Fishery General

This North Atlantic right whale (NARW) Vigilance Advisory is to inform you that North Atlantic right whale(s) have been detected in the area of Conception Bay (Holyrood).  As per the 2026 fisheries management measures for the protection of North Atlantic right whale, this detection DOES NOT trigger a fishing prohibition.

We ask that harvesters fishing in the vicinity of this detection operate with heightened caution and maintain increased vigilance.

In the event of accidental contact between your vessel and/or fishing gear and any marine mammal, including a North Atlantic right whale, report the event to DFO using the Marine Mammal Interaction Reporting Form as specified under your conditions of licence and required under s.39 of the Marine Mammal Regulations of the Fisheries Act.

What to do if you see a North Atlantic right whale:

If you see a free-swimming North Atlantic right whale, report it as soon as possible (ideally the same day or shortly after) to: DFO.GLFWhales-BaleinesGLF.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca and include the following details in your report: 

•    GPS location (latitude and longitude) 
•    Date and time of the sighting 
•    Number of whales observed 
•    Behaviour (for example: feeding, travelling, diving) 
•    Description of animal, highlighting unique markings or features

If possible, photographs and video of the animal, especially of the tail, flukes, and flippers. Please ensure you are complying with the requirements of the Marine Mammal Regulations (minimum approach distances) and taking photos from a safe location using your camera’s zoom function.

If you see an injured, stranded, entangled or dead North Atlantic right whale, please contact:  

Whale Release and Strandings
1-888-895-3003
Email:  whales@nl.rogers.com

Be prepared to note: 
•    Date, time, and location (lat./long.) of animal 
•    Behaviours of the animal observed 
•    Entangling gear, if present 
•    Visible injuries 
 
Keep your distance and follow the Marine Mammal Regulations.

Do not touch or move an animal yourself because: 
•    you may accidentally harm it or yourself 
•    it may carry diseases that could transfer to you 
 
Please see Watching marine wildlife for more information.

Notices to Fish Harvesters for all commercial fisheries are available online in the Fishery Notices section of the DFO Newfoundland and Labrador Region webpage at Newfoundland and Labrador Region.

If you would like to have all Notices to Fish Harvesters for commercial fisheries sent to you directly by email, please contact: NLPRI@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

DFO wishes to remind harvesters that Section 61 of the Fisheries Act requires all fishing logs to be completed and submitted to DFO. Please refer to the requirements set out in Schedule 4 of the 2026 commercial fishing licence.

Instructions on how to complete a general log can be found with examples at the beginning of the general logbook.  For further information and questions, harvesters can contact the Email as per Fisher Homeports below.

Logbooks must be returned to the appropriate Area Office according to your homeport.

The addresses for the area offices are as follows:

Homeports in NAFO Division 3L
(Newtown, Bonavista Bay to Point Lance)
Area Statistics Office
Client Service Centre
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
P.O. Box 5667
St. John’s NL A1C 5X1
mailto:AreaStats-StJohns@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
StatsSecteur-StJohns@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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Homeports in NAFO Divisions 2G, 2H, 2J
(Cape Chidley to Lodge Bay)
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
P.O. Box 7003, STN C
Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL A0P 1C0
mailto:AreaStats-GrandFalls@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
StatsSecteur-GrandFalls@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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Homeports in NAFO Divisions  3K
( Belle Isle to Cape Freels South)
Area Statistics Office
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
4A Bayley Street, Suite 200
Grand Falls – Windsor, NL A2A 2T5
mailto:AreaStats-GrandFalls@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
StatsSecteur-GrandFalls@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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Homeports in NAFO Divisions 3PS, 3PN, & 4R
(St. Brides to Noddy Bay & L’Anse Au Claire to Cape St. Charles)
Area Statistics Office
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
1 Regent Square
Corner Brook, NL A2H 7K6
mailto:AreaStats-CornerBrook@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
StatsSecteur-CornerBrook@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Notices to Fish Harvesters for all commercial fisheries are available online in the Fishery Notices section of the DFO Newfoundland and Labrador Region webpage at Newfoundland and Labrador Region.

If you would like to have all Notices to Fish Harvesters for commercial fisheries sent to you directly by email, please contact: NLPRI@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is conducting a comprehensive review of the Inshore Regulations and is inviting stakeholders to participate in upcoming engagement sessions.

The purpose of this review is to gather perspectives on the current regulations and better understand:
-    general concerns with the Inshore Regulations;
-    challenges experienced with the current implementation of the regulations and the benefits of having strong regulatory measures;
-    opportunities to improve the regulations; and
-    other issues participants consider important to the review.

The Newfoundland and Labrador engagement session will take place as follows:
-    Date: July 30, 2026 
-    Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
-    Venue: Sheraton Hotel (115 Cavendish Square, St. John’s, NL A1C 3K2)

Stakeholders who are unable to attend the St. John’s session in-person are encouraged to participate virtually in any of the following engagement sessions:

St. John’s, NL Session
Date: July 30, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Meeting link: https://encoreglobal.zoom.us/j/95885981144?pwd=pPWdSJzf5Z0ZJysdBoaXESxDMjndp7.1

Halifax, NS Session
Date: August 18, 2026
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Meeting link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87593363297

Saint John, NB Session
Date: August 20, 2026
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Meeting link: https://encoreglobal.zoom.us/j/98584410459?pwd=fyecSci81jLdz1wsYltsNxTxoFS50I.1

Charlottetown, PE Session
Date: August 25, 2026
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Meeting link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83819535608?pwd=8DSAiaZ4t5BGyBEWUuXwpaE0vwIINm.1

Moncton, NB Session (simultaneous interpretation available)
Date: August 27, 2026
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Meeting link: https://encoreglobal.zoom.us/j/92553042652?pwd=b7Fc2DTLH7Lguw5ONutp5eycWH1vzf.1

Quebec City, QC Session (simultaneous interpretation available)
Date: September 9, 2026
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Meeting link (EN): https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88357715891?pwd=OWyu5uJFaahKElGRoGNvR9wImDffw8.1
Meeting link (FR): https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82680244955?pwd=37aRmh3QGqII3XzYSR1vWlZdl3NiiC.1

For additional information on the review, including engagement materials, discussion topics, session details, and access to the questionnaire, visit: Comprehensive Review: Strengthening the Inshore Regulations.

Notices to Fish Harvesters for all commercial fisheries are available online in the Fishery Notices section of the DFO Newfoundland and Labrador Region webpage at Newfoundland and Labrador Region.

If you would like to have all Notices to Fish Harvesters for commercial fisheries sent to you directly by email, please contact: NLPRI@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is conducting a comprehensive review of the Inshore Regulations and is inviting stakeholders to participate in upcoming engagement sessions.

The purpose of this review is to gather perspectives on the current regulations and better understand:
- general concerns with the Inshore Regulations;
- challenges experienced with the current implementation of the regulations and the benefits of having strong regulatory measures;
- opportunities to improve the regulations; and
- other issues participants consider important to the review.

The Newfoundland and Labrador engagement session will take place as follows:
- Date: July 30, 2026
- Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Venue: Sheraton Hotel, 115 Cavendish Square, St. John’s, NL A1C 3K2
- Virtual Participation: Meeting link will be provided at a later date.

Stakeholders who are unable to attend the St. John’s session will also have opportunities to participate virtually in engagement sessions being held in other Atlantic Canadian locations and Quebec. Information on these alternative engagement opportunities will be shared at a later date.

For additional information on the review, including engagement materials, discussion topics, session details, and access to the questionnaire, visit: Comprehensive Review: Strengthening the Inshore Regulations.

As of April 8, 2026, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has been accepting Catch Certificate Signatory Requests through the National Online Licensing System (NOLS). The amended European Union (EU) Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) regulations, which came into force on January 10, 2026, require that certain fish and seafood products imported into the EU be accompanied by a catch certificate signed by the licence holder or vessel master—or by their duly authorized representative.

The EU requirement for a licence holder or vessel master to verify and sign the catch information on each catch certificate is intended to ensure that the information has been confirmed at its source by the harvester. In Canada, however, harvesters do not typically use the Fisheries Certificate System (FCS), which is designed as a traceability tool to support export certification. Because Canadian catch certificates for the EU are issued at the point of export, it is generally not feasible for all licence holders to sign each certificate prior to shipment—particularly during busy fishing seasons.
 
To address this, licence holders must formally authorize the applicant manager of the company that buys their catches, to sign catch certificates on their behalf. Applicant managers must be duly authorized by the licence holder to enter catch reports into catch certificate applications based on information they receive from the licence holder, and then to sign-off on these catch reports confirming that the information is a true representation of the licence holder’s catches. Foreign officials will only accept catch certificates if the signature appearing next to a licence holder’s catch report is the signature of the individual authorized to sign on their behalf.  

When a fisher authorizes an applicant manager from a buyer company, the authorization applies only to the act of signing the catch certificate. It does not grant any additional authority, permissions, or decision making rights to the applicant manager.

Fish harvesters are invited to participate in upcoming in-person engagement sessions on the development of the Canadian Ghost Gear Action Plan. These sessions will provide an opportunity to contribute meaningful input into the Action Plan’s development. Participation from fish harvesters is essential to ensure that any measures considered for implementation are both practical and effective.

March 17, 2026 9:00–11:00 a.m.  Motel Deer Lake, Deer Lake 
March 17, 2026 3:00–5:00 p.m.  Mount Peyton Hotel, Grand Falls-Windsor    
March 18, 2026 1:00–3:00 p.m.  Clarenville Inn, Clarenville 
March 19, 2026 1:00–3:00 p.m.  Hampton Inn & Suites, St. John's        
            
For more information or to register for these sessions, please contact DFO.GGNLRegion-EFRegiondeTNL.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca. Please indicate which session you would like to attend.

Notices to Fish Harvesters for all commercial fisheries are available online in the Fishery Notices section of the DFO Newfoundland and Labrador Region webpage at Newfoundland and Labrador Region.

If you would like to have all Notices to Fish Harvesters for commercial fisheries sent to you directly by email, please contact: NLPRI@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

DFO advises that in 2026, fishers will receive notification of all species quota reconciliation amounts both by mail and by email.

Beginning in 2027, all quota reconciliation notifications will be sent by email only.

Harvesters are reminded to ensure their contact information, including email address, is up to date in NOLS.

"Notices to Fish Harvesters" for all commercial fisheries are now available online under the Fishery Notices link on the DFO NL Region webpage at Newfoundland and Labrador Region.

If you would like to have all "Notices to Fish Harvesters" for commercial fisheries sent directly to you by email, please contact: NLPRI@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

As announced in Notice to Fishers nf.26.006, electronic Logbooks (ELOGs) will continue to be mandatory for Newfoundland and Labrador commercial lobster harvesters, the fulltime and mid-shore snow crab fleets, and Unit 1 redfish harvesters.   

DFO will hold virtual ELOG education sessions for harvesters in the above noted fisheries/fleets to review ELOG requirements and best practices, address common errors encountered during the 2025 season, and provide an opportunity for questions.  

Sessions will be held by NAFO area on the following dates:   

2J3K: Wednesday, February 11 at 10:00 am NST   
3L: Wednesday, February 11 at 2:00 pm NST
4R3P: Thursday, February 12 at 10:00 am NST 

Harvesters are requested to confirm their attendance by emailing Kailey.Noonan@dfo-mpo.gc.ca. Please include your fishery/fleet and specify the date and time of the session you wish to attend. Upon confirmation, a link to the virtual meeting will be provided.

"Notices to Fish Harvesters" for all commercial fisheries are now available online under the Fishery Notices link on the DFO NL Region webpage at Newfoundland and Labrador Region.

If you would like to have all "Notices to Fish Harvesters" for commercial fisheries sent directly to you by email, please contact: NLPRI@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

As announced in Notice to Fisher nf.26.006, electronic logbooks (ELOGs) will continue to be mandatory for Newfoundland and Labrador commercial lobster harvesters, the fulltime and mid-shore snow crab fleets, and Unit 1 Redfish harvesters.

DFO will hold virtual ELOG education sessions for harvesters in the above noted fisheries/fleets to review ELOG requirements and best practices, address common errors encountered during the 2025 season, and provide an opportunity for questions.

Sessions will be held by NAFO area on the following dates:

2J3K: Wednesday, February 11 at 10:00 am
3L: Wednesday, February 11 at 2:00 pm
4R3P: Thursday, February 12 at 10:00 am

Harvesters are requested to confirm their attendance by emailing kailey.noonan@dfo-mpo.gc.ca. Please include your fishery/fleet and specify the data and time of the session you wish to attend. Upon confirmation, a link to the virtual session will be provided.

"Notices to Fish Harvesters" for all commercial fisheries are now available online under the Fishery Notices link on the DFO NL Region webpage at Newfoundland and Labrador Region.

If you would like to have all "Notices to Fish Harvesters" for commercial fisheries sent directly to you by email, please contact: NLPRI@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) wishes to advise that an in-person Outreach Meeting will be held as follows.

NAFO Division 4R
Wednesday - February 11, 2026, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Northern Lights Inn - L’anse au Clair

These meetings are intended to provide inshore harvesters and other interested stakeholders an opportunity to engage in open dialogue regarding matters of concern related to the inshore fisheries.

For further information, please contact your local DFO office.

"Notices to Fish Harvesters" for all commercial fisheries are now available online under the Fishery Notices link on the DFO NL Region webpage at Newfoundland and Labrador Region.

If you would like to have all "Notices to Fish Harvesters" for commercial fisheries sent directly to you by email, please contact: NLPRI@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.