New Management Measures for the Recreational Harvest of Shrimps and Prawns

[IronNoggin]

New Management Measures for the Recreational Harvest of Shrimps and Prawns

Implementing New Management Measures for the Recreational Harvest of Shrimps and Prawns Combined in BC Tidal Waters

Issue

The recreational daily limit for all Shrimps, including Prawn has not changed since 1996. A series of precautionary measures have been implemented by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in the prawn and shrimp by trap fishery for all sectors in support of conservation and sustainable management. The effort in harvesting Prawns by the recreational sector has increased significantly over the last 20 years.

To support the overall sustainability of the prawn fishery, DFO is implementing a reduced daily limit and possession limit for all Shrimp species, including Prawn, which will be in effect April 1, 2020.

Background

DFO recognizes the importance of the fishery resource to all who depend on it for their sustenance, livelihood and recreation. The Department’s role is to manage the fishery resource with a cautious approach to ensure the sustainability of Canada’s fisheries into the future.

The Department regularly reviews the management measures it has in place for fisheries to ensure they are relevant to current conditions and objectives. In recent years, DFO Fisheries Management has been making adjustments to how the prawn fishery is managed under a conservation framework guided by the Prawn and Shrimp by trap Integrated Fisheries Management Plan for all sectors in support of conservation and sustainable management. While interest and participation in recreational fishing has increased significantly in recent years, numerous features of the recreational management regime for recreational prawn fisheries have not changed in decades. The new recreational limits for these fisheries are intended to respond to changes in fishing effort as part of the precautionary approach DFO takes to ensure sustainability of the fishery.

Over the last several decades, Prawn harvest has become an increasingly valuable and important part of BC’s fisheries, placing increased pressure on the resource. The commercial Prawn harvest is one of the most valuable fisheries in BC and First Nations are harvesting Prawn in increasing numbers for Food-Social-Ceremonial (FSC) purposes, often using commercial gear. The recreational harvest of Prawns has grown, with increasing effort, increasing interest and advances in fishing gear and equipment (e.g. fish finders, chart plotters, power trap haulers). The daily limit has been in place since 1996 and has been viewed as unreasonably high, as it was an arbitrary number when adopted. Concerns about the recreational daily limit have been raised by First Nations, commercial harvesters and DFO through annual consultations. This has made efforts to manage First Nations harvest of prawn for FSC purposes challenging.

In recent years, DFO Fisheries Management has been making justments to how the Prawn fishery is managed, for all sectors, to respond to changes in prawn fisheries. All sectors involved in fishing (First Nations Food-Social-Ceremonial (FSC), Recreational, Commercial) share a responsibility to manage fisheries resources. This includes adopting sustainable fishing practices and the implementation of new management measures. Some recent examples of new management measures in the Prawn fishery include: - The requirement, starting in 2014, for all commercial Prawn vessels to have a DFO-approved Vessel Monitoring System and a system to notify DFO and the service provider every time gear is set or hauled. - The requirement, starting in 2014, for all commercial Prawn vessels to release any egg bearing female Prawn, immediately, with the least harm possible. - The requirement, starting in 2016, for a supplemental licence when using commercial gear and vessels to fish for Prawns for FSC purposes. - The requirement, starting in 2017, for all commercial Prawn vessels to remove their fishing gear within 3 days of notification of the closure of the fishery (from 7 days), reducing commercial fishing effort by 4 days in a 35-40 day fishery. - The requirement, starting in 2018, for all recreational harvesters to release any egg bearing female Prawn, immediately, with the least harm possible. - (Complete list in Appendix 1)

DFO recognizes the efforts of the Sport Fishing Advisory Board (SFAB) to support some of the existing management measures such as the release of all Prawns carrying eggs by the recreational fishing sector and seasonal area closures in key South Coast areas. The Department has consulted with the SFAB on the issue of daily limits for the past four years and more extensively in the past year to develop proposals. The SFAB recommended a smaller reduction to 170 per day in South Coast waters and no change in North Coast waters and has suggested that a reduction in the daily limit amounts to a reallocation to other sectors. While the daily limit does not restrict the total catch of the whole fishery, it can help in limiting effort in recreational fisheries that consist of numerous and often dispersed operations that might otherwise be difficult to limit. The reduction in the daily limit for recreationally caught prawn is considered a longer-term sustainable management measure that can be applied coast wide.

Management Changes

Starting April 1, 2020, the daily recreational limit for all Shrimps, including Prawn, will be reduced to 125 (aggregate limit). This applies coast wide.

The combined possession limit for all Shrimps including Prawn, will remain at 2 times the daily limit, which is 250 (aggregate limit).

.................................................. .................................................. ..

Despite DFO's assertions to the contrary, the SFAB was not properly consulted, nor do they support this change. The only way they would do so has been noted under the condition that ALL sectors took the same amount of cuts (percentage). That is not occurring.

It is the opinion of many involved (including myself) this is simply a reallocation of the resource to FN's in the name of "reconciliation".

Stay tuned for much more of the same...

Nog

[Jack Russell]

Same old story - cut recreational allocation. Happened to salmon, then ground fish, now shellfish. Government carries on as it always has by looking after their only two "clients".

[Walking Buffalo]

Same old story - cut recreational allocation. Happened to salmon, then ground fish, now shellfish. Government carries on as it always has by looking after their only two "clients".

This needs to sound like a broken record until fixed.
Start singing the tune....

Stop refering to non-Indigenous consumptive use of wildlife as "Recreational".
ALL hunting, fishing, trapping by Every person is for FOOD, Social and Ceremonial purposes.
Demand that your Hunting/Fishing organization sings the same song, demanding the government change the wording within legislation.

[boxhitch]

Rather pointless if the enforcement isn't there for control, poachers will continue to over-harvest like they do oysters and abalone
Certain culprits have been known to carry on their harvest as they did in their home country, whether for home or restaurant tables.

[Jack Russell]

This needs to sound like a broken record until fixed.
Start singing the tune....

Stop refering to non-Indigenous consumptive use of wildlife as "Recreational".
ALL hunting, fishing, trapping by Every person is for FOOD, Social and Ceremonial purposes.
Demand that your Hunting/Fishing organization sings the same song, demanding the government change the wording within legislation.

I get what you're saying, but its getting old being forced by uneducated and detached metro-apologists to utilize specific words to avoid attaching ill conceived thoughts. As an example, you can't say sportfishing without having the preservationist, non angling citified crew go ballistic and charge us with animal harrassment. Its bizarre. We can still fish selectively, and release fish, until we can keep a legal fish (clipped fish for example).

In this day and age of DIY, and an increased knowledge of the value of whole natural and unprocessed foods, its ironic that hunting, fishing and shellfish gathering is looked down upon with such disdain by the what sounds and appears to be by their very own derogatory comments, the elite of the world (aka vegetarians)

[Walking Buffalo]

Jack,

To be sure you get what I'm saying I'll just say it.

The reason we must shed this "recreational" label, and have legislation amended, is for Legal standing.

Harvesting wild food is an inherent right for ALL humans, not just a selected few.
Even the UN is working on a new policy to make it so in International law, Food as a Human Right.

We must stop allowing governments to call the exercising of basic human rights as simply "recreational".
As you noted, anti-hunting and fishing advocates have taken to torching the weak legal status of the term "recreational".

Don't be stubborn just to be stubborn.
To re-enforce within law that it is your Natural Human right to be able to fish, hunt, pick mushrooms and berries, stop describing your actions as recreational or as a sport.

[limit time]

Jack,

To be sure you get what I'm saying I'll just say it.

The reason we must shed this "recreational" label, and have legislation amended, is for Legal standing.

Harvesting wild food is an inherent right for ALL humans, not just a selected few.
Even the UN is working on a new policy to make it so in International law, Food as a Human Right.

We must stop allowing governments to call the exercising of basic human rights as simply "recreational".
As you noted, anti-hunting and fishing advocates have taken to torching the weak legal status of the term "recreational".

Don't be stubborn just to be stubborn.
To re-enforce within law that it is your Natural Human right to be able to fish, hunt, pick mushrooms and berries, stop describing your actions as recreational or as a sport.

I’ve always felt this way. Hunting, fishing, picking and guns, are a right . They are not sports, hobbies or a privilege. (Imo)

[Spy]

Now you start undertaking why I say hunting is not a “sport” stop labeling shir it’s fishing for food not “recreational”
This is Canada why the **** does my “white” kid have less rights than a native kid?

[Husky7mm]

This needs to sound like a broken record until fixed.
Start singing the tune....

Stop refering to non-Indigenous consumptive use of wildlife as "Recreational".
ALL hunting, fishing, trapping by Every person is for FOOD, Social and Ceremonial purposes.
Demand that your Hunting/Fishing organization sings the same song, demanding the government change the wording within legislation.

Thats a great idea. When on earth have non indigenous people stepped away from hunting, fishing and gathering long enough that it is not part of our culture? Never, but we are the first to get shut out every time. People need to take a stand.

[Salty]

I never kept my limit under the existing quotas of 200 prawns per day per licence unless I had company or something or someone to give them to. I don't keep limits just because, I keep what I can eat. I don't think any one will starve on 125 prawns PDPL. But I do recognise the thumbs down threads quota must be met around here and all the other forums, its all that's posted any more; as just about everyone drifts away from the endless negativity. :???:

[HappyJack]

Thats a great idea. When on earth have non indigenous people stepped away from hunting, fishing and gathering long enough that it is not part of our culture? Never, but we are the first to get shut out every time. People need to take a stand.

If you look at the number of licenses sold vs the population I'd say the vast majority have stepped away from their culture and have embraced buying meat, fish and berries from the company stores. People that fish and toss them all back aren't fishing for food, they are fishing for recreation are they not?

[wideopenthrottle]

how much would the old limit look like in a 5 gal pail almost a full 5 gal bucket?

last time i went 3 of us split the catch and had about 1/2 a 5 gal pail each...maybe 3 meals worth including the squat lobster (lagostinas?) once cleaned up.

[Husky7mm]

If you look at the number of licenses sold vs the population I'd say the vast majority have stepped away from their culture and have embraced buying meat, fish and berries from the company stores. People that fish and toss them all back aren't fishing for food, they are fishing for recreation are they not?
We are fortunate to be able to practise catch and release with fishing if stocks are low, not so much with hunting....
The point being it should be our fundamental right to hunt and fish and gather equally in this country, it has ALWAYS been a part of our culture.

[Islandeer]

Consider that on Vancouver Island early immigrants were hunters and fisherman. Many also foraged for mushrooms and natural herbs etc. They brought their traditional, cultural and ceremonial practices from other cultures across the seas. These traditions were shared by elders with younger members of their family units. This transfer of knowledge was not passed on a piece of paper, it was done orally, passed down by those with the valuable life experiences.

Here is where it gets interesting, this sharing of traditional hunter gatherer knowledge did not just start upon getting off a boat in Nanaimo or Victoria. It defies logic to think it could have. So where did all of this critical cultural knowledge come from and how far back could these hunter gatherer traditional oral accounts go?

My feeling is that the all hunter gatherers are linked to the ancients, we have to be, that is why we survived and are here.

The obvious take away from my rant here is that white people too have oral histories that go far far back in time.
We too have always hunted...

[wideopenthrottle]

some of the immigrant traditions and methods were also adopted by the native people here....one of my best friends growing up was icelandic. his Dad (Helgi Thorvaldson) spent about a decade teaching natives in NW Ontario and northern Manitoba how to ice fish with nets through the ice...it is now considered "traditional"


Consider that on Vancouver Island early immigrants were hunters and fisherman. Many also foraged for mushrooms and natural herbs etc. They brought their traditional, cultural and ceremonial practices from other cultures across the seas. These traditions were shared by elders with younger members of their family units. This transfer of knowledge was not passed on a piece of paper, it was done orally, passed down by those with the valuable life experiences.

Here is where it gets interesting, this sharing of traditional hunter gatherer knowledge did not just start upon getting off a boat in Nanaimo or Victoria. It defies logic to think it could have. So where did all of this critical cultural knowledge come from and how far back could these hunter gatherer traditional oral accounts go?

My feeling is that the all hunter gatherers are linked to the ancients, we have to be, that is why we survived and are here.

The obvious take away from my rant here is that white people too have oral histories that go far far back in time.
We too have always hunted...

[Jack Russell]

If you look at the number of licenses sold vs the population I'd say the vast majority have stepped away from their culture and have embraced buying meat, fish and berries from the company stores. People that fish and toss them all back aren't fishing for food, they are fishing for recreation are they not?

Consider it like "going to the range", gotta stay sharp for when the apocalypse occurs.....:-)

[Walking Buffalo]

some of the immigrant traditions and methods were also adopted by the stone age people here....one of my best friends growing up was icelandic. his Dad (Helgi Thorvaldson) spent about a decade teaching natives in NW Ontario and northern Manitoba how to ice fish with nets through the ice...it is now considered "traditional"

This would be a fascinating and historically important read.

[HappyJack]

We are fortunate to be able to practise catch and release with fishing if stocks are low, not so much with hunting....
The point being it should be our fundamental right to hunt and fish and gather equally in this country, it has ALWAYS been a part of our culture.

I tend to agree with you, perhaps the way to equality is to use the courts like others have to nail down our rights? I suppose to deny open access to hunting/fishing/gathering/trapping is a violation of basic human rights?

[wideopenthrottle]

This would be a fascinating and historically important read. he was actually born in canada to some of the original gimli manitoba residents who came from iceland (perhaps a 3rd gen?) IIRC and died in 2012 at 87 but told me about it when i was a kid..he was being paid by the government so there must be some record of it...they were trying to provide industry/source of income and food to the northern natives as life was pretty harsh in that part of the country (late winter starvation was all too common)..ill dig with google a bit if you need proof

[Husky7mm]

some of the immigrant traditions and methods were also adopted by the stone age people here....one of my best friends growing up was icelandic. his Dad (Helgi Thorvaldson) spent about a decade teaching natives in NW Ontario and northern Manitoba how to ice fish with nets through the ice...it is now considered "traditional"

Interesting... a lot of people, including first nations forget that horses were not part of the first nation tradition/culture as well.

[wideopenthrottle]

Interesting... a lot of people, including first nations forget that horses were not part of the first nation tradition/culture as well.

SORRY FOR THE DERAIL NOG

i have just spent most of the afternoon reading up on the icelanders in north central canada (gimli manitoba area)...for something so critical to life (fishing in winter) there is few mentions of it... it is possible he was reteaching them lost knowledge based on claims ive read suggesting natives and icelanders traded fishing techniques but it was the natives who taught the icelanders to use nets under the ice...funny how oral history (what Helgi told me) can differ from written history...very interesting how the area given to the iclanders was called the icelandic reserve.

in my reading i was appalled by the number of inacuracies...one link claimed northern ojibwa didnt grow veggies when i just read an account of them doing just that.....another fact sheet doesnt even get the species of fish a guy in a picture is holding right...

i did find this short book an interesting read also a blurb on fishing below

https://skemman.is/bitstream/1946/6365/1/Sigr%C3%BAn%20Brynd%C3%ADs-lokaeintak.pdf


(https://skemman.is/bitstream/1946/6365/1/Sigr%C3%BAn%20Brynd%C3%ADs-lokaeintak.pdf)https://www.nps.gov/fora/learn/education/indian-fishing-and-hunting.htm

[limit time]

some of the immigrant traditions and methods were also adopted by the native people here....one of my best friends growing up was icelandic. his Dad (Helgi Thorvaldson) spent about a decade teaching natives in NW Ontario and norther
n Manitoba how to ice fish with nets through the ice...it is now considered "traditional"

I have family from Iceland, they immigrated to Hecla Island. They lived on that island till the government took the land without compensation and turned it into a park.

[limit time]

SORRY FOR THE DERAIL NOG

i have just spent most of the afternoon reading up on the icelanders in north central canada (gimli manitoba area)...for something so critical to life (fishing in winter) there is few mentions of it... it is possible he was reteaching them lost knowledge based on claims ive read suggesting natives and icelanders traded fishing techniques but it was the natives who taught the icelanders to use nets under the ice...funny how oral history (what Helgi told me) can differ from written history...very interesting how the area given to the iclanders was called the icelandic reserve.

in my reading i was appalled by the number of inacuracies...one link claimed northern ojibwa didnt grow veggies when i just read an account of them doing just that.....another fact sheet doesnt even get the species of fish a guy in a picture is holding right...

i did find this short book an interesting read also a blurb on fishing below

https://skemman.is/bitstream/1946/6365/1/Sigr%C3%BAn%20Brynd%C3%ADs-lokaeintak.pdf


(https://skemman.is/bitstream/1946/6365/1/Sigr%C3%BAn%20Brynd%C3%ADs-lokaeintak.pdf)https://www.nps.gov/fora/learn/education/indian-fishing-and-hunting.htm

My grandpa is Ojibwa and he also lived on Hecla with his mom dad brothers and sisters. When my grandpa wasn’t able to drive anymore, he gave me his custom license plate that says Hecla.

[wideopenthrottle]

My grandpa is Ojibwa and he also lived on Hecla with his mom dad brothers and sisters. When my grandpa wasn’t able to drive anymore, he gave me his custom license plate that says Hecla.

did you read the story in the first link....the ojibwa in that area seem like they were incredible people...survivors..something to be very proud of.

[Opinionated Ol Phart]

WTF--- hijacked the whole thread !!!! Get back on topic-- what are WE going to do about getting kicked in the azz again by DFO ?? Roll over and take it ???

[limit time]

WTF--- hijacked the whole thread !!!! Get back on topic-- what are WE going to do about getting kicked in the azz again by DFO ?? Roll over and take it ???

What are YOU going to do ol phart?

[Opinionated Ol Phart]

I have written DFO and the Minister to let them know this action, along with the way we have been hit by other stupid non-conservation regulations ( Clams, Oysters, salmon etc) is nothing more than a reallocation to the commercial and FN fisheries and I have discussed the issue with my MP to get my objections heard ...And you ? https://islandfishermanmagazine.com/recreational-prawning-regulations-change-in-2020/