Commercial fisheries licensing rules and policies reference document Pacific region
Green sea urchin
Categories ZA and FZA
Licence category
A commercial or communal commercial Green Sea Urchin licence (category ZA or FZA) is required to commercially harvest Green Sea Urchins by dive. Green Sea Urchin licence eligibilities are limited entry and party based.
Licence category background
Limited entry was introduced in the Green Sea Urchin fishery in 1991. Licence eligibilities were issued to individuals who met a cumulative landing requirement of 9,072 kg (20,000 lbs.) over the two-year period of 1988 and 1989.
In 1995, a two-year pilot program of individual quota (IQ) and a licence nomination process was established. Under the pilot program, IQs included an equal allocation of catch among licence eligibility holders, north and south area licensing, and a limit of three licences designated per vessel. Maximum vessel length (MVL) restrictions were waived while the IQ pilot was in effect.
Individual quota remains in effect for this fishery. DFO reserves the right to reinstate the MVL restrictions at the lengths associated with each licence eligibility, at any time.
Licence renewal fee
The annual renewal fee for a commercial category ZA licence is $430.00.
There is no annual renewal fee for a communal commercial category FZA licence.
Licence issuance
A commercial Green Sea Urchin licence must be renewed, and the renewal fee paid, every year by August 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 August 31st, the licence will cease and DFO will not be able to consider a request to issue that licence in the future.
Prior to licence issue, the licence eligibility holder must ensure that:
- any ministerial conditions placed on the licence eligibility have been met;
- any conditions of the previous year’s licence have been met, such as the completion, submission, and approval of any logbook fish slip or quota overage requirements; and
- 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.
There is no maximum number of Green Sea Urchin licences which may be designated to a vessel.
Licence documents
Green Sea Urchin licence documents are valid from the date of issue to August 31st of the next calendar year.
Licence eligibility holders may reprint any lost or destroyed licence documents using the National Online Licensing System (NOLS).
Vessel redesignations
Redesignation of Green Sea Urchin 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 at.
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 vessel.
- ensure the designated vessel holds a limited entry vessel based licence eligibility with Schedule II Species privileges.
Nominations
Green Sea Urchin category ZA 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 Green Sea Urchin 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.
Prior to the nomination of a commercial Green Sea Urchin licence eligibility, the licence eligibility holder must ensure that any conditions of the current or previous year’s licence have been met and accepted by the Shellfish Data Unit.
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 Green Sea Urchin category FZA 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 (604) 886-4819 or ddpacific@dccnet.com.
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