Commercial fisheries licensing rules and policies reference document Pacific region

Pacific sardine

Categories ZS and ZSF

*The Pacific sardine fishery remains closed due to conservation concerns.*

Licence Category

A commercial or communal commercial Pacific Sardine licence (category ZS or ZSF) is required to commercially harvest Pacific Sardine. Pacific Sardine licences are party based.

Enquiries for experimental/exploratory licences to investigate alternative gear types may be made to DFO’s Pelagics Resource Manager.

Licence category background

In 2002, the Pacific Sardine fishery moved from an experimental/exploratory phase to a commercial fishery. With some remaining uncertainty about potential growth opportunities and the best management approach, DFO has taken an incremental approach to the development of this fishery and continues to follow the principles of the New and Emerging Fisheries policy.

Since 2003, up to 50 participants have been permitted in the fishery: 25 commercial and 25 communal commercial. In 2004, priority was given to applicants who participated in the previous year’s fishery, showed good stewardship of the resource, and demonstrated success in market development.

Two similar but separate processes for commercial licences and communal commercial licences have since been used to determine annual access to the fishery:

For the commercial fishery:

• Eligibility criteria has been based primarily on vessel suitability. In 2003, priority was given to vessels that participated in the experimental phases and annually thereafter. Remaining eligible applicants were placed in a lottery to determine a total of 25 eligible participants. Between 2007 and 2009, priority access was granted to 25 eligible participants based on licence issuance in the previous season.
• Between 2007 and 2009, eligible applicants were given a two-week period to apply for and meet licence application requirements, and to be issued a licence. If eligible participants did not apply for licences, the opportunity was given to the next eligible participant as determined by the lottery. This ensured that all 25 licences were issued to applicants committed to participating in the fishery.
• In May 2009, limited entry was introduced and 25 eligibilities were established with qualifying criteria as:
  • the ability of fish harvesters to make allocation changes to the licence within one business day;
  • the ability of the service provider to accurately match catch to licences;
  • no related enforcement issues; and
  • no increased cost to DFO.
• In May 2009, an appeal process was held and a nomination process was introduced for these commercial eligibilities.

For the communal commercial fishery:

• Applicants have been screened against eligibility criteria and then ranked based on adjacency and existing capacity. In 2007, priority access was granted to 18 communal commercial applicants and a lottery was held to determine a list of eligible applicants for the remaining seven licences. In 2008, 10 of the 21 participants with priority access completed the process by the deadline and a lottery was held to determine a list of eligible applicants for the remaining 15 licences. All 25 category ZSF licences were issued in 2008.
• Priority access for 2009 was provided to the 25 communal commercial participants issued licences in 2008. Applications and letters were sent to these 25 eligible applicants on May 19, 2009 with a deadline date of June 5, 2009 to meet application requirements. A lottery was planned to determine an eligibility list after the deadline; however, all 25 eligible applicants submitted applications by the deadline and no lottery was required or held.

Species

Pacific Sardine (Sardinops sagax), Chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus), and Jack mackerel (Trachurus symmetricus).

Gear

Pacific Sardine may be captured by purse seine or trap net. Gear specifications are outlined in the Integrated Fisheries Management Plan.

Licence renewal fee

As the fishery is closed for conservation concerns, there is currently no annual renewal fee for a category ZS licence. Should the fishery reopen, the annual licence renewal fee will be $30.00.

There is no annual renewal fee for a communal commercial category ZSF licence.

Licence issuance

A commercial Pacific Sardine licence must be renewed, and the renewal fee paid, every year by February 9th 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 9th, the licence will cease and DFO will not be able to consider a request to issue that licence in the future.

All Pacific Sardine licence eligibility holders are required to annually designate the fishing vessel to hold the licence by submitting a request through the National Online Licensing System. Instructions are available

Prior to licence issue, applicants must:

• be on the list of eligible applicants for the Pacific Sardine fishery;
• designate a registered Canadian commercial fishing vessel that is:
  • currently holds or has been designated with a valid Roe Herring Seine licence, a valid limited entry vessel based licence, a valid communal commercial licence, or a valid category NAG Salmon licence OR for communal commercial Pacific Sardine applicants only, be designated as a Spawn on Kelp catcher vessel.
  • able to accommodate a certified observer;
  • geared with a purse seine; and
  • equipped with at least one of the following freezer systems:
    • refrigerated seawater system
    • champagne system
    • super chilling
    • freezing at sea capability
  • have access to product processing, with quality control mechanisms in place, and a Pacific Sardine market identified.

A maximum of five commercial or communal commercial Pacific Sardine licences are permitted to be designated to a vessel.

Licences that have already been harvested to the maximum quota may stay on the same vessel and will not be counted against the maximum limit of licences allowed. When a vessel has not previously harvested under authority of a Pacific Sardine licence, further review may be required.

Licence documents

Pacific Sardine licence documents are valid from the date of issue to February 9th of the next calendar year.

Licence eligibility holders may reprint any lost or destroyed licence documents using the National Online Licensing System (NOLS).

Vessel redesignation

Redesignation of Pacific Sardine 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.

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 up-to-date logbooks and landing information has been submitted to the service provider; and
• designate a suitable vessel that meets the application requirements and is currently holds or has been designated with a valid Roe Herring Seine licence, a valid limited entry vessel based licence, a valid communal commercial licence or a valid category NAG licence; OR, for communal commercial Pacific Sardine applicants only, be designated as a Spawn on Kelp catcher vessel.

Nomination

Pacific Sardine category ZS licence eligibilities may be nominated from one party to another at any time. To do so, licence eligibility holders must indicate their intention to no longer apply for a Pacific Sardine 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 Pacific Sardine 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 service provider.

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 44 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 Pacific Sardine category ZSF 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 through D & D Pacific Fisheries Ltd. by calling Darin Macey or Don Christian at:
604-886-4819
or toll free 1-800-775-5505.

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