Moratorium demanded on limited entry prawn licence
B.C. prawn and crab fishermen are demanding a moratorium on sweeping licensing changes to their fisheries.
They say that limiting prawn and crab licences will artificially inflate the cost of licences and put even more pressure on an already fragile resource.
The fisheries department announced a new limited "ZH" prawn licence, effective Jan. 1 this year. The licence will only be available to fishermen who had annual recorded prawn landings of at least 1000 lbs. of shrimp or prawns in at least two of the 1986. 1987 and 1988 qualifying years.
Next year, fishermen may face transferable quotas, area licensing or limits on the number of traps, according to DFO officials.
The limited licence scheme will hit salmon fishermen who used to fish prawns before and after the salmon season each year. They no longer would be able to qualify for the new prawn licence.
Prawn fisherman Dune Shields says the new licence plan will also hurt fishermen who just got into the fisherv in the last year, because of the 1986-1988 qualifying period.
"I know a guy who decked on a prawn boat for eight vears. then bought a boat for $80,000 last year — he won't even qualify."
Shields says that cost of a prawn licence will skyrocket. Licences originally bought for
S50 will soon be selling for $30,000, he said. The result will be a tremendous overcapitalization that will put undue pressure on the resource.
Prawn fisherman Brian McGee agrees. "If you bought a boat with a $35,000 licence, you are going to go out there and fish like hell.
"Limited entry in other fisheries has not been good for fishermen or good for the fishery — it only helps the wheeler-dealers."
McGee says he knows of some prawn boat owners who will qualify for more than five licences while others are cut out of the scheme.
The number of prawn licences increased dramatically from 568 in 1983 to 867 in 1989. The number of boats actually recording prawn landings has remained relatively constant - 276 in 1983 and 256 in 1989.
The total reported prawn catch doubled during the same period, but will likely face a decline in 1991. Pulp mill toxic wastes have caused shellfish harvesting closures in nine coastal areas.
Beyond limited entry for prawns. DFO is "actively considering" licence limitations for crabs, sea urchins and sea cucumbers for 1991.
DFO has ignored their own consultation process, says Shields, coming up with changes that no one is happv with.
He said "that DFO. fishing organizations and fishermen
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Shields and others organized a meeting of prawn and crab fishermen Jan. 15 in Nanaimo. The 36 who attended, including representatives from all major fishing organizations with prawn and crab members, voted unanimously to demand a moratorium on all licensing changes.
"We're calling on the minister to step back and take another look." Shields said. "He has proposed this against the wishes of his advisory groups. Now fishermen are organizing to stop the limitation before it's too late."
A larger public meeting is planned for Jan. 22 in Nanaimo.
Those involved in the licence fight include the UFAWU, the Pacific Trollers Assoc., the Comox-Courtney Prawn Fishermen's Assoc.. and independent prawn fishermen from Port Hardy. Nanaimo, Victoria, Powell River and Vancouver.
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THE FISHERMAN / JANUARY 19, 1990 • 9