Commercial Fisheries Licensing Rules and Policies Reference Document
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Commercial Fisheries Licensing Rules and Policies Reference Document Pacific Region Last Revised March 2019 Table of Contents Purpose……. ........................................................................................................................................ 4 A Commercial Fishing Licence ............................................................................................................ 4 Pacific Region Licence Terminology ................................................................................................... 5 Vessel based vs. Party based Licensing ............................................................................................... 7 National Online Licensing System (NOLS) ......................................................................................... 7 Pacific Fishery Licence Unit (PFLU) ................................................................................................... 8 Commercial Licensing Reports ............................................................................................................ 8 Integrated Fisheries Management Plan (IFMP) ................................................................................... 8 Notice and Acknowledgement System ................................................................................................ 9 Licence Prefix Categories .................................................................................................................. 10 Party Based Licenses Fisher Registration Card (FRC) ..................................................................................................... 13 Roe Herring ................................................................................................................................... 15 Seine (Categories HS and FHS) Gillnet (Categories HG and FH) Spawn on Kelp ............................................................................................................................... 19 Categories J and FJ Clam ............................................................................................................................................... 22 Categories Z2 and Z2ACL Green Sea Urchin ........................................................................................................................... 24 Categories ZA and FZA Red Sea Urchin .............................................................................................................................. 26 Categories ZC and FZC Sea Cucumber ................................................................................................................................ 30 Categories ZD and FZD Euphausiid ..................................................................................................................................... 32 Categories ZF and FZF Rockfish ......................................................................................................................................... 34 Inside and Outside (Categories ZN and FZN) Food and Bait Herring ................................................................................................................... 38 Category ZM Pacific Sardine ............................................................................................................................... 41 Categories ZS and ZSF Eulachon ........................................................................................................................................ 45 Category ZU Pacific Wild Oyster ........................................................................................................................ 46 Categories ZWO and FZWO Special Use Bait Herring ............................................................................................................... 49 Personal (1 Ton) Category ZX Commercial (3 Ton) o Category ZY1 (Sport Bait) o Category ZY2 (Commercial Bait) o Category ZY3 (Domestic Food and Bait) o Category ZY4 (Zoo and Aquarium) Commercial Salmon - Taku and Stikine River .............................................................................. 53 Categories ATBR, ATBRF and FATBR 2 Table of Contents Vessel Based Licenses Salmon ........................................................................................................................................... 57 Gillnet (Categories AG, FAG and NAG) Seine (Categories AS and FAS) Troll (Categories AT and FAT) Schedule II Species ........................................................................................................................ 62 Categories C and FC Geoduck and Horseclam ................................................................................................................ 65 Categories G and FG Sablefish ........................................................................................................................................ 69 Categories K and FK Halibut ........................................................................................................................................... 73 Categories L and FL Crab ................................................................................................................................................ 78 Categories R and FR Shrimp by Trawl ............................................................................................................................ 83 Categories S and FS Groundfish Trawl ........................................................................................................................... 86 Categories T and FT Prawn and Shrimp by Trap ............................................................................................................ 91 Categories W and FW USA68 – Albacore Tuna ............................................................................................................... 95 Category USA68 Transporting ................................................................................................................................... 98 Category D (also known as a Packing Licence) Schedule II Species – Tuna .......................................................................................................... 100 Category CT SEC68 – High Seas ...................................................................................................................... 101 Category SEC68 Fisheries Management Area Map .................................................................................................... 103 Vessel Replacement/Nomination of Licence Eligibilities ............................................................... 104 Change of Ownership ....................................................................................................................... 106 Vessel Registration ........................................................................................................................... 107 New Vessel Identification Requirements ......................................................................................... 108 Guidelines for Vessel Measurements ............................................................................................... 109 Fishing Vessel Safety ....................................................................................................................... 111 Pacific Region Licence Appeal Board (PRLAB) ............................................................................. 115 * The list of categories above is a reflection of commercial and communal commercial licences within each fleet. Licences that reflect an F in front of the prefix (e.g., FL) are communal commercial licences. 3 Purpose The purpose of this reference document is to provide the commercial fishing industry, and any others who may have an interest, with an overview of the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) licensing rules and policies for commercial fisheries within the Pacific Region. DFO should be consulted for all purposes of interpreting and applying these policies. All persons making use of this reference document are reminded that it has no official sanction and its contents may change without prior notice. Please note that the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans retains complete discretion to approve an exception to these rules/policies. A Commercial Fishing Licence A fishing licence is a document or instrument by which the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, pursuant to authority under Section 7 of the Fisheries Act, has an absolute discretion to either issue or authorize to be issued fishing licenses which grant permission to an individual, company or First Nation to engage in the harvest of a certain species or any other activity related to fishing, subject to certain conditions attached to the licence. A licence is in no sense a permanent authority to fish; the vessel owner or licence eligibility holder essentially acquires a limited fishing privilege rather than any kind of absolute or permanent right. 4 Pacific Region Licence Terminology Communal Commercial Licences – Referred to as Category F licences, communal commercial licences have been relinquished from the commercial fishing fleet through the Allocation Transfer Program (ATP) or the Pacific Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative (PICFI) and are allocated to First Nations through an agreement between the ATP/PICFI and the First Nation. Communal commercial licences are party based with the First Nation identified as