at dockside. isting system. island nation which gained its inde- The Engineering Services Division Flounder, cod and redfish were pendence in 1980. of DFO's Fisheries Development caught and washed aboard, compar- But many Vanuatu natives, known Branch recognizes this fact, and last ing the results of each system. On one as Ni-Vanuatu, certainly know of Can- May, in cooperation with the Marine occasion, nine crewmen were ablé to ada and have worked with Canadians Division of H. B. Nickerson and Sons, put 7,000 lbs. of fish through the through the efforts of CUSO, Cana- decided to determine if the quality of washer in 30 minutes. On another, ten da's largest non-government, interna- groundfish landed aboard an offshore men put 18,000 lbs. of fish through the tional development organization. trawler could be improved by using a washer in 1 hour and 30 minutes. This When the Vanuatu Department of rotary fish washer to uniformly wash was at the desired operating speed of Fisheries was formed, CUSO provided fish prior to storage on ice. 1.5 r.p.m. experienced Canadian fishermen as The washer itself is a cylindrical After using the washer for a few Fisheries Officers to assist. Nine Ca- drum which rotates at speeds varying days and seeing what.it was capable nadian fishermen - the majority from from dead slow to a maximum of of doing, the crew was generally the Atlantic region - were placed on 2.5 r.p.m. A large screw-type helix is pleased with its performance. Those two-year CUSO contracts in Vanuatu. welded along the length of the interior working the hold saw a noticeable dif- These Canadians have acted as vil- of the drum, and carries the fish ference in the colour of the ice holding lage fisheries advisors under a gov- through the wash cycle from one end fish from each washer. Fish from the ernment program designed to put to the other in a controlled manner. A existing wash box coloured the ice 25 village fishing units into operation 2.5" water line is attached at each end red, indicating incomplete bleeding within three years. Each unit will have of the frame holding the drum, and and inadequate washing. Fish from a boat and a small electric or runs through the drum near the top, the new rotary washer appeared bet- kerosene-powered freezer. providing a continuous spray onto the ter washed, and did not colour the ice CUSO describes Vanautu's fishing fish passing below. A final wash near red to the same extent. industry as one of considerable poten- the discharge end of the washer en- The results of these and other trips tial, hampered by a lack of commer- sures that the fish are thoroughly have indicated that fish that have been cial fishing and boat handling ex- cleaned. The water pressure used is bled, gutted and rotary washed will perience among the native people. about 60 psi. produce whiter fillets than regular Because some of the original two- The rotary washer was installed washed fish. Furthermore, since no year contracts in Vanuatu will soon be aboard the 150-foot stern trawler, negative effects to fish have been de- expiring, CUSO is now recruiting new W. R. Ritcey, which normally has two tected using the rotary washer, a net candidates to fill the following posi- identical washing and conveying sys- balance of positive results can be ex- tions: 1 Fisheries Officer, and 2 Fisher- tems; one on its port side, and one to pected from its use. ies Advisors for Vanuatu. As well, CUSO requires 4 Fisheries Promotion .Officers for the north-eastern area of Diagram of Processing Deck Thailand. Flight Conveyor ^ Job descriptions for the above posi- 1^1 tions follow: ti Belt Conveyor Fisheries Officer (1) - Vanuatu Description: The successful candidate 4 Hatches will take charge of the newly estab- lished Fisheries Office in Santo, Van- uatu. He will be responsible to the Di- I I , rector of the Vanuatu Department of Waste Chutes Fisheries, and must be able to work Bow Do- entirely without supervision. He will train a counterpart who is learning the job and, on occasion, will be required to supervise and work with small a ------groups of up to ten people. The primary objective of the job is to develop and coordinate small-scale commercial fishing throughout the Belt Conveyor region, and to work in association with L Flight Conveyor and monitor a Japanese-owned fish- Wash Tank ing company based nearby. Duties: To assist individuals or small groups interested in commercial fish- 3 profit, development organization in Thailand, is seeking Fisheries Officers to promote income-generating activi- ties in north-eastern Thailand. This area is a plateau which has be- come almost completely deforested due population pressure on the land. Although SVITA's primary involve- ment is in reforestation and cultiva- tion, it also exists to promote fresh- water fisheries development. The Fisheries Officers will be re- sponsible for the fisheries develop- ment area of SVITA. They will work in consultation with the executive direc- tor of SVITA, and coordinate their ac- tivities with various government agencies. These agencies have encouraged people to group together into 13 vil- lages, and have started to provide ser- Peter Watt of Margaree Harbour, Cape Breton, examines fish with three of his vices such as digging ponds for a Ni-Vanuatu colleagues. year-round water supply. Duties: To survey the area and draft a ing by determining suitable locations, in deep-bottom drop-line fishing, trol- plan for freshwater fisheries arranging financing, doing feasibility ling and other appropriate methods; development. studies, and providing support in training local people to operate and To design and implement a program emergencies. maintain small boats, engines and ice which includes both fish promotion To assist in the operations of the machines, and providing assistance and the establishment of a small newly established Fish Market in with book-keeping. The advisor will spawning station for the following Luganville. also keep records of fishing activities species: Tilapia; Cyprinus carpa, and In conjunction with the Boat Build- and collect basic fisheries statistics. Puntins gononotus. ing School, to make sure that boats Accommodation will be provided by To operate the spawning station. built at the school are properly the village, and will be basic but com- To write a technical hand book for adapted to meet local conditions. fortable and adequate. freshwater fish extension at the village To negotiate agreements between Qualifications: 5 years practical com- level. villages and the Japanese company merdial fishing experience, preferably Qualifications: Practical freshwater for fishing privileges. with fishing papers. fisheries experience and a diploma or To teach interested groups how to degree. catch, care for and sell bait. Fisheries Promotions Officers (4) — To seek and provide assistance to Thailand Terms of Service all those interested in developing their Description: SVITA, a small , non- Salaries are sufficient to enjoy an fishing skills.

Qualifications: 5 years experience in commercial fishing, and small busi- ness or administrative experience.

Village Fisheries Advisors (2) — Vanuatu Description: Fisheries Advisors will work for the Vanuatu Department of Fisheries in the outer islands of Va- nuatu. The duties will involve the can- didate in most aspects of small-scale fisheries development in rural Vanuatu. Although most Ni-Vanuatu live near the sea, they tend to be land-oriented people, and very little, if any commer- cial fishing has been done at the vil- lage level.

The Fisheries Advisors' main re- -7-eee- C--,,itettewiteete.7e7C sponsibilities will be the supervision of Catamarans, typical of the type used by fisheries advisors and the native Ni- village fishing projects. This will in- Vanuatu fishermen. Note the spindle arrangements astern for bottom lines, and clude: providing practical instruction the outrigged poles for trolling.

4 adequate, but not extravagant stan- — Possibility dard of living. Lobster Vaccine A CUSO provides orientation, return transportation and medical/dental coverage, life insurance, settling-in Most of us who can remember back With the great amount of shipping of and re-settling in Canada allowances. to our childhood days probably have live lobsters in the industry, the ability Couples will be considered if there vivid images of the inoculation proce- of the disease to spread to other cap- are positions for both people. In the dures against our common children's tive lobsters is dramatically increased. case of families with children, place- diseases such as smallpox and polio. An outbreak in a pound can have seri- ment is often difficult. There were the long lineups and ner- ous and occasionally disastrous fi- If you are interested in applying for vous anticipation as we waited our nancial consequences. or finding out more about these or turn for the quick prick of the needle While lobsters do have naturally oc- other positions, call or write to: and the preventive safety of the *vac- curring defence mechanisms against CUSO Atlantic Regional Office cine. As improbable as it may seem, a vi rtually all other bacteria, these are 1546 Barrington St. similar experience may be in store for not effective against. 4. viridans var. Halifax, N.S. B3J 1Z3 our commercially landed lobster homari. Part of the present research is (902) 423-6709 catch. being directed to the development of a At the Halifax Fisheries Research vaccine that can be administered to Laboratory of the Department of Fish- the lobster through injection. To date, eries and Oceans, development of a a completely acceptable vaccine has vaccine against one of the diseases not been found, but good success has (Gaffkemia) that attacks the lobster been recorded with some vaccines The Canada Service has been a focus of research by developed at the Halifax Fisheries Re- Bureau Aids Fishermen scientists for a number of years. Ben search Laboratory. Additional devel- Arie, a biologist with the Disease and opments on this subject are also now The Federal Government of Can- Nutrition Section is among the group about to begin at Connaught Labora- ada, through the Centre for Service to who have been doing this work and he tories the commercial firm located in the public and more specifically its told us that Gaffkemia is a serious Toronto. As more information is dis- Canada Service Bureau program, pro- problem for the commercial lobster covered on the disease it is hoped that vides a service to the general public industry since one of the conditions a more acceptable vaccine will be- which may be of interest to fishermen for the disease's spread is found in come available in the future. In the in the Scotia/Fundy Region. almost every lobster pound — dense meantime, while the industry works at In Halifax, the Service Bureau oper- overcrowding. Although, fortunately, reducing the risk of lobster woundings ates a walk-in enquiry centre and a completely harmless to humans, the through better handling conditions telephone referral centre (toll-free ser- presence of the bacteria Aerococcus and less crowding, we can, at least, vice). These services are staffed by viridans var. homari in the lobster al- imagine long lineups of nervous lob- professionals who respond to the in- ways results in death to the animal. sters crawling anxiously forward and formation needs of citizens who re- The bacteria acts parasitically, feed- being gently inoculated by some quire general information or assis- ing on glucose (and other lobster needle-wielding technician. A pat on tance in finding the right sources of blood ingredients) which is stored as the shell and the lobster returns, safely information within the federal glycogen (a glucose polymer) in the immunized, into the water. govern ment. lobster organs. Glucose, which plays If for example, a fisherman has a a similar role in other organisms, is the question on fishing vessel insurance energy source that maintains the sys- plans or subsidy programs and does tem's level of activity. As the bacterium Fisheries and Fundy not know who to talk with, then he or multiplies within the lobster, the she can contact the Canada Service energy and nitrogen levels eventually Tidal Power Bureau, whose staff will in turn put the become so depleted that all life sup- person in touch with the correct fed- port mechanisms fail and the animal If a major tidal power dam is ever eral depa rtment and contact. dies. Transmission of the bacteria oc- built in the Bay of Fundy, marine For New Brunswick inquiries the curs only as a result of being intro- scientists will have some answers on Service Bureau in Moncton is located duced through open wounds in the what it might do to commercial fish- at 823 Main Street and can be reached lobster. A healthy, unpunctured lob- ing. The prospect of such a dam, at 388-6030 (local) or 1-800-442-4400 ster, for example, can be exposed to however remote, has brought together (toll free) for callers outside Monc- the bacteria either in the water system benthic biologists David Wildish of the ton. In Nova Scotia callers can dial or through its food supply and not St. Andrews Station and oceano- 1-426-8092 for toll free referral to fed- contract the disease. Even at ex- grapher David Greenberg of the Bed- eral government programs and ser- tremely high levels of bacterial con- ford Institute of Oceanography. They vices and/or visit the Service Bureau centrations, healthy, whole lobsters headed up teams of scientists ihat at 1675 Barrington Street in Halifax. remain completely unaffected by the have gathered masses of statistics and The toll free numbers are a particu- bacterium's presence. other information on the habits of larly welcome innovation for people However, lobsters, being cannibalis- creatures found on or near the Fundy who in the past had to pay for long tic, suffer a high rate of wounding in floor. The existence of this marine life distance calls to reach the right gov- pound holding conditions and conse- depends on food brought in by the ernment office. quently have a much greater probabil- fast-moving Fundy tides. ity of contracting the disease than The first group, called suspension their cousins remaining in the ocean. feeders, is most widely represented in

5 the Bay of Fundy by the horse mussel. So what happens if and when a big Peer of the Bedford Institute has been The take their food from organisms dam is built, say across Minas Basin putting the statistical results into the carried through the water, and gener- - a dam many times larger than the Greenberg computer model. It will ally, the faster the tides, up to an opti- present experimental one at Annapo- take several more months before the mum point, the more food there is. lis Royal? A theoretical question at the data from all 98 stations is fed in. The reverse is less true for another moment, but it's one that prompted Whatever the final results of this group, the deposit feeders, which live Dave Wildish to launch a detailed experiment, Dave Wildish, in particu- in the mud and sand of the ocean study of production of benthic macro- lar, is smiling already. He says this is floor. Tides that move too quickly dis- fauna in the Lower Bay of Fundy. A one of those rare times when informa- rupt their habitat and make it more dif- grid containing 98 sampling stations tion gathered by the benthic biologist ficult, if not impossible for them to was set up - one that corresponded can be used to make a prediction. feed. Both suspension and deposit with a mathematical model Dave From the preliminary findings, the feeders provide food for commercially Greenberg established to study tidal team thinks that a major tidal power important fish such as haddock, cod, energy behavior. dam in Minas Basin, the site favoured pollock and flounder. All 98 stations were sampled during by engineers and energy experts, The Bay of Fundy, in its present May, 1978 from the research vessel would significantly altar the tidal flow. natural state, has achieved a balance. J.L. Hart. Then began the time- It would adversely affect those tiny or- In some places, its tidal current veloc- consuming and exacting task back in ganisms so vital to the complex food ity is suited to the suspension feeders; the St. Andrews lab of identifying and chain that sustains marine life, includ- elsewhere, the slower tidal move- counting each species and weighing ing commercial fishing. The most im- ments are ideal for the deposit them to the nearest milligram. mediate negative impact would be on feeders. For the past several weeks, Don the Digby scallop beds.

Aerial photo of North Sydney Harbour, Cape Breton.

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