Question Period Note: West coast commercial prawn fishery management

• The west coast commercial prawn fishery uses size limits to help manage the sustainability of the commercial prawn fishery.
• However, this industry practice can contravene the Fishery (General) Regulations, as the freezing prawn tails in containers of sea water can make it difficult for fishery officers to determine the size of prawn tails inside.
• Knowing how important this practice is, my department has worked with industry on an is an interim protocol, which provides guidance to harvesters on how to comply with regulations when the fishery opens on May 14.
• My department looks forward to continued engagement with industry over the coming year to determine a longer-term solution, and is monitoring Public Health Orders in British Columbia to ensure a successful commercial prawn season in 2021.

If pressed about the protocol

• The protocol helps harvesters ensure catch will be readily available for inspection by fishery officers, including catch frozen in tubs.
• I recognize the challenges that current Public Health restrictions pose for local seafood markets. Confirming a season start date will allow harvesters to plan for those challenges.

• Some commercial prawn harvesters freeze prawn tails onboard in containers, or “tubs”, filled with sea water. This practice has occurred for many years, but has grown in recent years.
• Whole prawns and tailed prawns (those with their heads removed) have a size limit, as specified in the Conditions of Licence. The limits are an important component of managing the sustainability of the prawn fishery.
• Recent discussions with DFO Conservation and Protection have determined that the practice can contravene the Fishery (General) Regulations, in that the size limit of the prawn tails frozen in the tubs cannot be readily determined by a Fishery Officer.
• The commercial prawn industry has expressed serious concern about the prospect that tubbing contravenes the regulations. They have stated that losing the ability to tub prawns will be a hardship to accessing local and domestic prawn markets, especially during the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has reduced demand for other product forms in international markets.
• Tubs can contain prawns that are closer to the size limit, as larger prawns are typically diverted to other product forms aimed at export markets. For example, in a recent conviction, 51% of prawn tails in the inspected tubs were below the size limit.
• Conservation and Protection is aware of the issues industry is facing and intends to apply discretion in their approach to enforcement to promote the most appropriate outcome.
• The commercial prawn fishery will open May 14, following discussions with First Nations, the Pacific Prawn Fishermen’s Association, Prawn Advisory Board and prawn processors on the opening date.
• Currently, essential services in British Columbia should and are encouraged to remain open. Essential services in British Columbia include fishing and processing, transportation and distribution.
• The Department continues to monitor Public Health Orders in British Columbia to ensure a successful commercial prawn season in 2021.

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