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P 30 194 VolumeNF 2 - Number 9 JUNE -JULY 1999 .400€440.0411•,10. *t des TTAWA \\Ltrnbof ar-k Taeo‘-‘ke--el as= Pu_ g uik CE The Laurentian Region Bulletin s_k-pkey,-‘ber d len 1 www.qc.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

) o - \-,t-tkl A \ck , NEW MINISTER OF FISHERIES AND OCEANS fporfair "144A-1244-c4i4es Minister of Fisheries was a member of the Team Trade Mission to India and also took part in n August 3, the parliamentary delegations to Cuba, the UNESCO and announced the appointment of the Beijing. Honourable Herb Dhaliwal, formerly Minister of Revenue, as Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. His Born in Pendjab, India in 1952, Mr. Dhaliwal has predecessor, David Anderson, has been appointed three children. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce Minister of the Environment, while Doctor Gilbert degree and has more than 25 years of experience in Normand has been appointed Secretary of State for the public sector and the private sector, where he Science, Research and Development. directed small businesses in the fields of transporta- Mr. Dhaliwal was first elected to the House of tion, building maintenance and real estate develop- Commons in 1993, representing the riding of ment. The Minister also held the position of Vice- South, and was re-elected in 1997 to rep- Chairman of the Board of Directors of the British resent the new riding of Vancouver-South-Burnaby. Columbia Hydro and Power Authority after chairing In addition to serving as Parliamentary Secretary to this organization's budget and audit committees. the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Mr. Dhaliwal sat Mr. Dhaliwal has played an active role in a number of on the Steering Committee and the Standing social organizations, including the United Way, the Committee on Fisheries and Oceans as well as the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the India Standing Committee on Finance. He also served as Cultural Centre of Canada and the Orientation vice-chair of the Task Force on Aquaculture. The new Adjustment Services for the Immigrants Society.

TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE NAVIGATION STRATEGY fravoi.:7614-494.fe4:46, adopted a primary goal: the development and establishment of a sustainable navi- gation strategy. This should enable the St. Lawrence to be developed in a sustain- aunched in June 1998, Phase 3 of the St. Lawrence Vision 2000 action plan able manner and promote co-operation between all parties concerned. The types focusses on human and ecosystem health, and promotes community develop such a strategy are varied and require improving our involvement in making the river more accessible. This five-year agreement of actions required to knowledge about the environmental impacts of various types of shipping and boat- brings together nine federal government departments; three government ing, making the discussion of such knowledge more dynamic and broad-based, set- departments; community organizations, including the areas of prime concern (ZIP) ting up initiatives for consultation and co-operation, implementing concrete actions committees; an advisory committee; and representatives from the private sector and to create optimal conditions for achieving projects and establishing follow up on ini- universities. tiatives and evaluation of results. SLV 2000, which has achieved undeniably positive results over the last ten years, In recent years, specialists have begun the first stage of research on the socio-eco- now includes a shipping and boating component. The committee responsible for nomic and environmental impacts of shipping and boating on the St. Lawrence. this component includes 18 members from government departments, non-govern- Scattered data and knowledge have been compiled, but researchers have not yet mental organizations and the marine industry. It is co-chaired by Gervais Bouchard taken the pulse of those presently working in the marine industry. This is why the from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Jerome Faivre from Transport Quebec, and next step for the shipping and boating component of SLV 2000 will be to ask indus- brings together, notably, representatives from the Port Corporation, the try members to comment on these unpublished reports in view of their knowledge Corporation des pilotes du Saint-Laurent central, the Shipping Federation of Canada, the Quebec Marine Trade Association and the St. Lawrence Economic of the context. Development Council. Finally, the sustainable navigation strategy will be refined and submitted for further consultations. This will enable us to implement a strategy for managing the St. The shipping and boating component was added in response to the need, recog- Lawrence shipping channel while taking into account the concerns of all those who nized by the marine transportation industry, to adopt an approach that takes into account the close relations between shipping, the environment and the state of the use it. St. Lawrence. It was also felt that it was essential to share information and engage For more information or to send us comments about this initiative, you can write in rational discussions. Indeed, both the marine transportation industry and the to the Volet Navigation Secretariat, , Laurentian Region, 101 ports must now deal with increasingly complex environmental issues, principal Champlain Blvd., QC G1K 7Y7. examples of which are the management of sediment,

sion. -0 n14 However, in order to address all these specific issues in a comprenensive manner C) and to discuss them in a broader context, the shipping and boating component has m

BELUGA STRANDINGS IN THE ESTUARY H

AND GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE C 0 Vivitre I/falai C 0) dentists at the Maurice Lamontagne Institute (MLI) are seeking the gener- al public's assistance in reporting beluga carcasses that wash up on the cn m shores of the estuary or the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Beluga strandings may H occur during the period from ice breakup in spring to ice formation in mid- m December. On July 30, Marcel Boudreau, Senior Advisor, Resource Management; Jean-Claude arg The public is invited to report sightings of stranded or drifting beluga carcasses as Boivin, Regional Director, Fisheries Management, and Marcel Therien, Regional a) promptly as possible by phoning (418) 775-0500. This telephone service will be - Director, Communications held a briefing in Gaspe to set the record straight concern- (p available 24 hours a day. Callers are asked to give their names and phone num- ing Quebec's historical share of the southern Gulf cod fishery. Around fifteen journal- co bers so they can be contacted afterward to obtain additional details. ists from Gaspe, Sept Iles and the Magdalen Islands attended, either in person or via a 6 conference call. -n 0

Fisheries and Oceans Peches et Oceans 1+1 Canada Canada CanadV INF CEANS

LIMITED COMMERCIAL COD FISHERY - AREA 4RS 3PN

Ifora goad-eaa • Boats between 50 and 64 feet in length based in 4T can use up to 5,000 hooks and will be limited to 10,000 lbs per sailing, once every two weeks when on a "theries and Oceans Canada, Laurentian Region announced details of the cod fishery conservation plan for the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence (4RS competitive fishery. 3Pn) for the 1999 fishing season, as approved by the former Fisheries • Mobile-gear vessels longer than 65 feet can fish with hook and line only, the num- Minister David Anderson. ber of hooks being at each boat's discretion. • Only a limited fixed-gear commercial fishery will be authorized in this sector. • Cod bycatch for mobile-gear vessels will be deducted from fleet shares. • TAC are set at 7,500 tons. Monitoring of landings • A 400-ton allocation is granted to sentinel fishermen. • Mandatory 100% dockside inspection will be implemented. Fishers must land • Season opening and closing dates will be set according to sector and fleet fishing their catches at ports where dockside inspection services are available. plans. Observers at sea Gear • Monitoring of the commercial fishery at sea is a major component of our conser- • In 4R 3Pn, boats less than 65 feet long will be entitled to 6 gill nets or 2,000 hooks vation-oriented harvesting plan. Therefore, the industry is required to accept and and a weekly catch limit of 5,000 lbs, with seasonal breakdowns. pay for a minimum observer coverage of 5% aboard vessels. • In 4S, where a part (10%) of the fixed-gear allocation can be taken, boats can use Logs 25 gill nets. The authorized mesh size is 5 1/2 inches, increasing to 6 inches as of • Fishers in charge of vessels of 45 feet and longer are required to complete logs. May 15, 2000. • The mobile-gear fleet of vessels under 65 feet based in 4ST/4Vn (excluding the Quebec Lower North Shore) can fish with hook and line only.

Y2K ON WATER tions by considering the risk posed by equipment failure. The greater the risk, the higher the item should be on your priority list. The next step is to check with manu- isheries and Oceans Canada has just published a series of three facturers, vendors and service providers whether the hardware and software are Time to act, which deal with Year 2000 brochure entitled Year 2000 compliant, remembering to ask for written confir- issues and fishers, the marine industry and recreation- mation. Finally, it is wise to be proactive by preparing a con- al boaters. These publications are part of the tools the tingency plan, by ensuring that your family members and Department has developed in keeping with the federal gov- your employees are ready and by sharing the information ernment commitment to inform the general public about the you have collected with other boat owners and operators. Year 2000 challenge. For more information What is the Year 2000 bug? A variety of information tools are available. You can call the Since the start of the computer era, years have been denoted by Government of Canada's toll-free line at 1-800-0CANADA only two numbers—the last two digits—in most computers and com- (1-800-622-6232) or consult the following federal web sites: puterized systems. For example, "83" is used to designate the year 1983. This means that at midnight on December 31, 1999, the year • http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca 2000 would appear in computer systems as "00". This is a problem • http://www.info2000.gc.ca because computer systems may interpret the "00" as referring to the http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/SSGF/yk04743e.html or ear 1900, and they may fail to recognize 2000 as a leap year. • Consequently, systems and other equipment that rely on date-sensitive • the United States Coast Guard web site at information may shut down, malfunction or provide inaccurate data. • http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/y2k.htm, and How big is the Y2K challenge? • the Year 2000 Information CenterTM site at Commercial ships, fishing vessels and pleasure craft are heavily dependent on com- http://www.year2000.com . puterized systems. Failure to identify and correct Y2K-related problems could result We also encourage you to order our series Time to Act, by sending a fax to (418) in serious problems, such as the unexpected shutdown of an engine, ship-board nav- 648-7718 or writing to: igation instruments or shore-based support systems. Radios, radars, rudder control Fisheries and Oceans Canada systems, echosounders and many other types of equipment could be affected. Laurentian Region What can you do? Communications Branch First, all ship-board and shore-based electronic equipment you use should be inven- 104 Dalhousie Street toried: computer hardware, software and equipment with embedded computer Quebec City Quebec G 1 K 7Y7 chips. All of these items should be ranked based on their importance to your opera- We have been hearing about Year 2000 for ages! It is high time we got ready for it.

AQUACULTURE IN CANADA: A RAPIDLY GROWING INDUSTRY Pet# pa-erne prehensive review of the laws and regulations pertaining to the aquaculture industry. n June 21 and 22, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans held a nation- O al round table meeting to take stock of the aquaculture industry in Canada. 'The very fact that there are seventeen federal departments and agencies with DF The meeting brought together producers, suppliers, academics, environ- responsibilities relating to the sector at the federal level supports the argument for a mentalists, as well as representatives of the recreational and commercial fisheries, of comprehensive review of the legal framework for aquaculture," Mr. Bastien noted. 999 - Natives groups and of federal, provincial and territorial governments. The review, to be conducted over the coming year, will involve consultations with The proceedings were presented to the provincial and territorial ministers responsible governmental officials responsible for aquaculture. In addition to looking at the legal for aquaculture at the intergovernmental meeting on aquaculture in Canada, held in framework, the review will involve a detailed examination of existing control mecha- on June 28, 1999. This meeting dealt with actions that could be taken to nisms and the controls that should be put in place to ensure adequate protection of TEMBER 1 help the Canadian aquaculture industry achieve its full potential. Over the coming the environment.

SEP months, the government representatives will work together to identify the measures In 1997, the value of Canadian aquaculture production was over $460 million. This

T - :that can be adopted to provide a more predictable and uniform operating environ- represented more than 20% of the value of all Canadian landings (fisheries and aqua-

S ment and thereby foster the sustainable development of aquaculture in Canada. culture combined). The industry provides direct jobs for more than 5,100 individuals, ;Legal review of aquaculture 95% of whom live in Canada's rural and coastal communities. AUGU

/ Canada's Commissioner for Aquaculture Development, Yves Bastien, who reports !directly to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, announced the start of a com- IMPACT HE PEC

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20 Canada MU)CEANS

OIL-EATING BACTERIA - BON APPETIT! $730,000 FOR THE RIVIERE-AU-RENARD

Ade/ Plararaio FISHING HARBOUR n June 10, an unusual scientific experiment was conducted in the munici- leaxvi vGaile-Oesdi.ree pality of Saint-Croix de Lotbiniere near Quebec City. For the first time in n June 16, the Secretary of State Gilbert Normand announced, on behalf of Canada, freshwater aquatic beds served as a test site for a technique to elim- the former Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada Mr. Anderson, that the inate hydrocarbons using oil-eating bacteria already in the environment. A fertilizer government of Canada would invest $730,000 in projects and studies at the was added to increase the number of bacteria naturally present in the water. Riviere-au-Renard fishing harbour in the federal riding of Bonaventure - Gaspe - Iles- Rest assured that the 20 or so impermeable compartments where the product was de-la-Madeleine - Pabok. These projects were undertaken by the Department of introduced were supervised by a team of scientists and environmental specialists. Fisheries and Oceans, Small Craft Harbours Program, in collaboration with the local The experiment will be carried out over two years and is based on biorestoration, Harbour Authority, to begin the the efforts that is required to restore safe, operational which involves the use of organisms naturally present in the environment (bacteria, facilities to users. plants) to stimulate biodegradation of hydrocarbons in areas where other methods The first part of the work consists of installing a cathodic protection system on the are ineffective or cause too much damage to the environment. marginal wharf, which will increase its useful life. This wharf is crucial to the fishing Small predetermined amounts of an agricultural fertilizer were spread over the com- operations of the midshore fleet. The second part of the work consists of repairs to partments beforehand to stimulate the bacteria's growth. Then the scientists, includ- part of the rubble protection for the main wharf approach. The protection, which ing DFO researcher and experiment leader Kenneth Lee, introduced oil into each of was built in 1953, has collapsed under the effects of ice and storms. them. The rising tide brought up only a small amount of hydrocarbons as the major- As well, pre-engineering studies will be undertaken for the harbour redevelopment. ity had already penetrated into the soil. The studies are needed because of the aging of the harbour's many wharves. The Researchers will take samples over a one-year period to analyze and assess the studies will also indicate how the harbour could serve midshore and inshore fishers restoration capacity of the freshwater aquatic beds and then a report on the as well as the recreational boaters from the marina. experiment. Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment Canada set up this project, entitled THE NEW "SHELLFISH" LINE Protecting Aquatic Beds in the St. Lawrence in the Event of Oil Spills, in co-operation isheries and Oceans Canada would like to remind the population that with the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Centre de docu- there is a new 'Shellfish° line available. To find out whether a shellfish bed mentation, de recherche et d'experimentation sur les pollutions accidentelles des is opened for harvesting, telephone 7 days a week, 24 hours a day at (418) eaux (accidental water pollution documentation, research and experimentation cen- 986-3882. tre] in France. It comes under the Navigation component of St. Lawrence Vision 2000. The aquatic beds in the St. Lawrence are environments vulnerable to hydrocarbons, LOBSTER POACHER SENTENCED which are often released by ships. This project will help develop new restoration methods that are better adapted to fragile habitats such as aquatic beds, in keeping Pe Dairezre with a perspective of sustainable shipping and boating. n April 1st this year, Judge Guy Ringuette of the Quebec Court gave Florent For more information, obtain the preliminary environmental assessment (available in Methot, of Chandler, in the Gaspe Region, a 30-day suspended prison sen- French under the title Rapport d'examen environnemental prealable sur le projet de tence at the Perce Courthouse for taking six lobsters at Chandler dock on protection des herbiers du Saint-Laurent en cas de deversement) by calling 1- September 3, 1998. 800-463-4311. Mr Methot, who was still on probation for a similar offence in 1997, pled guilty to charges of: fishing for lobster without a licence, possession of lobsters out of season, possession of lobsters less than 78 mm long and breach of probation. Mr Methot was given a 30-day suspended prison sentence on each of the charges, to run con- currently. In the last three years, fourteen people have been prosecuted and convicted of lob- ster poaching at Chandler dock. Fisheries and Oceans Canada is continuing with rigorous application of its "zero tol- erance" policy toward violators of the Fisheries Act. The Department is mandated to protect and conserve fishery resources and is ever alert for any poaching of marine resources.

CAPELIN STOCK ASSESSMENT Areraie4 r1ore.7

ere are the highlights of the annual capelin stock assessment in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence (areas 4RST): The 1998 capelin landings stand at 9 077 tonnes, an increase of a little more than 1,200 tonnes compared to 1997. • As in past years, the largest capelin catches were made in the purse seine fishery on the west coast of Newfoundland. • The mean weights of capelin catches per tow and the percentages of tow con- taining capelin for the abundance survey done with a bottom trawl in the north- PE

ern Gulf have shown a downtrend since 1996. These catch values are difficult to CHE interpret, however, owing to uncertainty over the use of this type of survey in I

assessing the abundance of a pelagic species like capelin. MPA • The range extension noted in recent years in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence rICENCE RETIREME CT appears to have stopped in 1998.

/ A BIDS ACCEPTED • Postspawning mortality and predation mortality are very high among capelin. The UG hrough four rounds of bidding under the voluntary Atlantic Groundfish present catch level has little bearing on fluctuations in the abundance of this Licence Retirement Program, the Laurentian Region has helped 121 fishers species. UST

exit the fishery with compensation totalling nearly $15 million. Forty-five There would be no biological reasons to limit the captures at his actual level. A I• - SEPT of the fishers were from the Gaspe, 63 from the North Shore and 13 from the However, in view of the sketchy knowledge of capelin biology, the absence of a Magdalen Islands. Most of them had been hit hard hit by the collapse of ground- separate abundance survey for the species and its prominent position in the fish stocks since the fishery was the sole source of their livelihood. A report on the marine ecosystem, any increase in the catch level should be gradually imple- E licence retirement program will be prepared in the fall of 1999, in co-operation mented. MBER with the fishing industry. 1 9 99 -D F O

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SUMMER SCIENTIFIC SURVEYS MLI RESEARCH EXPLORED IN DEPTH dde

OUR HEAVY ' SUMMER MISSIONS /4;a0ai gave,. CCGS Des Groseilliers s the summer draws to a close, the crews serving on the Laurentian Region's The CCGS Des Groseilliers, commanded by Captain Sylvain Bertrand, left Quebec City heavy icebreakers are getting ready to on July 15 and headed immediately for Killinek, wrap up their annual tour of duty in the where her first duties were to unload and install Canadian North. a new diesel oil tank, resupply the station with CCGS Pierre Radisson fuel and then clean up the site. She also took part in two rescue operations. The CCGS Pierre Radisson left Quebec City on June 28 on a 106-day expedition that took it On August 3, she headed for the High Arctic, through some of Canada's spectacular northern assigned mainly to assisting commercial shipping. scenery. On August 31, she rendez-voused with a tanker On the first part of the voyage, the helm was at Pound Inlet to take on 700 cubic metres taken by Captain Serge BrOle to deliver supplies to (700,000 litres) of diesel oil for delivery to Pelly lqaluit and Killinek, reactivate fixed navigational Bay by about September 10. aids in various places, set out floating aids (buoys) A change of crew is scheduled for September 1 at at Lake Harbour and lqaluit and then clean up Resolute Bay, and Captain Germain Tremblay will sites on a number of Arctic islands. take command until her return to Quebec City, The Radisson also shepherded commercial ship- slated for October 31. ping through Hudson Strait and held an open day Shortly after the Pelly Bay mission, the Des at Coral Harbour so that local people could tour Groseilliers will leave the High Arctic and head for the ship. Hudson Strait in the Low Arctic to assist commercial shipping and begin deactivating The first crew change took place on July 26 at lqaluit. Under the command of 0 navigational aids. LI- Captain Denis Coulombe, the ship's mission was to assist commercial shipping in the CI region until August 18. The vessel then headed for Resolute Bay in the High Arctic. Published by: a) On arrival, the ship was reprovisioned and refuelled, and the rest of the equipment needed for the 1999 North Water (NOW 99) mission, running from August 24 to Communications Branch INEZ) October 2, was loaded. For the third and last mission - an international study of Fisheries and Oceans Canada CEANS polynyas in northern waters - over thirty scientists came aboard, and command was Laurentian Region Nunner 10 - At 1611SI - Si-MEMBER 1 999 entrusted to Captain Richard Dubois, who had served with the NOW 98 mission. 104, Dalhousie St. Volume 2 - Quebec City (Quebec) GI K 7Y7 Director : Marcel Therien This year once more, the vessel will cruise Canadian and waters to allow Tel. : (418) 648-7747 Editor : Francois Miville-Deschenes SEPTEMBER

the scientists to recover oceanographic instruments laid in the course of the 1998 www.qc.dfo-rnpo.gc.ca Production Coordinator : Julie Simard mission. They will also take water samples for analysis of ocean temperature and ST - salinity and abundance of zooplankton and phytoplankton; a census of the region's INFOCEANS is published to inform the Laurentian RegionS clients about the policies and programs

GU seabirds and marine mammals will round out the NOW 99 scientific program. of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. To subscribe, send your request to the above address. Reproduction is permitted, with indication of the source. The editor wishes to be informed in writ- AU

/ She will return to Quebec City on October 11. ing of these uses.

ISSN 1485-6069 MPACT I ECHE P

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