CHANGES TO BUDDY-UP IN THE SNOW CRAB FISHERY 

Buddy-up is a DFO-authorized temporary arrangement allowing a maximum of two (2) licence holders in the small vessel fleet, holding valid licences for the same species, the same fishing area, and the same gear type to operate from the same vessel.

Buddy-up has been available for many years in the Inshore Crab Fishing Areas. Up to now, the maximum number of individual quotas (IQs) that could be fished from the one vessel was limited to five (5). In other words, a harvester with three (3) IQs could buddy-up with another harvester with two (2) IQs, for a total of five (5) IQs. This was the maximum. Harvesters could buddy up with 1+1, 2+1, 2+2, 3+1, and 3+2 IQs.

At the Inshore Council meeting in January, a request was made to increase the maximum number of IQs in a buddy-up from five (5) to six (6). This is consistent with the recent vote on buddy-up in the 2J3KL Northern cod to allow a maximum of six (6) shares in a buddy-up.

DFO recently approved this request. This allows two harvesters, each with three (3) IQs, to buddy-up for a maximum of six (6) IQs.

There are no other changes to the buddy-up in crab in Inshore Crab Fishing Areas this year.