Wild clam traceability conditions of licence
Did you know
As a licence holder, there are certain Conditions of Licence Footnote 1 which must be met in order to ensure the safe, sustainable and responsible use of harvested product. It is the responsibility of individuals to be informed of, and comply with, the Fisheries Act, Safe Food for Canadians Act and the Regulations made thereunder, in addition to the conditions of licence.
Compliance with regulations and conditions of licence helps to ensure the traceability of shellfish product from ‘beach to plate’. Answering the 4 - Ws of harvesting is key to ensuring that a robust traceability system is in place which helps to guarantee the safety of harvested product for consumers and safeguard a prosperous fishery for harvesters.
Who
Who is harvesting
- Harvesters are reminded that they need a valid Fisher’s Registration Card (FRC) and commercial licence to participate in openings and must carry these along with valid government issued photo identification (ID ).
- Only a valid licence holder may harvest shellfish.
- Harvesters are also reminded of the condition of their licence that they must wear a high visibility vest with licence number marked on it.
What
What species is it
- Harvesters are reminded that all containers holding shellfish shall be tagged with the following information:
- Licence number, harvest date, licence holder's name, beach or location where harvesting occurred, the PFMA Subarea and species.
- Tags shall be waterproof and information written in water resistant ink.
- No container shall remain untagged during transport to market sale or a wet storage location in preparation for market sale.
Where
Where are you harvesting
- Harvesters are reminded that if harvesting shellfish for commercial purposes you may only harvest in open and approved areas.
- Approved areas are indicated in green on the maps accessed through the following website address
- The website app is called SHELLI or Shellfish Harvesting Map. The maps will work on a computer or smart phone.
- Before you head out to harvest, look at the map to ensure you are harvesting in the green areas and that there are no marine biotoxin (PSP/red tide, ASP, DSP) closures in place.
When
When are you harvesting
- Harvesters are responsible for checking Fishery Notices for Commercial Openings and Bivalve Shellfish Marine Biotoxin Updates.
- Shellfish harvesters are advised to monitor weather conditions and warnings to plan harvesting activities accordingly and should contact respective buyers and processors prior to the fishery to ensure their product will be purchased.
Reporting harvest
In addition to the recommendations to meet the 4 - Ws of harvesting, licence holders are reminded of the reporting requirements for the commercial clam fishery:
- Licence holders are required to report shellfish caught and retained under the authority of their licence on fish slips as per Section 8 of the Conditions of Licence .
- Licence holders shall ensure that the report is mailed to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Data Unit within seven days of product delivery to buyer.
- Fish slips may be downloaded free of charge, from the DFO website
Compliance ensures
- Shellfish are from an open and approved area
- Reliable tracking of product movement from the harvest area through to the consumer
- Harvested shellfish can be traced back to:
- Specific licence holder
- Harvest area
- Date of harvest
- In the case of an illness outbreak, biotoxin closure, or a contamination event, tags are a principle mechanism to trace shellfish back to their source and help to:
- Support public health and regulatory decisions (including closures)
- Support removal of product from distribution
- Support food illness outbreak investigations
What are risks of non-compliance
- Risk of being charged under the Fisheries Act
- Risk to shellfish market
- Risk to human health
- Risk to the sustainability of the wild resource
- Risk of loss of confidence in shellfish fishery from consumers and exporters
- Loss of confidence in industry compliance by DFO may lead to management changes and/or stricter enforcement of existing regulations by Fishery Officers
If you notice a violation, please use the Observe, Record & Report (Enforcement Line): 1 (800) 465 - 4336
- Date modified: