Commercial fisheries licensing rules and policies reference document Pacific region
Euphausiid
Categories ZF and FZF
Licence category
A commercial or communal commercial Euphausiid licence (category ZF or FZF) is required to commercially harvest Euphausiid by trawl. Euphausiid licence eligibilities are limited entry party based and designated to a commercial vessel annually.
Licence category background
The Euphausiid (otherwise known as krill) fishery began as an experimental fishery in the Strait of Georgia in 1970. The fishery was licensed as category ZF in 1983. Limited entry was introduced in 1993.
Individuals with landings of at least 20,000 lbs. during the 1988, 1989, or 1990 seasons were eligible for a personal licence. Licence limitation resulted in the establishment of 19 licence eligibilities. The maximum vessel length (MVL) for each licence eligibility is based on the surveyed overall length of the vessel which was designated in 1991.
The Euphausiid fishery is managed through periodic openings, conservative quotas, limited entry licensing, and a dockside validation program on the basis of area quotas. Confirmation of participation in a monitoring program was instituted in the 2003 fishing year.
Licence renewal fee
The annual renewal fee for a commercial category ZF licence is $100.00.
There is no annual renewal fee for a communal commercial category FZF licence.
Licence issuance
A commercial Euphausiid licence must be renewed, and the renewal fee paid, every year by December 31st to retain the privilege to be issued the licence in the future. This means that licence eligibility holders must renew the licence whether they intend to fish or not. If the licence is not annually renewed by December 31st, the licence will cease and DFO will be unable to consider a request to issue that licence in the future.
Prior to licence issue, the licence eligibility holder must ensure that:
- arrangements have been made for service provision required by the conditions of licence, including (but not restricted to) logbook and coding, keypunching, and validation services.
- if the logbook and coding, and keypunching provided by the designated service bureau, are not used the Euphausiid harvesters must contact the Shellfish Data Unit at 250-756-7306 or 250-756-7022 to obtain the information necessary to fulfil these conditions of licence requirements.
- any conditions of the previous year’s licence have been met, such as the submission and approval of any logbook, fish slip or quota overage requirements;
- 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 has been designated by submitting a request through the National Online Licensing System. Instructions are available.
- the designated vessel's overall length does not exceed the maximum vessel length of the licence eligibility.
Note that designated vessels must have a survey on file with the Pacific Fishery Licence Unit, completed in accordance with DFO guidelines.
Licence documents
Euphausiid licence documents are valid from the date of issue until December 31st of each calendar year.
Licence eligibility holders may reprint any lost or destroyed licence documents using the National Online Licensing System (NOLS).
Vessel redesignation
Redesignation of Euphausiid licences is permitted at any time during the year as long as the licence conditions have been met, such as the completion, submission and acceptance of logbooks. For example, if a licence was issued on January 15th and a request to re-designate is received on March 10th, then logbooks and sales slips up to March 10th are required to be submitted to DFO.
Licence eligibility holders may only redesignate a fishing vessel to hold the licence by submitting a request through the National Online Licensing System. Instructions are available.
Prior to redesignation applications being processed, the licence eligibility holder must:
- confirm that the conditions of licence have been met; and
- designate a registered Canadian commercial fishing that is eligible for a vessel based licence.
- ensure the designated vessel's overall length does not exceed the maximum vessel length of the licence eligibility.
Nomination
Euphausiid category ZF licence eligibilities may be nominated from one party to another. To do so, licence eligibility holders must indicate their intention to no longer apply for a Euphausiid licence and name the nominated individual using DFO’s Nomination for Category Z Licence Eligibility form. The Minister may then consider issuing the licence to the nominated individual.
Note that the nomination form must be signed by the licence eligibility holder on record and notarized by a lawyer or notary. If the licence eligibility holder is a company, the Pacific Fishery Licence Unit must have on record a copy of a recent B.C. Company Summary indicating the officers/directors associated with the company.
The Nomination for Category Z Licence Eligibility form is available.
Communal commercial Euphausiid category FZF licence eligibilities may not be nominated.
If you require further discussion or information on the above mentioned nomination policies, please contact the Pacific Fishery Licence Unit.
Logbooks
Logbooks may be obtained by calling D&D Fisheries
Telephone: 604-886-4819
Email: ddpacific@dccnet.com.
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