INTEGRATED EEL FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN EASTERN NEW BRUNSWICK AREA GULF REGION 2007–2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................1 1.1. Overview of the Fishery..........................................................................................1 1.2. Participants..............................................................................................................4 1.3. Location of the fishery ..........................................................................................10 1.4. Fishing seasons and minimum length ...................................................................15 1.5. Fishing methods ....................................................................................................15 1.6. Landings, value and market ..................................................................................16 1.7. Advisory process...................................................................................................19 1.8. Type of management.............................................................................................20 2. INTEGRATED ECOSYSTEM-BASED MANAGEMENT....................................21 3. SPECIES AT RISK ACT .........................................................................................22 4. STOCK STATUS REPORT.....................................................................................24 4.1. Biology, environment and habitat.........................................................................24 4.2. Species interactions...............................................................................................25 4.3. Stock assessment...................................................................................................26 4.4. Research................................................................................................................26 4.5. Outlook..................................................................................................................26 5. LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES ....................................................27 6. CONSERVATION-BASED MANAGEMENT MEASURES AND HARVESTING PLANS ...............................................................................................................................29 6.1. Conservation and sustainable fishing....................................................................29 6.2. Commercial fishery...............................................................................................29 6.3. Aboriginal fishery.................................................................................................29 6.4. Exploratory fishery...............................................................................................30 6.5. Recreational fishery..............................................................................................30 6.6. Aquaculture...........................................................................................................30 6.7. International fishery..............................................................................................30 6.8. Eel habitat.............................................................................................................30 7. CURRENT MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS ...........................................................31 7.1. Reporting of landings............................................................................................31 7.2. New Commercial and Recreational Eel Fishing Management Strategy to Reduce Eel Mortality by 50%......................................................................................................31 7.3. Increased fishing effort in the spear fishery and illegal commercial sales by recreational fishers ..........................................................................................................32 7.4. Leaders..................................................................................................................32 7.5. Gear Placement .....................................................................................................32 7.6. Limit on the amount of fishing gear in use ...........................................................33 7.7. Licence conditions................................................................................................33 7.8. Habitat Protection.................................................................................................34 8. DETAILED MANAGEMENT MEASURES ..........................................................35 8.1. Tagging and identification of gear........................................................................35 8.2. Bycatch..................................................................................................................35 8.3. Licences, gear and location of gear.......................................................................35 8.4. Minimum size.......................................................................................................35 8.5. Seasons..................................................................................................................35 8.6. Replacement licences in the longline fishery........................................................35 8.7. Limit on the amount of gear per licence ...............................................................35 8.8. Commercial eel fishing licences issued for the waters of Kouchibouguac National Park 35 8.9. Logbook ................................................................................................................36 ii 8.10. Recreational fishery...........................................................................................36 9. CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION PROGRAM AND STRATEGIES ........37 10. INDUSTRY RESPONSIBILITIES..........................................................................38 11. DFO ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES...............................................................39 12. BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................57 13. CONTRIBUTIONS..................................................................................................58 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 : Atlantic landings, 1990–2004 ...........................................................................................2 Table 2. Eastern New Brunswick Area landings, compared to Atlantic and New Brunswick landings, 1990–2004 ..............................................................................................3 Table 3 : Number of fishers, type of licence and amount of fishing gear by statistical district for Eastern New Brunswick, 2000 ...............................................................................4 Table 4. Number of fishers, type of licence and amount of fishing gear by watershed for Eastern New Brunswick, 2004 .................................................................................................5 Table 5. Profile of coastal licence holders by statistical district, 2000............................................6 Table 6. Profile of coastal licence holders by watershed, 2004 .......................................................6 Table 7. Number of licences for species other than eel held by coastal fishers, 2000.....................7 Table 8. Number of licences for species other than eel held by coastal fishers, 2004.....................7 Table 9. Amount of gear held by coastal fishers by statistical district (longline licences not included), 2000...................................................................................................................7 Table 10. Amount of gear held by coastal fishers by watershed (longline licences not included), 2004.........................................................................................................................8 Table 11. Number of licences issued, 1987–2004............................................................................9 Table 12. Potential commercial fishing effort by ecosystem, 2000 ...............................................10 Table 13. Potential commercial fishing effort by ecosystem, 2004 ...............................................13 iii Table 14. Landings and landed value (Eastern New Brunswick Area), 1994–1998 .....................17 Table 15. Landings and landed value (Eastern N.B. Area), 1999–2004........................................18 Table 16. Landings and landed value by statistical district, 1994–1998 .......................................18 Table 17. Landings and landed value by statistical district, 1999–2004 .......................................19 APPENDIXES Appendix 1. Map and Description of Watersheds .........................................................................42 Appendix 2. Map and description of statistical districts ................................................................46 Appendix 3. Model of fishing gear ................................................................................................47 Appendix 4. Eastern New Brunswick Eel Fishery Advisory Committee Members ......................48 Appendix 5. Licensing Policy for the Commercial Eel Fishery in the Gulf Region......................49 Appendix 6. Regulations governing the Eel Fishery in the Eastern New Brunswick Area...........50 Appendix 7. Scientific and Technical Publications .......................................................................52