Sea Pact is providing funding support to The BC Shrimpers Association project: Bycatch Mitigation and Regulatory Change Through LED Light Use.
This project aims to mitigate the main bycatch issue of Eulachon in the BC shrimp trawl fishery through the use of LED light technology. Verification of the effectiveness of this selective gear technology aims to support proposed regulatory change, and thus effect improvement on the economic feasibility of the fishery while minimizing the impact of the fishery on the environment including other species.

The Projects ultimate objective is to test, and through that testing, verify results achieved in Oregon State, to signficantly reduce the bycatch of Eulachon through the use of LED lights in the Shrimp-by-Trawl Fleet. This data is required to independently verify the result in Canadian Waters to allow the process of Regulatory Change to take place so make such equipment legal for use in Canada.

The benefits of the proving of this technologh in Canada are to: The Eulachon populations, B.C. Shrimp-By-Trawl Fishermen, their families, and processors, First Nations that use this fish as a Traditional Food Source.

The Project will be carried out by independent scientific researchers ARCHIPELAGO MARINE RESEARCH LTD. This company has an excellent track record in the fields of Fisheries Research, Observer, and Monitoring. The project will also be monitored by DFO staff. Should the technology be verified, there is an ongoing Management Protocol for observer coverage in the B.C. Shrimp-by-Trawl fishery.

This LED Technology is now used 100% in the Oregon Pink Shrimp Fishery. However, the use of lights in Shrimp Trawl are currently illegal in Western Canada. This study is required to verify the effectiveness of the use of LED Lights to promote the efforts by DFO to make the necessary changes to Fisheires Regulations to allow the use in, at least, the B.C. Shrimp-by-Trawl fishery.

The Project is a verification of work already carrie out in Oregon. As a result of the Oregon work that fleet now uses 100% use of LED to reduce by-catch. Once the work is verified in Canada, A proposal will be made to DFO to change Regulations in Western Canada to allow the use fo this Technology in the B.C. Shrimp-By-Tawl, and perhaps, other fisheries.