Commercial fisheries licensing rules and policies reference document Pacific region
Rockfish
Inside and outside (categories ZN and FZN)
Licence category
A commercial or communal commercial Rockfish licence (category ZN or FZN) is required to commercially harvest Rockfish (inside and outside). Rockfish licence eligibilities are limited entry and party based.
Licence category background
In March 1992, the Minister announced a licence limitation program for the Rockfish species. This program was implemented in two phases based on area licensing. Rockfish fishing in the inside water of Georgia Strait was limited in the 1992 licence year wit the balance of the coast becoming limited on January 1, 1993.
Licence eligibilities were established for individuals who:
- met a cumulative coastwide catch requirement of 15,000 lbs. of recorded commercial landings of Rockfish verified by sales slips in the years 1987 to 1990 inclusive;
- had a Rockfish licence and landings in two of the four years between 1987 and 1990; and
- specified an area choice, either the inside areas of the Strait of Georgia or the remainder of the coast.
Licence limitation resulted in the establishment of 74 inside licence eligibilities and 183 licence eligibilities for the remainder of the coast.
A maximum vessel length was established for each licence eligibility based on the surveyed overall length of the last vessel fished in 1991. A nomination process for allowing a licence eligibility holder to nominate another individual to hold the eligibility was also introduced.
Since 1999, vessels have been designated for both inside and outside Rockfish licences with the proviso that they would be issued only one amendment per fishing period. The designation of more than one inside Rockfish licence to a vessel was introduced for the 2002/03 fishing season to increase efficiencies for the fishery within the parameters of the conservation concern for inshore Rockfish stocks. Until 2008, five inside Rockfish licences could be designated to one vessel. In 2008, that number increased to eight.
Rockfish protection areas implemented in 1999 were expanded in 2002 and remain in effect. Since 2006, as part of a three-year pilot program, the Rockfish fishery has been managed through an individual quota regime and allowing unlimited annual reallocations between licences. Vessels participating in this fishery must acquire quota to account for all non-directed catch of Halibut and dogfish. Subject to species and area closures, vessels are permitted to retain and land non-directed catch.
Fishing areas
- Inside
- Areas 13 to 19 and 28 and 29 and Subareas 12-1 to 12-13, 12-15 to 12-48 and Subareas 20-4 to 20-7.
- Outside
- Areas 1 to 11, 21, 23 to 27, 101 to 111, 121, 123 to 127, 130 and 142 and Subareas 12-14 and 20-1 to 20-3.
Licence renewal fee
The annual renewal fee for a commercial category ZN licence is $100.00.
There is no annual renewal fee for a communal commercial category FZN licence.
Licence issuance
A commercial Rockfish licence must be renewed, and the renewal fee paid, every year by February 20th 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 February 20th, 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:
- indicate if they do not intend to harvest under the authority of the Rockfish licence; and
- 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 by submitting a request through the National Online Licensing System. Instructions are available.
Inside rockside
Vessels may:
- be designated with up to eight inside Rockfish licences in a year; and
- not exceed the maximum vessel length (MVL) for the initial inside Rockfish licence eligibility.
Once the initial inside Rockfish licence has been designated, the MVL requirement is waived for additional designated inside Rockfish licences whether Option N or not.
If Option N is selected, the designated vessel may exceed the MVL of the Rockfish licence eligibility. The licence holder may also choose to change to the option to participate in the directed fishery at a later date, as long as the vessel meets all the length requirements, where applicable.
Outside rockfish
Vessels may:
- not be designated with more than one outside Rockfish licence in a year;
- be designated with an outside, and more than one inside, licence eligibility in a year;
- not exceed the MVL of the outside Rockfish licence eligibility (even when an initial inside Rockfish licence eligibility is already designated), unless the option to not participate in the directed ZN fishery is made at the time of licence issuance.
If Option N is selected, the designated vessel may exceed the MVL of the Rockfish licence eligibility. The licence holder may also choose to change to the option to participate in the directed fishery at a later date, as long as the vessel meets all the length requirements, where applicable.
Amended licence documents
Licence eligibility holders who elect not to harvest Rockfish may subsequently complete a licence amendment request in order to harvest Rockfish by hook and line. This request must be submitted through the National Online Licensing System. Instructions are available.
Prior to the issue of a licence amendment, the licence eligibility holder must ensure that:
- any ministerial conditions placed on the licence eligibility have been met;
- confirm that the conditions of licence have been met, such as the submission of logbooks or fish slips;
- a registered Canadian commercial fishing vessel has been designated; and
- the designated vessel holds a vessel based licence eligibility and does not exceed the MVL of the licence eligibility to be redesignated.
Licence amendments
Before beginning to harvest under the authority of a Rockfish licence, a Request for Licence Amendment form must be completed and submitted to the Groundfish Management Unit by fax at 604-666-8525. The form is available. Contact the Quota Officer at 604-666-5865 for more information.
Stacking arrangements among licence eligibility holders must be completed prior to the issuance of a licence amendment.
Licence documents
Rockfish licence documents are valid from the date of issue to February 20th 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 Rockfish 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;
- designate a registered Canadian commercial fishing vessel; and
- ensure that the designated vessel holds a vessel based licence eligibility and does not exceed the maximum vessel length of the licence eligibility to be redesignated.
Nominations
Rockfish, category ZN 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 Rockfish 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 Rockfish licence eligibility, the licence eligibility holder must ensure that any conditions of the current or previous year’s licence have been met.
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 Rockfish category FZN 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 Archipelago Marine Research
250-383-4535
(toll-free 1-888-383-4535).
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