DFO backs off on plan to ban tubbing for 2021

BC Prawn Association

With the prawn season about to shift into high gear, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has backed off on a plan to ban the process of tubbing, a long held practice for those who harvest prawns for commercial sale.

The DFO plans provided for a significant push back from the industry in March, with a petition released gaining wide attention  to the concerns of those in the industry.

In a statement from  Monday, Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard, confirmed her support for an interim protocol that would allow harvesters to freeze their catch, a process commonly known as “tubbing.”

The statement notes how the Protocol, developed by the Pacific Prawn Fishermen’s Association will help prawn harvesters ensure that their catch, including catch frozen in tubs, is readily available for inspection by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Fishery Officers and legally available for sale.  

“Our goal is, and always has been, to see our Pacific prawn fishery continue to thrive. Working in partnership with the Pacific Prawn Fishermen’s Association, we have agreed on a process that will allow harvesters to freeze their catch at sea this season, just as they’ve done for years. Size limits remain a critical part of a sustainable prawn fishery, and we will work with industry to develop viable, alternative practices for the long-term. But with the season fast approaching, it’s important that British Columbians understand they can, and should, continue to purchase delicious, frozen Pacific prawns.” -- The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

 The discussion over the process of tubbing, however does not seem to be over, with the announcement for 2021 an interim one, until further review of the topic moves forward, with DFO noting that:

"The Department looks forward to continued engagement with the Pacific prawn industry over the coming year on the development of different packaging practices or other measures that will help ensure the continued sustainable harvest of British Columbia prawns." -- DFO on future engagement on the topic of tubbing

More notes related to the fishery can be explored from our archive page.

 

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.