searun
Well-Known Member
Seems this was posted on an old thread and people are missing or not noticing the change and opportunity.
As background, in March, the SFAB and DFO requested a special meeting of the IPHC to secure a provision to allow Canada to increase the daily halibut retention to 3 fish under 90cm as a management measure that could be applied in the event it became clear (reviewing catch/creel data each month) we would not achieve using up our Recreational TAC due to lower fishing effort/catch related to Covid travel restrictions. The SFAB Halibut Committee met to review the available in-season catch monitoring data September 8th. There is a lag in receiving halibut creel data as it takes time to assemble data that comes in from across the various creel areas leading to a month lag in reports becoming available.
Based on the July data (latest available), in the September 8th meeting the SFAB recommended DFO implement the IPHC provision to allow increasing the under 90 cm choice option daily limit/possession limit to 3 under 90 cm. from the current 2 per day. The choice to retain only 1 over 90cm but under 133 remains in place.
This change simply allows people to go out and catch/retain a choice of 3 under 90cm (89,9cm) as a vehicle for increasing our use of the available TAC. So again the effect of the change is to increase our ability to retain as a choice fish under 90cm from the previous 2/day to 3/day/possession...but if you elect to use that choice (3 under 90cm), you are still not allowed to also retain a fish over 90cm on that trip or have those within that trip possession limit.
Here's the Fishery Notice:
Category(s):
RECREATIONAL - Fin Fish (Other than Salmon)
Fishery Notice - Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Subject: FN0910-Recreational - Fin Fish (Other than Salmon) - Halibut - In-season Update on Daily Limit
This Fishery Notice supersedes FN0296 to announce an increase to daily limit for halibut measuring under 90 cm in length. The updated Fishery Notice reads as follows:
For 2021, the recreational halibut fishery allocation is 914,750 pounds. The recreational halibut fishery is actively managed to stay within sector’s allocation and fishers should watch for subsequent Fishery Notices to announce potential in-season changes.
The following measures are in effect coast wide as noted below:
Open time:
Effective at 00:01 hours February 15, 2021, fishing for halibut was opened coast-wide until further notice (See Fishery Notice FN0133 and FN296).
Effective September 11, 2021 until December 31, 2021:
The daily and possession limit for halibut is EITHER of:
---- One (1) halibut measuring 90 cm to 133 cm in length (69 cm to 102 cm head-off),
OR
---- Three (3) halibut, each measuring under 90 cm in length (69 cm head-off).
No person shall retain a halibut greater than 133 cm head-on length (102 cm head-off).
Head-off measurements are made from the base of the pectoral fin at its most forward point to the extreme end of the middle of the tail.
Annual Limit:
No person shall catch and retain more than ten (10) halibut in the aggregate from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.
Licensing:
The 2021/22 Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence and Conditions of Licence will be in effect from April 1, 2021 until March 31, 2022.
All halibut retained by the licence holder between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022 shall be immediately recorded on the 2021/2022 Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence, or, if mobile access is immediately available, the licence holder may record catch in the National Recreational Licensing System. The area from which each halibut is caught and its head-on length shall immediately be recorded.
The exceptions to these openings are:
Areas 121: No person shall fish for or retain halibut, rockfish and lingcod in Area 121 outside the 12 nautical mile limit seaward of a line that begins at 48 degrees 34.000 minutes and 125 degrees 17.386 minutes W and continues south easterly at a bearing of 116 degrees True to a point at 48 degrees 28.327 minutes and 125 degrees 01.687 minutes W.
Areas 121: Closed to all finfish, year round in the waters of Swiftsure Bank. Those portions of Subareas 121-1 and 121-2 inside a line that begins at 48 degrees 34.000 minutes N and 125 degrees 06.000 minutes W, then true east to 48 degrees 34.000 minutes N and 124 degrees 54.200 minutes W, then southeasterly to the International Boundary, outer perimeter at 48 degrees 29.618 minutes N and 124 degrees 43.553 minutes W, then westerly following the International Boundary perimeter to 48 degrees 29.605 minutes N and 124 degrees 56.190 minutes W, then northwesterly to the beginning point.
Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA) and Glass Sponge Reef (GSR) closures remain in effect - refer to the following web pages for descriptions:
1)RCAs- http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/restricted-restreint-eng.html#rca
2)GSRs- http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/restricted-restreint-eng.html#sponge
Variation Order 2021-RFQ-0496 is in effect.
Anglers are reminded of the mandatory condition of licence for the release of rockfish; all anglers in vessels shall immediately return all rockfish that are not being retained to the water and to a similar depth from which they were caught by use of an inverted weighted barbless hook or other purpose-built descender device.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Greg Hornby (Regional Manager Recreational Fisheries) – Greg.Hornby@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Fisheries and Oceans Canada Operations Center - FN0910
Sent September 10, 2021 at 07:54
Visit us on the Web at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
If you would like to unsubscribe, please submit your request at: http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm?pg=manage_subscription
If you have any questions, please contact us via e-mail to: DFO.PACOpsCentre-CentredesOpsPAC.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
As background, in March, the SFAB and DFO requested a special meeting of the IPHC to secure a provision to allow Canada to increase the daily halibut retention to 3 fish under 90cm as a management measure that could be applied in the event it became clear (reviewing catch/creel data each month) we would not achieve using up our Recreational TAC due to lower fishing effort/catch related to Covid travel restrictions. The SFAB Halibut Committee met to review the available in-season catch monitoring data September 8th. There is a lag in receiving halibut creel data as it takes time to assemble data that comes in from across the various creel areas leading to a month lag in reports becoming available.
Based on the July data (latest available), in the September 8th meeting the SFAB recommended DFO implement the IPHC provision to allow increasing the under 90 cm choice option daily limit/possession limit to 3 under 90 cm. from the current 2 per day. The choice to retain only 1 over 90cm but under 133 remains in place.
This change simply allows people to go out and catch/retain a choice of 3 under 90cm (89,9cm) as a vehicle for increasing our use of the available TAC. So again the effect of the change is to increase our ability to retain as a choice fish under 90cm from the previous 2/day to 3/day/possession...but if you elect to use that choice (3 under 90cm), you are still not allowed to also retain a fish over 90cm on that trip or have those within that trip possession limit.
Here's the Fishery Notice:
Category(s):
RECREATIONAL - Fin Fish (Other than Salmon)
Fishery Notice - Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Subject: FN0910-Recreational - Fin Fish (Other than Salmon) - Halibut - In-season Update on Daily Limit
This Fishery Notice supersedes FN0296 to announce an increase to daily limit for halibut measuring under 90 cm in length. The updated Fishery Notice reads as follows:
For 2021, the recreational halibut fishery allocation is 914,750 pounds. The recreational halibut fishery is actively managed to stay within sector’s allocation and fishers should watch for subsequent Fishery Notices to announce potential in-season changes.
The following measures are in effect coast wide as noted below:
Open time:
Effective at 00:01 hours February 15, 2021, fishing for halibut was opened coast-wide until further notice (See Fishery Notice FN0133 and FN296).
Effective September 11, 2021 until December 31, 2021:
The daily and possession limit for halibut is EITHER of:
---- One (1) halibut measuring 90 cm to 133 cm in length (69 cm to 102 cm head-off),
OR
---- Three (3) halibut, each measuring under 90 cm in length (69 cm head-off).
No person shall retain a halibut greater than 133 cm head-on length (102 cm head-off).
Head-off measurements are made from the base of the pectoral fin at its most forward point to the extreme end of the middle of the tail.
Annual Limit:
No person shall catch and retain more than ten (10) halibut in the aggregate from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.
Licensing:
The 2021/22 Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence and Conditions of Licence will be in effect from April 1, 2021 until March 31, 2022.
All halibut retained by the licence holder between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022 shall be immediately recorded on the 2021/2022 Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence, or, if mobile access is immediately available, the licence holder may record catch in the National Recreational Licensing System. The area from which each halibut is caught and its head-on length shall immediately be recorded.
The exceptions to these openings are:
Areas 121: No person shall fish for or retain halibut, rockfish and lingcod in Area 121 outside the 12 nautical mile limit seaward of a line that begins at 48 degrees 34.000 minutes and 125 degrees 17.386 minutes W and continues south easterly at a bearing of 116 degrees True to a point at 48 degrees 28.327 minutes and 125 degrees 01.687 minutes W.
Areas 121: Closed to all finfish, year round in the waters of Swiftsure Bank. Those portions of Subareas 121-1 and 121-2 inside a line that begins at 48 degrees 34.000 minutes N and 125 degrees 06.000 minutes W, then true east to 48 degrees 34.000 minutes N and 124 degrees 54.200 minutes W, then southeasterly to the International Boundary, outer perimeter at 48 degrees 29.618 minutes N and 124 degrees 43.553 minutes W, then westerly following the International Boundary perimeter to 48 degrees 29.605 minutes N and 124 degrees 56.190 minutes W, then northwesterly to the beginning point.
Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA) and Glass Sponge Reef (GSR) closures remain in effect - refer to the following web pages for descriptions:
1)RCAs- http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/restricted-restreint-eng.html#rca
2)GSRs- http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/restricted-restreint-eng.html#sponge
Variation Order 2021-RFQ-0496 is in effect.
Anglers are reminded of the mandatory condition of licence for the release of rockfish; all anglers in vessels shall immediately return all rockfish that are not being retained to the water and to a similar depth from which they were caught by use of an inverted weighted barbless hook or other purpose-built descender device.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Greg Hornby (Regional Manager Recreational Fisheries) – Greg.Hornby@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Fisheries and Oceans Canada Operations Center - FN0910
Sent September 10, 2021 at 07:54
Visit us on the Web at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
If you would like to unsubscribe, please submit your request at: http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm?pg=manage_subscription
If you have any questions, please contact us via e-mail to: DFO.PACOpsCentre-CentredesOpsPAC.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
