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How wild Pacific shellfish products are traced

Release date: August 2020
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Infographic: How wild Pacific shellfish products are traced
Infographic: How wild Pacific shellfish products are traced
Description: How wild Pacific shellfish products are traced

How wild shellfish products are traced

Under the Pacific oyster and intertidal clam conditions of licence (COL), licence holders are required to maintain a variety of records relating to their activities: transfers, harvest, and wet storage. Licence holders are responsible for understanding and adhering to the applicable regulations and reporting their activities to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).

Steps for oysters

Steps are designed for market sale. Other legislation may apply for wet storage.

  1. Notify: 24 hours before harvest - COL s.8(1)
  2. Harvest and tag: COL s.5
  3. Logbook: Compete after harvest, prior to delivery – COL s.9
  4. AQSF logbook (required under Aquaculture Shellfish COL if product is being wet stored at an aquaculture facility that is approved for wet storage): Complete within 24 hours of transfer to licensed area – AQSF COL s.12.2
  5. Federal processing plant: All intertidal bivalves shall be processed by persons holding a federal license to process bivalve shellfish in BC.
  6. Oral report: Complete within 16 hours of harvest – COL s.8(2)
  7. Fish slip: Complete within 7 days of harvest – COL s.10(3)
  8. Logbook: Complete within 28 days of harvest – COL s.9(5) 

Steps for clams

Steps are designed for market sale. Other legislation may apply for wet storage.

  1. Harvest and tag: COL s.6
  2. Fish slip: Complete within 7 days of harvest – COL s.8(5)
  3. Federal processing plant: All intertidal bivalves shall be processed by persons holding a federal license to process bivalve shellfish in BC.
  4. The use of a buyer/receiver is optional prior to wild oysters and clams entering the federal processing plant. BC Fish and Seafood Regulations apply. The buyer/receiver must follow the Fisheries Act s.61 records prior to arriving at federal processing plant.

Be aware of bivalve shellfish contamination closures

Eating shellfish with high levels of certain toxins can lead to serious and potentially fatal illnesses. Always check for marine biotoxin and sanitary contamination closures for the area where you plan to harvest.

Conditions of Pacific Oyster Licence, 2020

5. Marking of bags or containers to hold or transport Pacific oysters:

  1. All containers holding oysters shall be marked or tagged with the following information;
    • licence number;
    • harvest date;
    • harvester's name;
    • beach name or location where harvesting occurred; and
    • Pacific Fisheries Management Subarea (example: Subarea 24-4).
  2. Tags shall be waterproof and information shall be written in water resistant ink.
  3. All oyster containers shall be tagged prior to placing any oysters in them.
  4. No container of oysters shall remain untagged during transport to market sale or a wet storage location in preparation for market sale.

8. Oral reports:

  1. The licence holder shall report the information set out below by telephoning the approved Service Provider between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Pacific time at 1-800-775-5505. Hails must be made not less than 24 hours prior to harvesting:
    • licence holder's name and licence number;
    • beach name where harvesting will occur;
    • Pacific Fisheries Management Subarea;
    • date and time of arrival at the fishing location; and
    • caller's name.
  2. The licence holder shall report the information set out below by telephoning the approved Service Provider between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Pacific time at 1-888-730-8709. Hails must be made within 16 hours following the oysters being removed from the harvest site:
    • licence holder's name;
    • hail out number;
    • caller's name;
    • beach name where harvesting occurred;
    • subarea; and
    • accurate estimated weight of harvested oysters.
  3. Upon failure to arrive at the fishing location within 24 hours of the time stated in subsection 8(1), the licence holder shall report the following information to the designated service provider:
    • licence number; and
    • details of change in fishing plans.
  4. The licence holder shall arrange to have an updated summary report of all hails provided to the Service Provider sent to the Department within 7 days of the data being received by the Service Provider.

9. Harvest logs

  1. The licence holder shall maintain a log of all harvest operations. The content and format of this log shall meet the requirements set out by the Department in the Pacific Oyster Commercial Fishery Monitoring and Catch Reporting Program Standards for the current licence year.
  2. The harvest and fishing location information recorded in the log shall be complete and accurate.
  3. The information for each day's harvest operations shall be recorded in the log prior to leaving the harvest site each day.
  4. The log shall be produced for examination on demand of a fishery officer or a fishery guardian.
  5. The completed log pages (original copy) shall be forwarded within 28 days following the end of each month in which fishing occurred to: Guy Parker Fisheries and Oceans Canada 3225 Stephenson Point Road Nanaimo, BC V9T 1K3.

10. Fish slips:

  1. An accurate written report shall be provided on a fish slip of all fish and shellfish caught and retained under the authority of this licence.
  2. A report shall be made even if the fish or shellfish harvested are used for personal consumption or disposed of otherwise.
  3. The report shall be mailed not later than seven days after harvest and sent to: Fisheries and Aquaculture Management Branch FM Data Unit Suite 200 - 401 Burrard Street Vancouver, BC V6C 3S4.
  4. This report shall be made within seven days of harvest regardless of whether or not the catch has been sold within that period. Fish slips may be downloaded and printed at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/stats/fishslips-carnets/index-eng.html. Fish slip books may also be ordered from the printer at user cost at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/stats/fishslips-carnets/index-eng.html. Phone (604) 666-2716 for more information.

Conditions of intertidal clam license, 2020

6. Marking of bags or containers to hold or transport clams:

  1. All containers holding clams shall be marked or tagged at all times with the following information;
    • licence number;
    • harvest date;
    • licence holder's full name as it appears on the licence;
    • beach or location where harvesting occurred; and
    • Pacific Fisheries Management Subarea.
  2. Tags shall be waterproof and information shall be written in water resistant ink.
  3. No container of clams shall remain untagged during transport to market sale or a wet storage location in preparation for market sale.

8. Fish slips:

  1. An accurate written report shall be provided on a fish slip of all fish and shellfish caught and retained under the authority of this licence.
  2. The record shall contain the following information:
    • The slip shall be clearly marked “clams”;
    • buyer's name, address and telephone number;
    • harvester's name and address;
    • processing plant name;
    • landing date;
    • gear used to harvest the fish;
    • harvest Area - Subarea, Harvest Beach, where fishing occurred and days spent fishing in each area;
    • the individual species of each fish sold or offloaded;
    • the weight of each species sold or offloaded;
    • the price paid for each species sold; and
    • the total value of each species sold or offloaded.
  3. A report shall be made even if the fish or shellfish harvested are used for personal consumption or disposed of otherwise.
  4. The licence holder shall ensure that the report is mailed not later than seven days after delivery to a buyer and sent to: Department of Fisheries and Oceans Fisheries Management Data Unit, Suite 200-401 Burrard Street Vancouver, BC V6C 3S4.
  5. This report shall be made within seven days of the delivery regardless of whether or not the catch has been sold within that period.
    Note: Fish slip books may be purchased directly from the printer, Proforma Business Forms, https://proformaprostores.com/Category, phone (604)596-6133. Alternately, fish slips can be downloaded free of charge, from the DFO website. For more information, see the website https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fisheries-peches/sdc-cps/fishslips-carnets/index-eng.html or phone the FM Data Unit message line at (604)666-2716.
  • Illustration of a clam/oyster tag, showing space for recording
    • Licence #
    • Harvest date
    • Licence holder name
    • Harvest location
    • Pacific Fisheries Management Area (PFMA)
  • Illustration of a sample fish slip.
  • Illustration of a log book with required information, format optional
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