INTEGRATED SMELT FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN EASTERN NEW BRUNSWICK AREA GULF REGION 2007–2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................1 BACKGROUND..................................................................................................................................1 1. OVERVIEW OF THE FISHERY ....................................................................................................2 1.1 Participants..............................................................................................................................2 1.2 Location of the fishery..........................................................................................................10 1.3 Fishing Seasons.....................................................................................................................17 1.4 Fishing methods....................................................................................................................17 1.5 Landings, value and market ..................................................................................................18 1.6 Advisory Process..................................................................................................................23 1.7 Type of management.............................................................................................................24 2. INTEGRATED ECOSYSTEM-BASED MANAGEMENT.........................................................25 3. SPECIES AT RISK ACT...............................................................................................................26 4. STOCK STATUS REPORT ..........................................................................................................28 4.1 Biology, environment and habitat.........................................................................................28 4.2 Species interactions...............................................................................................................29 4.3 Stock assessment...................................................................................................................29 4.4 Research................................................................................................................................29 5. LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES..........................................................................31 6. CONSERVATION-BASED MANAGEMENT MEASURES AND.......................................33 6.1 Conservation and sustainable fishing ...................................................................................33 6.2 Commercial fishery...............................................................................................................33 6.3 Aboriginal fishery.................................................................................................................33 6.4 Exploratory gear....................................................................................................................34 i 6.5 Recreational fishery..............................................................................................................34 6.6 Aquaculture...........................................................................................................................34 6.7 Smelt habitat.........................................................................................................................34 7. CURRENT MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS .................................................................................35 7.1 Stock status...........................................................................................................................35 7.2 Reporting of landings............................................................................................................35 7.3 Minimum mesh size..............................................................................................................35 7.4 Leaders..................................................................................................................................36 7.5 Gear performance..................................................................................................................36 7.6 Distance between fishing gear ..............................................................................................36 7.7 Gear placement at the start of the season..............................................................................37 7.8 Removal of gear from the water at the end of the season.....................................................37 7.9 Names for gear......................................................................................................................37 7.10 Open and close times of fishing seasons ...........................................................................38 7.11 Bycatch of striped bass, winter flounder and white hake..................................................38 7.12 Trout bycatch in ice fishing...............................................................................................39 7.13 Impact of other fisheries on the smelt fishery ...................................................................39 7.14 Sale of recreational catches ...............................................................................................39 7.15 Block issuance of replacement licences ............................................................................40 7.16 Licence conditions.............................................................................................................40 7.17 Increase in the maximum number of box nets and/or bag nets .........................................40 7.18 Habitat protection ..............................................................................................................41 7.19 Use of environmentally hazardous substances ..................................................................41 7.20 Degradation of spawning habitat.......................................................................................41 7.21 Representation on the advisory committee........................................................................42 ii 8. DETAILED MANAGEMENT MEASURES................................................................................43 8.1 Reporting of landings............................................................................................................43 8.2 Number and length of leaders...............................................................................................43 8.3 Distance between fishing gear ..............................................................................................43 8.4 Bycatch .................................................................................................................................43 8.5 Tagging and identification of fishing gear............................................................................43 8.6 Open and close times ............................................................................................................43 8.7 Removal of fishing gear from the water at the end of the season.........................................43 8.8 Issuance of replacement licences for licences held by full-time and core fishers using vessels over 50 feet .........................................................................................................................44 8.9 Issuance of licences that straddle two calendar years...........................................................44 8.10 Licences, gear and location of gear ...................................................................................44 8.11 Licensing policy for the issuance of replacement licences ...............................................44 8.12 Commercial smelt fishing licences for the waters of Kouchibouguac National Park....44 9. CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES......................45 10. INDUSTRY RESPONSIBILITIES..........................................................................................46 11. DFO ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES...............................................................................47 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..............................................................................................................................72 CONTRIBUTIONS............................................................................................................................73 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Number of fishers, type of licence and amount of gear by statistical district in Eastern New Brunswick, 2000...........................................................................................................................3 Table 2. Number of fishers, type of licence and amount of gear by watershed in Eastern New Brunswick, 2004...........................................................................................................................4 Table 3. Amount of gear (except for gill nets) by coastal fisher, by statistical district, 2000 ............5 iii Table 4. Amount of gear (except for gill nets) by coastal fisher, by watershed, 2004 .......................6 Table 5. Profile of coastal licence holders by statistical district, 2000...............................................7 Table 6. Profile of coastal licence holders by watershed, 2004..........................................................8