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FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA NOTICE TO FISH HARVESTERS

June 30, 2023

2023 Bluefin Tuna Homewaters Fishery Opening

DFO advises that Bluefin tuna fishery for vessels fishing homewaters in NAFO Divisions 3KLNOP will open at 0600 hours on Saturday, July 1, 2023.

Tags are only available to those harvesters who have declared they will fish homewaters and must be purchased by August 4, 2023.

Licence conditions are available on the National Online Licensing System (NOLS). Observer coverage must be paid prior to tag purchase.

Tuna tags and ICCAT forms are available at DFO Detachment offices in Bay Roberts, Clarenville and Marystown. Harvesters are asked to contact DFO Detachment offices to arrange tag pick up.

Harvesters are reminded that the use of VMS is mandatory for the 2023 season.

Harvesters are also reminded that there is a new logbook for the 2023 season that can be picked up at the Fish Harvesters’ Resource Centres.

Angling gear only may be used while fishing within 12 nautical miles of the nearest point of land.

Bluefin tuna harvesters are encouraged to return tuna heads to one of the locations listed in the Conservation Harvesting Plan.

The Regional Director General, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador Region gives notice that Variation Order 2022-257 has been revoked and Variation Order 2023-117 comes into effect on July 1, 2023.

“Notices to Fish Harvesters” for all commercial fisheries are now available online under the Fishery Notices link on the DFO NL Region webpage at https://www.nfl.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/en.

If you would like to have all “Notices to Fish Harvesters” for commercial fisheries sent directly to you by email please contact: danielle.nichols@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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For information, contact:
Kailey Noonan
Resource Manager
Tel. (343)571-7596
E-mail: kailey.noonan@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Dr. Erin Carruthers

Dr. Erin Carruthers is the Science Director and Senior Fisheries Scientist with the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor), which is the labour union that represents the owner-operator fleet in Newfoundland and Labrador. The FFAW is committed to research and management that supports healthy oceans, fisheries, and coastal communities. Dr. Carruthers received her Ph. D. in Biology from Memorial University in 2011 followed by a postdoctoral fellowship with the Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research. Before coming to Newfoundland, Erin worked as a Research Biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada at the St. Andrews Biological Station. Her current research program is co-constructed with fish harvesters and includes research on coastal fishing communities, collaborative longline and trap surveys, and best practices for the avoidance, handling and release of unwanted catch.