Fish stocking aquaculture licence under the Fisheries Act
licence conditions 2024

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1. Fish stocking aquaculture licence under the Fisheries Act
2. Part A. Definitions
3. Part B. General conditions of licence
   1. Production
   2. Management plan
   3. Transfer of fish
   4. Fish health and mortalities
   5. Escape prevention
   6. Release of fish
   7. Adult carcass disposal
   8. Predator control
   9. Records
   10. Reporting
4. Part C. Appendices
   • Appendix I: List of significant diseases
   • Appendix II: Brood summary information
   • Appendix II: Fish health information
   • Appendix IV: Fish transfer and release information summary form

Fish stocking aquaculture licence under the Fisheries Act

This licence is issued under the authority of the Fisheries Act and confers, subject to provisions of the Fisheries Act and Regulations made there under, the authority to carry out aquaculture activities including cultivation and harvest of fish and prescribed activities under the conditions included herein and/or attached hereto.

It is the responsibility of the licence holder to obtain all other forms of authorization from federal or provincial agencies that may have jurisdiction for marine finfish aquaculture facilities. As well, it is the licence holder's responsibility to be informed of, and comply with, the Fisheries Act and the regulations made there under, in addition to these conditions.

A copy of this licence shall be kept on site at the licensed facility and be available for inspection by a fishery officer or fishery guardian.

The above licence holder is authorized by this licence to carry out aquaculture activities at the following location and for the following species:

Required record keeping and reporting: Details are contained within the attached conditions of this licence.

Compliance advisory: No person carrying out any activity under the authority of this licence must contravene or fail to comply with any condition of this licence.

This licence includes further conditions that are included herein and/or attached hereto. These conditions form part of the licence and may not be removed.

Part A. Definitions

"Containment structures"

are structures used to contain finfish for the purposes of aquaculture;

"Department"

means the Department of Fisheries and Oceans;

"Evidence of escape"

includes cultivated fish that have not been released intentionally observed leaving the facility or observed outside the facility, or a significant decline in feed demand that is not otherwise explained, or inventory discrepancies that are not otherwise explained.

"Facility"

means the collective structures for the purposes of aquaculture including, but not limited to, buildings, tanks, raceways, ponds, settling ponds, wells and screens;

"Facility production plan"

means the facility production targets;

"Fish health event (FHE)"

means an active disease occurrence or a suspected infectious event on a farm that triggers an action, such as: lab work-up, recommendation/report, husbandry change, veterinary diagnosis or prescription medication, further investigation, etc. where such action is intended to reduce or mitigate impact and risk associated with that occurrence or event. FHEs do not include routine fish health sampling, surveillance or growth measurement activities;

"Health management plan (HMP)"

means a facility specific plan to manage fish health;

"Fish health veterinarian (FHV)"

means a veterinarian licensed in the Province of BC, on staff or on contract for the care of fish in aquaculture facility;

"Mortalities"

mean finfish that have died in the facility but does not include mortalities associated with harvest activities. Mortalities do not include eggs or larvae;

"Mortality event"

means fish mortalities with losses exceeding 1% per day for a four day consecutive period.

"Management plan"

means a facility-specific description of the infrastructure and mode of operation for each cultivated species and location specified on the face of the licence;

"Release"

means the intentional transfer of cultivated fish to Canadian fisheries waters

"Stock"

means a group of fish from one production cycle that are defined by the system of origin, species and run timing;

Part B. General conditions of licence

1. Production

1.1 The maximum production of cultivated fish from this facility must be consistent with the Facility Production Plan in Attachment III.

2. Management plan

2.1 No change to the facility or mode of operation that deviates from the Facility Management Plan in Attachment II shall be made without a licence amendment.

3. Transfer of fish

3.1 Under this licence, the licence holder is permitted to transfer fish to this facility from another facility possessing a valid AQRS (fish stocking) aquaculture licence issued pursuant to section 3 of the Pacific Aquaculture Regulations provided that the following conditions are met:

1. The species being transferred are the same as those licensed by this document;
2. For salmonid species, transfers occur within the same Salmonid Transfer Zone as described in Appendix II; and
   1. The mortalities, excluding eggs or larvae, in any stock reared at the source facility have not exceeded 1% per day due to any infectious diseases, for any four consecutive day period during the rearing period;
   2. The stock to be moved from the source facility shows no signs of clinical disease; and
   3. No stock at the source facility is known to have had any disease listed in Appendix I.
   4. A copy of this aquaculture licence accompanies all transfers of fish to and from this facility.

3.2 Biosecurity measures for the transfer of fish will be consistent with the Health Management Plan in Attachment I.

4. Fish health and mortalities

4.1 The licence holder must comply with the Health Management Plan (HMP) in Attachment I.

4.2 No fish shall be introduced to the facility unless in accordance with the Facility Production Plan in Attachment III.

4.3 The licence holder must ensure that the fish cultivated in facility are given care and attention consistent with their biological requirements.

4.4 The licence holder must notify the Fish Health Veterinarian (FHV) and AQFF.FishHealth@dfo-mpo.gc.ca immediately if there is suspicion or evidence of a fish health event and/or mortality event.

1. On suspicion of infectious disease, surveillance must be increased, the FHV consulted and samples must be submitted to a FHV-approved diagnostic laboratory for diagnosis if required.

4.5 The licence holder must keep complete and accurate records of fish health and inventory in the facility, including diagnostic test results, therapeutant use and vaccination records, according to Appendix IV.

4.6 The licence holder must make all fish health records available to the FHV, a fishery officer or a fishery guardian upon request.

5. Escape prevention

5.1 The licence holder must take all reasonable precautions to prevent the escape of cultivated fish

1. from the facility, and:
2. while transporting fish on, over or through fresh or tidal waters; and
3. while transporting fish to or from the facility.

5.2 The licence holder must ensure that no person deliberately releases cultivated fish from the facility except as permitted under this licence.

6. Release of fish

6.1 Fish must only be released in accordance with the Facility Production Plan in Attachment III.

6.2 Fish shall only be released if

1. the stock to be released shows no signs of clinical disease; and
2. in the last 3 months there was less than 5% cumulative mortality in that stock.

6.3 A copy of this licence must accompany the fish to the site of release.

7. Adult carcass disposal

7.1 Fish that have been spawned or are in excess to spawning must be disposed of in a manner that does not impact the health of fish in fish habitat.

8. Predator control

8.1 The licence holder must take all reasonable precautions to prevent predatory interactions at the facility.

9. Records

9.1 An up-to-date copy of all records listed below relating to the facility must be kept at the facility for a period of 6 years and must be produced upon request to a fishery officer or fishery guardian.

9.2 Records must be kept in accessible and legible format, protected from damage. They may be kept either electronically or in a paper version.

9.3 Using Appendix III-Brood Summary Information as a guideline, the licence holder must maintain records of the fish entering or introduced to the facility as well as all releases and transfers from the facility by

1. Species;
2. Age/developmental stage;
3. Quantity; and
4. Date of transfer to or from the source facility or water body.

9.4 Using Appendix III-Fish Health Information as a guideline, the licence holder must maintain records of:

1. the number, by species and age/developmental stage, on site;
2. the number, by species and age/developmental stage of fish mortalities;
3. the reason for losses, diagnosis (where applicable);
4. any treatment applied; and
5. vaccination.

10. Reporting

10.1 The licence holder must report all transfers to and from the facility, as well as all releases from the facility, to famitc@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

1. All information listed in Appendix V must be collected and reported.
2. Reports must be submitted by June 30 annually for the spring releases and transfers.
3. Reports must be submitted by December 1 annually for the summer and fall releases and transfers.

Appendix I : List of significant diseases

These diseases and pathogens listed below are considered either exotic to British Columbia (BC) or, such as IHN, that is known to exist in BC, have the potential to emerge from the ecosystem. These diseases can severely impact fisheries and affect regional and national trade and warrant urgent notification and immediate attention.

Reportable Diseases - http://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals/aquatic-animals/diseases/eng/1299156296625/1320599059508

1. Infectious Haematopoietic Necrosis (IHN) - causative agent: Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (rhabdovirus)
2. Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis (IPN) - causative agent: Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (birnavirus)
3. Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS): European Strain - causative agent: Viral hemorrhagic septicaemia virus (rhabdovirus)
4. Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) - causative agent: Infectious salmon anemia virus (orthomyxovirus)
5. Oncorhynchus masou Virus Disease (OMV) - causative agent: Oncorhynchus masou virus (herpes virus)
6. Any filterable agent causing cytopathic effects in tissue culture other than the above.
7. Whirling disease - causative agent: Myxobolus cerebralis
8. Cold Water Vibriosis (Hitra disease) - causative agent: Vibrio salmonicida

Appendix II : Brood summary information

The following information must be recorded and made available upon request by Departmental staff.

• Facility:
• Contact name:
• Date of reporting:

• Stock name:
• Stock type (mixed, wild, hatchery):
• Species:
• Run (Time adults enter fresh water):
• Brood year:

• Broodstock taken:

• Females

  # used:

  # Prespawn morts:

• Males

  # used:

  # Prespawn morts:

• Eggs:

• # taken:

  # Transferred out/in:

• Juveniles:

• # ponded:

  # Transferred out/in:

  # on hand:

• Releases:

• Release site:

  Release date:

  Release stage:

• Tag code/fin clip type:
• Tag retention #:
• # unmarked:
• # tagged/clipped
• Tag retention sample days:

• Total # released:

  weight (g):

  length (mm):

• Enumeration method:

Appendix III : Fish health information

The following information must be recorded and made available upon request by Departmental staff.

• Facility name:
• Licence number:
• Date of report:

Appendix IV : Fish transfer and release information summary form

To be reported as stated in Section 10.1 of this licence.

Date of report:

Facility name:

Reporting for: spring release _________  fall release________