Fishery General

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans would like to advise that in-person Outreach meetings will be held throughout the Region in the coming weeks.

The intent of these meetings is to provide inshore harvesters and other interested stakeholders an opportunity to discuss matters of concern with respect to the various inshore fisheries.

The meeting schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, November 12, 2024 – Bonavista, Fire Hall: 6:00–8:00pm

Wednesday, November 13, 2024 – Winterton, Recreation Department: 10:00am–12:00pm

Wednesday, November 13, 2024 - Carbonear, Seniors Building: 3:00-5:00pm

Thursday, November 14, 2024 – Riverhead, Royal Canadian Legion : 10:00am-12:00pm

Thursday, November 14, 2024 – Petty Harbour, Petty Harbour CO-OP: 6:00–8:00pm

Wednesday, November 20, 2024 - Twillingate, Lions Club: 10:00am-12:00pm

Wednesday, November 20, 2024 - La Scie, La Scie Recreation Center: 6:00-8:00pm

Monday, December 9, 2024 - Greenspond, Town of Greenspond: 3:00-5:00pm

Tuesday, December 10, 2024 - Fogo, Anglican Church Hall (Centre Island): 10:00am-12:00pm

A meeting for St. Anthony and Roddickton Areas will be scheduled at a later date.

"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: miranda.pryor@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans would like to advise that  in-person Outreach meetings to discuss the proposed five-year Whalesafe Gear Strategy will be held on the following dates and locations:  

Hampton Inn, St. John’s,  November 12th,  3-5pm
Clarenville Inn, Clarenville, November 13th, 10am-12pm
Albatross Hotel, Gander, November 14th, 10am-12pm 
Quality Inn, Corner Brook, November 15th, 10am-12pm.

The intent of these meetings is for DFO to provide an overview of the proposed five-year Whalesafe Gear Strategy and to offer harvesters an opportunity to provide their input.

Please note that additional sessions may be scheduled at a later date.

"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 Miranda.Pryor@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) invites you to participate in the Ghost Gear Program’s Gear Management Survey. 

DFO is seeking to evaluate public knowledge of ghost gear (abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear) and gather feedback on future plans, measures and tools to prevent and address ghost gear. We invite you to fill out the survey online to have your voice heard.

The survey is available online at:  Share and view ideas: Ghost Gear Program’s Gear Management Survey

The survey opened on October 28, 2024 and will close on November 30, 2024.

Questions or comments can be sent to DFO.GGProgram-ProgrammeEF.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca . 

Thank you for your participation and interest in addressing Ghost Gear in Canada.

"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 Miranda.Pryor@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 2024 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

____________________________________________________________________

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

___________________________________________________________________

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

____________________________________________________________________

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 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: miranda.pryor@dfo-mpo/gc.ca

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador - May 7, 2024 

As Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, I am committed to safeguarding Canada’s aquatic resources and maximizing the benefits they provide to Canadians. 

Accurate information on the resources that are being harvested from the sea is critical to making sound resource management decisions that will improve long-term benefits for coastal communities. Failing to report or misreporting the quantity of fish and seafood being removed from our waters can be a contributor to declining stocks and undermines economic stability and the livelihoods of law-abiding fish harvesters. 

We know that fisheries is a vital sector of our economy. By way of illustration, according to current data, the 2021 inshore lobster fishery landed value exceeding 2 billion dollars. While the use of cash in the sale is not illegal, landings or revenues that are not reported/declared, and which often involve cash transactions, are illegal. Our government is committed to fight the underground economy wherever it exists. From my many visits to the field over the past few months, I know that this issue is at the heart of the priorities of many stakeholders, both in the catching and processing sector.

This is why my department is working closely with federal and provincial counterparts, including the Canada Revenue Agency and Public Safety Canada, to protect Canada’s fisheries interests through the detection and deterrence of unreported cash sales and landings with a current focus on the Atlantic and Quebec fisheries. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is also modernizing tools and methods to facilitate the provision of catch data by harvesters and to monitor fisheries, notably through the progressive implementation of electronic logbooks (ELOGS).

DFO uses its authorities under the Fisheries Act and the regulations to require accurate reporting from harvesters and those purchasing their landings for commercial purposes. In order to verify compliance with these requirements, DFO’s enforcement program uses a wide range of tools as part of a risk-based, intelligence-led compliance program.

The public can also assist the Department’s work to disrupt and prevent illegal activity by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, Poaching Alert 1-800-463-9057 (Quebec), or DFO Offices toll-free: Contact Fisheries and Oceans Canada: Report a fisheries violation (dfo-mpo.gc.ca)

DFO reminds harvesters that the following Marine Conservation Areas remain closed:

Hatton Basin Conservation Area

Hopedale Saddle Closure

Hawke Channel Closure

Funk Island Deep Closure

Northeast Newfoundland Slope Closure

Division 3O Coral Closure

Gilbert Bay Marine Protected Area

Eastport Marine Protected Area

Laurentian Channel Marine Protected Area

These areas have varying fisheries restrictions/prohibitions.

More information on the details of these conservation measures can be found at:

(English) Canada’s marine protected and conserved areas  

(French) Aires marines protégées et conservées du Canada  

"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: miranda.pryor@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans would like to advise in-shore harvesters and other interested stakeholders that there is an outreach meeting in St. Anthony scheduled for Thursday, April 11, 2024, from 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. at the Lions Club.

The intent of these meetings is to provide inshore harvesters and other interested stakeholders an opportunity to discuss matters of concern with respect to the various inshore fisheries.

"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: miranda.pryor@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

DFO advises Newfoundland and Labrador Seal harvesters that the Commercial and Personal Use Seal fishery will re-open in Sealing Areas 4 to 23 and Sealing Areas 25 to 27 at 0600 hours on April 8, 2024.

Commercial Seal harvesters based in the Front have access to the Gulf and commercial Seal harvesters based in the Gulf have access to the Front.

Commercial Seal harvesters are advised to check with their buyers to confirm a market for their Seals before going Sealing.

Seal harvesters are reminded that licences and licence conditions are available through DFO's National Online Licencing System.

Additionally, all Commercial and Personal Use Sealers are reminded that landings must be hailed in daily, as per licence conditions.

The Regional Director General, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador Region gives notice that Variation Order 2024-008 has been revoked and Variation Order 2024-013 is in effect as of March 28, 2024.

"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: miranda.pryor@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans would like to advise in-shore harvesters and other interested stakeholders that there is an outreach meeting in Harbour Breton scheduled for Thursday, March 21, 2024, from 9:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. at the Harbour Breton Lion's Club.

The intent of these meetings is to provide inshore harvesters and other interested stakeholders an opportunity to discuss matters of concern with respect to the various inshore fisheries.

"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: miranda.pryor@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans would like to advise in-shore harvesters and other interested stakeholders that there is an outreach meeting in Burgeo scheduled for Tuesday, March 19, 2024, from 12:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M. at the Burgeo Haven Dining Room.

The intent of these meetings is to provide inshore harvesters and other interested stakeholders an opportunity to discuss matters of concern with respect to the various inshore fisheries.

"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: miranda.pryor@dfo-mpo.gc.ca