MANAGING & MONITORING THE RESOURCE
Explainer Video: Monitoring and Managing the Resource
Wild Pacific halibut is considered one of the best managed and monitored fisheries in the world. There are several measures in place to manage the Canadian fishery and the commercial harvesters work hard to continually develop these measures and ensure the sustainability of their fishery.
Flat out Facts
The management and monitoring of the commercial wild Pacific halibut fishery has changed immensely since it began in the 1880s and continues to evolve. The wild Pacific halibut fishing families continue to invest enormous financial resources and a steadfast commitment to establish and follow rigorous fishing practices.
MANAGING THE resource
INDIVIDUAL TRANSFERABLE QUOTA (CATCH SHARE):
• Each season, vessels are allocated Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) – their share of the annual total allowable catch. The following special measures have been put in place to create the right incentives so that the total harvest never exceeds the total allowable catch.
• Vessels that catch more than their ITQ in one season have the overage deducted from their ITQ in the following year.
• Vessels that catch less than their ITQ in one season are permitted to carryover a limited amount of the uncaught ITQ to the next season.
QUOTA TRANSFERABILITY:
Quota transferability allows the fleet to adjust fishing capacity so it aligns with the available harvest. This means:
• Reduced number of vessels
• Reduced amount of gear being deployed
• Reduced carbon footprint
• Reduced bycatch
• Reduced chance of encounters with seabirds or marine mammals
• Reduced impact on the ocean floor
WINTER SPAWNING CLOSURE:
The wild Pacific halibut fishery is closed during the winter months when mature halibut spawn.
SPATIAL FOOTPRINT:
The wild Pacific halibut fishery has a small spatial footprint, taking place in less than 0.7% of Canada’s Pacific marine environment. Continued access to this footprint is vital to ensuring the fishery can continue to meet sustainability objectives.
MONITORING THE wild Pacific Halibut Fishery
HAILS:
• Prior to leaving port, each vessel master must hail out to notify the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).
• Prior to leaving the fishing grounds, each vessel master must hail in to notify DFO of its estimated catch, landing location, date and time.
LOGBOOKS:
Vessel masters must document:
• Every fish caught, wild Pacific halibut and any other species, both retained and released at-sea
• All fishing details including date, time, location, gear and bait used
• Any interactions with seabirds or marine mammals, although this is very rare
• Any lost or found fishing gear, including the gear type, amount, date, time and location
100% AT-SEA MONITORING:
All vessels are required to carry a government-designated observer or a video-based, electronic monitoring system from a government approved service provider to record vessel location and catch - both retained and released.
100% DOCKSIDE MONITORING:
Vessels can only offload at approved landing ports and all landings are monitored by a government-designated dockside observer.
TAGGING:
During the dockside validation, a government-designated observer tags every single wild Pacific halibut with a unique serial number to help with enforcement and traceability.
CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE
The ability to demonstrate sustainability and responsible management has increasingly become a condition of doing business in the seafood sector and meeting the demands of discerning consumers. The wild Pacific halibut fishery is recognized by leading global certification and market recognition programs as providing sustainable seafood.
MARINE STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL (MSC):
In 2009, wild Pacific halibut was the first fishery on Canada’s Pacific coast to achieve Marine Stewardship Council certification, a globally-recognized seafood sustainability certification program only achieved by about 15% of the world’s fisheries. MSC has concluded that the fishery’s catch accounting system is one of the most rigorous in the world.
OCEAN WISE:
The Ocean Wise market recognition program recommends wild Pacific halibut as an ocean-friendly, sustainable seafood choice.
SEAFOOD WATCH:
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch market recognition program recommends wild Pacific halibut as an ocean-friendly, sustainable seafood choice.
DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION:
The David Suzuki Foundation has referred to Canada’s commercial wild Pacific halibut fishery as a high bar example.
DIVE DEEPER
If you’re interested in diving a little deeper into the how the fishery is managed, we have more Flat out Facts available about the following:
• Who manages the wild Pacific halibut fishery
• How management measures have evolved
Many measures are in place to monitor and manage the wild Pacific halibut fishery, and minimize bycatch. All the Flat Out Facts are available right here!