Commercial fisheries licensing rules and policies reference document Pacific region
Special use bait herring
Personal (1 ton) category ZX
Commercial (3 ton)
- Category ZY1 (sport bait)
- Category ZY2 (commercial bait)
- Category ZY3 (domestic food and bait)
- Category ZY4 (zoo and aquarium)
Licence categories
A Special Use Bait Herring licence (category ZX or ZY) is required to harvest Special Use Herring. A category ZX licence is required for herring caught for personal use, while a category ZY licence is required for herring caught for commercial use. Special Use Herring licences are unlimited entry and party based.
Licences issued under these categories do not imply or confer a right or privilege to be issued a similar licence in future seasons.
ZX – personal use herring
- Licence purpose: Fish caught under the authority of this licence cannot be sold and are for the sole use of the licence holder.
- One-ton licences are issued to anyone who owns or operates a licensed commercial vessel.
- Licences are issued on a “first come, first served” basis until the allocation for ZX licences has been reached.
- A landing report must be submitted to the Special Use Herring Resource Manager for each ZX licence issued, even if no fishing takes place.
ZY1 – sport bait herring
- Licence purpose: Fish caught under the authority of this licence may only be sold as live bait to sport fishers or frozen for domestic or export sport fisheries.
- Three-ton licences are issued to anyone who owns or operates a licensed commercial vessel.
- In the Strait of Georgia, multiple three-ton ZY1 licences (up to five per vessel) will only be issued between November 7th to February 15th and October 1st to November 6th. Vessels may only stack licences from one licence category at a time.
- Licences are issued on a “first come, first served” basis until the allocation for ZY1 licences has been reached.
ZY2 – commercial bait herring
- Licence purpose: Fish caught under authority of this licence may only be sold as fresh or frozen bait to commercial fish harvesters for commercial use.
- Three-ton licences issued to anyone who owns or operates a licensed commercial vessel.
- Licences that are not unique quota licences are issued on a “first come, first served” basis until the total allowable catch for ZY2 licences has been reached.
ZY3 – domestic food and bait herring
- Licence purpose: Fish caught under authority of this licence may only be sold fresh for non-commercial or non-sport use.
- Up to three ZY3 licences may be stacked on a vessel. Vessels may only stack licences from one category at a time. The vessel must meet the criteria for licence issuance.
ZY4 – zoo and aquarium animal food
- Licence purpose: Fish caught under authority of this licence may only be used to feed animal’s resident at the zoo or aquarium of the named licence holder.
Licence category background
The purpose of the special use bait herring fishery is to provide opportunities for licence holders to harvest herring for different uses, such as personal use bait, domestic food, sport fish bait, commercial bait, and zoo and aquarium animal food. Special use bait herring is not permitted to be harvested during other herring fisheries, such as the Roe Herring fishery, the Spawn on Kelp fishery, or the food and bait fishery.
Sport bait herring (ZY1)
In the late 1970s and through the 1980s, there were strong recreational herring bait fisheries. To supply these fisheries, three-ton impoundment permits were issued to the small live-bait operations that had become prolific throughout the Strait of Georgia, with scattered operations into the North Coast area. These permits were to be used in conjunction with fishing permits which allowed the harvest of herring for personal use or for the delivery of herring to a processor or operator who possessed a valid impoundment permit.
Commercial bait herring (ZY2)
The commercial bait licence category ZY2 was developed in 1995 to provide quota for bait that would be used in commercial fisheries, such as the Halibut fishery. Prior to this date, fishing activity for commercial bait had been underway for many years, especially in the Prince Rupert District, and was managed through the issuance of permits. The category ZY2 licence is operationally the same as the category ZY1 licence, permitting the ponding of herring using three-ton licences.
Domestic food and bait herring (ZY3)
In the early 1980s, the opportunity to harvest herring for human food was provided through the issuance of three-ton permits for fresh, local sales only. When the licence category ZY3 was introduced in 1995, three-ton quotas and four 50-ton quotas continued to be issued through licences. Three-ton licences were available until 2006/07 and discontinued in 2007/08. In 2009, the allocation for category ZY3 licences was reduced to 150 tons.
Zoo and aquarium animal food (ZY4)
Historically, the quota in licence category ZY4 has been available to any zoo or aquarium operating in Canada or the United States, upon request to DFO.
Licence renewal fees
The category ZX or ZY licence renewal fee is $30.00, per category.
Licence application and issuance
An Application for Special Use Bait Herring Category ZX and ZY form may be obtained by making a request through the National Online Licensing System or by calling the Special Use Herring Manager at 604-666-7851.
Eligible applicants may submit the completed application through the National Online Licensing System. Instructions are available. Only one type of licence may be applied for per application.
Licences will be processed in the order in which they are received and issued to applicants that meet all licence requirements, until the quota allocated for the requested licence category has been reached.
While stacking of licences is permitted, all catch landings must be validated against an issued licence. In the case of a vessel with stacked licences, all landings will be accounted for against the individual licences stacked on the vessel. A vessel may not stack licences from more than one category at a time.
No party may hold more than one active special use bait herring licence at a time. When a special use bait herring licence has been landed and validated, and all conditions of the licence have been met, the licence holder may apply for another special use bait herring licence. Proof of validation via correspondence from a service provider will be required prior to another licence being issued.
No fishing may take place until the licence documents are received and on board the vessel.
Licence Requirements
Prior to licence issue, applicants must:
- ensure that any conditions of a previous year’s licence have been met, such as the completion, submission, and approval of any landing reports and fish slips:
- A log must be submitted even where no harvesting has occurred, e.g., for nil catch.
- All landing reports and fish slips must be submitted to the DFO’s Pacific Regional Headquarters at 200-401 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 3S4.
- Persons applying for a ZX licence must submit a landing record to DFO’s Pacific Regional Headquarters by November 15th each year.
- designate a registered Canadian commercial fishing vessel that is eligible for any valid limited entry vessel based licence, a valid communal commercial licence, or a valid Salmon category NAG licence:
- The applicant is not required to be the owner of the designated vessel as licences may be issued to an applicant who intends to use or receive the herring. For example, if the herring is to be impounded, then the applicant may be the impoundment operator.
- list the name and fisher identification number (FIN) of the vessel master.
Designated vessels may fish only one category ZX licence, and a maximum of five category ZY1 licences, at one time. When a licence has been fished, and all of the licence conditions have been met, the licence holder is eligible to apply for another licence.
Only category ZY3 and category ZY4 licences may be redesignated to different vessels, once the licences have been issued.
Under Transport Canada’s Small Fishing Vessel Inspection Regulations, all vessels carrying capelin or herring in bulk are required to have a stability booklet with a valid stamp aboard.
Please note that all category ZY applications received will be sent to the Regional Herring Officer for review and approval prior to licence issue.
Licence Documents
Special use bait herring licence documents are valid from the date of issue to November 6th of the next calendar year, unless otherwise specified on the licence conditions.
The special use bait herring fishery is closed from 00:01 hours on February 16th to 23:59 hours on April 30th for the Roe Herring season. Licences obtained before the February 16th closure that have remaining quota (e.g., have not fished out) may be used after the fishery re-opens on May 1st.
Licence holders may reprint any lost or destroyed licence documents using the National Online Licensing System (NOLS).
Vessel Redesignations
Vessel redesignation after licence issuance is only permitted for category ZY3 and category ZY4 licences.
Logbooks
Logbooks may be obtained by calling J.O. Thomas & Associates at 604-291-6340.
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