Commercial fisheries licensing rules and policies reference document Pacific region
Licence prefix categories
Commercial fishing licences in the Pacific Region are often referred to by alphabetic letters (known as a “prefix”), which represent the species and fishing method. Some examples are "A" for Salmon, "S" for Shrimp by trawl, and "ZN" for Rockfish.
All Aboriginal communal commercial licence prefixes begin with the letter "F".
All commercial party based and vessel based licenses are issued under the authority of the Fisheries Act and Section 19 of the Pacific Fishery Regulations, 1993 and confers authority to fish under the conditions applicable to this licence, subject to provisions of the Fisheries Act and Regulations made thereunder.
| Prefix | Party based licence descriptions | |
|---|---|---|
| FRC | Fisher registration card | Unlimited entry |
| HG | Roe herring by gillnet | Limited entry |
| HS | Roe herring by seine | Limited entry |
| J | Spawn on kelp by purse seine | Limited entry |
| NAG | Salmon by gillnet – Northern Native Fishing Corp. | Limited entry |
| Z2 | Clam by hand picking or hand digging | Limited entry |
| Z2ACL | Clam by hand picking or hand digging - Aboriginal | Limited entry |
| Z8 | Smelt by gillnet or set net | Limited entry |
| ZA | Green sea urchin by dive | Limited entry |
| ZC | Red sea urchin by dive | Limited entry |
| ZD | Sea cucumbers by dive | Limited entry |
| ZF | Euphausiid by pelagic trawl | Limited entry |
| ZM | Food and bait herring | Unlimited entry |
| ZN | Rockfish by hook and line (inside and outside) | Limited entry |
| ZS | Pacific sardine by seine | Limited entry |
| ZSF | Pacific sardine by seine - Aboriginal | Limited entry |
| ZU | Eulachon by gillnet | Limited entry |
| ZX | Special use bait herring – personal | Unlimited entry |
| ZY1 | Special use bait herring - sport | Limited entry |
| ZY2 | Special use bait herring - commercial | Limited entry |
| ZY3 | Special use bait herring - domestic food | Limited entry |
| ZY4 | Special use bait herring - zoo/aquarium | Limited entry |
| ZWO | Pacific wild oyster | Limited entry |
| ATBR | Transboundary commercial salmon (Taku & Stikine) | Limited entry |
| ATBRF | Transboundary FN commercial salmon (Taku & Stikine) | Limited entry |
| AYR | Yukon river – commercial salmon | Limited entry |
| Prefix | Vessel based licence descriptions | |
|---|---|---|
| AG | Salmon by gillnet | Limited entry |
| AS | Salmon by seine | Limited entry |
| AT | Salmon by troll | Limited entry |
| C | Schedule II species by hook and line | Limited entry |
| CT | Schedule II species (tuna) | Unlimited entry |
| D | Transporting (packing) | Unlimited entry |
| G | Geoduck and horseclam by dive | Limited entry |
| K | Sablefish by longline or trap | Limited entry |
| L | Halibut by hook and line | Limited entry |
| R | Crab by trap | Limited entry |
| S | Shrimp by trawl | Limited entry |
| SEC68 | Section 68 - high seas, in international waters | Limited entry |
| T | Groundfish by trawl | Limited entry |
| USA68 | USA68 section 68 - albacore tuna in USA waters | Limited entry |
| W | Prawn and shrimp by trap | Limited entry |
All communal commercial party based licenses are issued under the authority of the Fisheries Act and Subsection 4(1) of the Aboriginal Communal Fishing Licences Regulations and confers authority to fish under the conditions applicable to this licence, subject to provisions of the Fisheries Act and Regulations made thereunder.
| Prefix | Communal commercial - aboriginal licence descriptions | |
|---|---|---|
| FAG | Salmon by gillnet | Limited entry |
| FAS | Salmon by seine | Limited entry |
| FAT | Salmon by troll | Limited entry |
| FC | Schedule II species by hook and line | Limited entry |
| FG | Geoduck and horseClam by dive | Limited entry |
| FH | Herring roe by gillnet | Limited entry |
| FHS | Herring roe by seine | Limited entry |
| FG | Geoduck and horseclam by dive | Limited entry |
| FJ | Herring spawn on kelp by purse seine | Limited entry |
| FK | Sablefish by longline or trap | Limited entry |
| FL | Halibut by hook and line | Limited entry |
| FR | Crab by trap | Limited entry |
| FS | Shrimp by trawl | Limited entry |
| FT | Groundfish trawl | Limited entry |
| FW | Prawn and shrimp by trap | Limited entry |
| FZA | Green sea urchin by dive | Limited entry |
| FZC | Red sea urchin by dive | Limited entry |
| FZD | Sea cucumber by dive | Limited entry |
| FZF | Euphausiid by pelagic trawl | Limited entry |
| FZN | Rockfish by hook and line (inside and outside) | Limited entry |
| FATBR | Transboundary communal commercial salmon (Taku and Stikine) | Limited entry |
| Prefix | Other licence descriptions | |
|---|---|---|
| EEZ | Exclusive economic zone - foreign vessels | |
| CS | Contaminated shellfish - harvest depuration | |
| CSO | Contaminated shellfish - oyster relay | |
| XMCFR | Management of contaminated fisheries regulations |
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