The story of the Southern Gulf of St.-Lawrence snow crab fishery - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The story of theSouthern Gulf of St.-Lawrencesnow crab fishery

Prepared by EXMAR inc

Fisheries Management Consultant

Shippagan, N.B.

L’Association des crabiers acadiens

Les Crabiers du nord-est

• Approximately 700 fishers from the Acadian Peninsula in NB, from the Gaspé Peninsula and the Magdalene Islands in QC and from Cap Breton in NS :
• Prov. Licences Fishers
• NB 81 446
• QC 47 259
• NS211
• Total 130 716

Phases of notable abundance increases are followed by periods of significant stock decline

They are former groundfish fishers.

They started this new fishery in the early 60’s following the first collapse of the cod and redfish stocks in the Southern Gulf of St.-Lawrence

The vast majority of the 130original family operated fishing enterprisesare still active in the Area 12 snow crab fishery today

In 1978, DFO stopped issuing new snow crab licenses in their fishing territoryknown as Area 12

At the same time, the DFO proceeded to cut the edges of their fishing territory so that 6 new smaller Fishing Areas could be established along the coasts of Quebec, Cap Breton, and, later, Prince-Edward-Island.

13

14

16

15

17

NF

QC

12

NB

NS

Area 13: 49 licenses

Area 14: 21 licenses

Area 15: 8 licenses

Area 16: 38 licenses

Area 17: 22 licenses

Total: 138 licenses

Area 18: 31 licenses

Area 19: 79 licenses

Total: 110 licenses

13

14

16

15

17

19

18

NF

QC

12

NB

NS

13

14

16

15

17

20

21

22

19

18

23

24

NF

QC

12

NB

NS

Areas 25 and 26: 30 licenses

13

14

16

15

17

20

25

26

21

22

19

18

23

24

NF

QC

12

NB

NS

From 1979 onward, the crab industry will boom for a short while.

The Japanese buyers are very active alongside a modern fleet of fishing vesselsand processing plants.

Between 1978 and 1982, catches increased rapidly from 10 500 mt to 31 500 mt

• At the time, the DFO managers argued that these ever increasing catch rates testified to an ever increasing abundance of crab on the fishing grounds
• The fishermen disagreed with this assessment and ascribed their abundant catches to the improved performance of their fishing vessels and fishing gear

The fishers’ assessment was eventually proven right by DFO’s own scientists in 1992:

“The increase in landings from 1978 (10 462tm)to 1982 (31 582 tm) can be ascribed to this expansion and to a more efficient harvestingof the available resource rather than an increase of the stock biomass.”

Technical Report No. 1827F, CAFSAC,1992

• This erroneous perception of an abundant biomass of crab by DFO managers led to the over-exploitation which in turn led to a stock collapse in 1989
• From 31 500 tm in 1982, catches declined to25 000 tm in 1985 and shrunk to a mere8 000 tm in 1989
• In the spring of that year, DFO managers finally decided to close the fishery once a majority of crab fishermen had voluntarily put an end to their fishing activities

• In 1990, the crabbers willingly accepted the challenge of rebuilding the stock and their fishery
• Strong conservations measures were established based upon a strict control of the fleet’s fishing capacity
• The number of licenses was frozen and the TAC was divided into fixed individual shares between the existing license holders

The crab fleet supported innovative stock assessment/protection activities as well as enhanced monitoring of their fishery

Between 1994 and 2002, these local entrepreneurs invested over 10 millions $ in support of these measures

For its part, DFO agreed to :

• Incorporate crabbers’ know-how and influence in the management of the stock and of their fishery
• Establish a moratorium on snow crab fishing licenses in Area 12

• The crab resource was divided into fixedindividual quotas
• TAC was not to exceed 70% of the lowest scientific estimate
• Landings were to be monitored independently at dockside
• Fishery would close when catches reach 20% of molting crab

Negotiations were highly structured

No fewer than 6 different sharing formulas tabled by DFO

• Difficult and intricate negotiations took place between :
• Those who favored competitive fisheries
• Those who favored individual quotas
• The fishers with large historical catches
• The fishers with small historical catches

The following two examples reveal the extent of the snow crab sharing process implemented within the Area 12 fishery in 1990.

Both cases presented hereare those of fishers who are still activein the Area 12 crab fishery today.

• At the outset of the negotiations:
• Fisher B with a quota history six (6) times larger than Fisher A:
• Fisher A held 66, 000 lbs
• Fisher B held 380, 000 lbs

• At the end of the negotiations:
• Fisher A’s share had increased by 224%
• He now held 148, 000 lbs
• Fisher B’s share had decreased by 45%
• He now held 210 000 lbs

“Following the success of IQs under the 1991-92 management plan, a five-year IQ plan was established with management measures similar to those of last yaer. The move to a five-year plan is supported by industry.

The industry should be acknowledged for its commitment to preserving this important resource and promoting effective management of the fishery.”

-News release dated April 8, 1993-

The crab fleet funds DFO’s scientific research program

The crab fleet sets up a fund for cod fishers under moratorium

DFO assigns new fishing sub zones in Area 12

• (in agreement with the crab fleet)

13

14

16

15

C

A

17

D

B

20

25

26

21

22

19

18

23

24

NF

QC

12

NB

NS

Area 12 A: 10 licenses

Area 12 B: 8 licenses

Area 12 C: 5 licenses

Area 12 D: 531 licenses

Total 554 licenses

The first crab lottery draw :

• Numerous temporary allocations of 10 000 lbs each are made available for the draw
• Additional exploratory fishing areas(E and F) are imposed in Area 12
• (without the crab fleet’s consent)

13

14

16

15

C

A

D

17

B

E

F

20

25

26

21

22

19

18

23

24

NF

Qc

12

NB

NS

Area E: 8 licenses

Area F:16 licenses

Total 24 licenses

“Conservation remains our principal goal.We will ensure that the resource and the viability of the existing fleets are not threatened by a permanent shift in fishing effortfrom one fishery to another.

…In the past, such permits were allowedto become a permanent part of the fisheryto which they applied.

This is not the case in this instance.

These seasonal temporary permitswill expire at the end of 1995 and will not be renewed in future years.”

- News release April 13, 1995 -

Temporary permits are reissued…

The crab and shrimp fleets fear forthe future of their fishery

Area 12 snow crab agreement of 1997

Gulf of St.-Lawrence shrimp agreementof 1998

• Crabbers and shrimppers agreed that:

other fishers be given temporary access to their fisheries above a preset economic/ quota threshold.

Financial contributions be given to DFO to fund conservation and protection as well as management activities .

• DFO agreed to:

Incorporate fishers’ know-how in the management of their respective fisheries

Comply with the 1990 permanent sharing agreements of individual quotas

• No new permanent licenses/allocations will be issued

• Crabbers believe that snow crab is not subjected to the Halifax Treaties:

The snow crab fishing grounds are located outside the traditional Micmac and Malecite territories

Snow crab is not a specie that was fished by the First Nations at the time the treaties were signed

• However, they agree to integrate First Nations fishers in their fishery, as long as:

Existing commercial crab licenses (along with the vessels) are acquired on a voluntary basis

The First Nations fish their allocations themselves

• The 1990 the snow crab agreement has held for 12 years
• The 1991 the Gulf shrimp agreement has held for 11 years

No new “permanent” license or allocation of crab or shrimp has been granted since 1990

• Same proposals are made to DFO by the crab fleet and the shrimp fleet:

They propose that new temporary access be granted to other fishers above a preset economic or quota threshold

They propose financial contributions from the crab and the shrimp fleets towards the funding of their fisheries’ scientific, conservation, protection as well as management activities .

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

honors the shrimp fleet’s proposal

rejects the snow crab fleet’s proposal

Numerous non crabbers are given a permanent share of the Area 12 snow crab fishery

Fishing over-capacity is install in the absence of any long term sustainability assessment

and despite risky fluctuations in stock abundance.

No permanent Gulf shrimp licenses are issued even though continuous landings increases were registered annually;

from 13 000 tm in 1992 and 28 000 tm in 2003

Each crabber lost 26.5% of his individual share

(without compensation)

10,35% to the First Nations

• (5,44% buy back + 10,35%) = 15,80%

12,64% to the lobster and the ground fish fleets

3,37% to the inshore fishers from Nova Scotia (Area 18)

No permanent lost of individual quota is sustained by any shrimp vessel; DFO honors all Individual shares

The Minister honors a private/public partnership offer from the shrimp fleet worth $ 140, 000 annually

The Department adds 33 new groups of “players” on the Area 12 snow crab advisory committee

DFO protects the shrimpers’ influence on the management of their fishery

Not even one group of new fishers gain access to the Gulf of St.- Lawrence shrimp advisory committee

Before 2003:

The 8 crabbers’ associations held 100% of the harvesting sector’s representation on the various DFO forums dedicated to the Area 12 crab stock and fishery.

• In March 2004:

- 13 new groups of lobster fishers had been given 32% of the crab sector’s representation

- 12 First Nations had been given 29% of harvesting sector’s representation

- 8 new groups of cod fishers had been given a further 20% of the sector’s representation

The influence of the 8 crabbers’ associations on the management of their fishery and of the Area 12 stock had thus been reduced from 100% to 20%.

• Indian Island
• Lennox Island
• Burnt Church
• Abegweit
• Big Cove
• Eel River Bar
• Maria
• Restigouche
• Pabineau

• Bouctouche
• Gaspé
• Red Bank

• Gulf NS Fishermen Coalition (NS)
• Inverness South Fishermen’s Ass. (NS)
• Maritime Fishermen’s Union Local 4 (NS)
• Gulf N.S. Bonafide Fishermen ass. (NS)
• Area 18 Crab Fishermen Ass. (NS)
• North of Smokey Fishermen Ass (NS)
• PEI Fishermen Ass. (PEI)
• Mobile ground fish-dependant ass. (PEI)

• Ass. des pêche. de la MRC-Pabok (QC)
• Ass. morutiers trad. de la Gaspésie (QC)
• Ass. pêcheurs de l’Anse à Brillant (QC)
• Alliance pêch. Prof. Du Québec (QC)
• Féd. pêch. semi-haut. du Québec (QC)
• Regroupement pêch. prof. des I de la M (QC)

• Ass. pêch. de p. de f. acadiens (NB)
• Northumberland Fishermen Ass. (NB)
• UPM Shédiac (NB)
• UPM Shédiac (NB)
• UPM Tracadie-Sheila (NB)

Conditions and alliances that had been essential to the construct of this sustainable fishery were shattered:

The 1990 restrictions to the fleet’s capacity were eliminated

The co-management process with DFO was broken

The cohesion between fishers’ organizations was also broken

The credibility of the individual quota system was undermined by the expansionof the fleet

and by the reduction of each crabber’s historical share of the fishery

Agree to the restrictions offixed individual quotas

You will help the resource and you will reap the economic benefitsdown the road!

Thank you for your help, Buddy!

It is time for us to give your fishery to others!

Divide and conquer…

• His quota was raised by 224%; climbing from66 000 lbs to 148 000 lbs
• In 1990 numbers, his quota had dropped to108 000 lbs in 2003
• His enterprise was once again made unviable in the long term

• This enterprise suffered a cumulative lost of 225 650 lbs or 59% of his historical share since 1990 along with a significant portion of it’s profitability

Since 2003, the fishers’ perception is that they have generally been ignored, excluded or threatenby DFO officials

• The crabbers rebuilt the crab stock and fishery
• DFO has now reinstated over-capacity
• The crabbers achieved financial self-reliance
• DFO has now reinstated over-capitalization
• The crabbers achieved this through successful public/private partnerships
• DFO has now confiscated their fishery and the crab stock itself for its own benefit and at its’ own discretion