NWMB-NMRWB Joint Written Public Hearing to consider the 2022/23 Total Allowable Catch levels for Northern and Striped shrimp in the Western and Eastern Assessment Zone
Press Release
THE PURPOSE of the Joint Written Public Hearing of the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board (NWMB) and Nunavik Marine Region Wildlife Board (NMRWB, collectively Boards) is to consider Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Request for Decision to the Boards (Request) seeking recommendations and decisions on total allowable catch levels for northern and striped shrimp in the Eastern and Western Assessment Zones for the 2022/2023 fishing season. Further, the purpose of the Joint Written Public Hearing is to ensure impacted parties have an opportunity to review the Request and the information in support of it, to share additional information and their views with the Boards so as to ensure the Boards have the most relevant information upon which to make their decisions and recommendations.
The purpose of this hearing is specifically to consider the following:
For the Western Assessment Zone
Overall TAC for both northern (Pandalus borealis) and striped (Pandalus montagui) shrimp in the Western Assessment Zone
Harvest level for both northern and striped shrimp in the Nunavut-West
Harvest level for both northern and striped shrimp in the Nunavik-West
Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS): Science Advisory Report for Shrimp in the Western Assessment Zone
For the Eastern Assessment Zone
Overall TAC for both northern and striped shrimp in the Eastern Assessment Zone
Harvest level for both northern and striped shrimp in the Nunavut-East
Harvest level for both northern and striped shrimp in the Nunavik-East
Distribution of northern and striped shrimp total allowable catch within the Davis Strait management units and the allocation of the total allowable catch among fleet interests
Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS): Science Advisory Report for Shrimp in the Eastern Assessment Zone
This year Fisheries and Oceans Canada did not request that the Boards make a decision regarding sharing agreements in the Western Assessment Zone. However, despite not being in the Request, the Boards would like to offer the opportunity for parties to consider the following sharing agreements as permanent:
Management Measures
Continuation of the practice whereby both northern and striped shrimp allocations in Nunavut-West and Nunavik-West may be harvested in either management unit, regardless of land claim boundaries
Continuation of the practice whereby the total allowable catch be allocated equally between Nunavut and Nunavik in the Western Assessment Zone.
The Proposal, along with other documents comprising the best available information submitted to the Boards to date, is available for review or download from the NWMB’s website (www.nwmb.com).
The hearing shall be open to the public and any interested person or body may file with the NWMB and NMRWB supporting documents relevant to the “Request for Decision”.
Subject to relevant confidentiality or privacy concerns, all materials filed with the Boards or produced during this hearing will be publicly available through the public registry.
The public registry will be the joint hearing record for the NMRWB and the NWMB.
The Government of Canada, Government of Nunavut, Designated Inuit Organizations, Hunters and Trappers Organizations, Regional Wildlife Organizations, the Regional Nunavimmi Umajulirijiit Katujjiqatigiinninga (RNUK), Local Nunavimmi Umajulirijiit Katujjiqatigiinningit (LNUKs), and any Nunavik or Nunavut Inuk have status of party for the hearing.
The NWMB or NMRWB may invite additional persons or bodies to be a party to the hearing.
A person or body, other than those named above, wishing to be a party to the hearing shall submit a written request to the NWMB or NMRWB wherein the reasons for the request and the basis of their interest in the Request are explained.
Material filed with the NMRWB or the NWMB after filing deadlines will not be included in the joint hearing record and will not be considered by the Boards unless persuasive written and translated reasons are provided to the NWMB or NMRWB for the late filing.
The requirement for the translation of material filed with the NWMB and NMRWB does not apply to individual Nunavik and Nunavut Inuit and members of the public.
Translation of documents over ten (10) pages in length is not required. However, such documents require a concise, translated summary (English and Inuktitut).
Although the written public hearing is conducted jointly, the NWMB and NMRWB will independently exercise their authorities pursuant to the provisions of their respective Land Claims Agreements.
In the event that the Minister rejects the initial decisions made by each Board, parties may be given an opportunity to file submissions to the Boards on the reasons for rejection provided by the Minister prior to the Boards reconsidering their decision and issuing final decisions.