Minister of Ministre des Fisheries, Oceans 1 Pêches, des Océans and the Canadian Coast Guard ann. et de la Garde côtière canadienne February 13, 2024 Re: 2024 Elver Fishery — Contemplated Non-Renewal of Licence No. I am writing to inform you of my intention not to renew any elverlicences for the 2024 season, including the licence referred to above. My intention is based on the following reasons. Over thelast several years, multiple discussions between the Department, licence holders, and others have noted that new tools and approaches are required to effectively manage and controlthe elver fishery. In the absence of these changes, it is highly likely that a 2024 season would follow the unacceptable pattern seen in recent years. As you know, over the last four fishing seasons, the elver fishery has undergoneapattern of increasing and very serious challenges. Inspections, observations, and reports to Conservation and Protection (C&P)indicate significant quantities of elvers being fished illegally, with total removals estimated to have been significantly in excess ofthe total allowable catch, jeopardizing the conservation objectives for American eel in Canada and threatening the conservation and protection of the population. This fishery brings with it significant enforcement challenges, stemming from the large geographic areaofthe fishery, ease of harvest with minimal equipment, with harvesting carried out at night, and throughouta significant numberofhighly distributed set of river systems. It has become clearthat significant changesto the regulation and management of the fishery would be required to address these challenges and havea fishery that is capable of being properly managed and controlled. Theelverfishery has becomethe focus ofharassment, threats, and violence between fishers and toward fishery officers, with a numberofconfrontationsand incidents of violence creating an immediate threat to public safety and managementofthe elver fishery. C&P, and its enforcementpartners, has received numerous complaints of violence, trespassing, property damage, weaponsoffences, organized crime, forcible confinement, and other significant risks to public safety. ../2 ast Canada Recent experience in the elver fishery has clearly demonstrated that existing monitoring and enforcement tools and resourcesare not sufficient to manage the conservation and protection of elver or appropriately safeguard personal safety. In 2020, there were high levels of unauthorized fishing of elvers for sale in numerousrivers, threatening and potentially violent interactions between harvesters, and a dangerous operating environment for enforcementofficers. These led the Minister to issue a fisheries managementorder closing the fishery on an urgentbasis. In 2023, a further escalation led the Minister to issue another fisheries managementorder, closing the fishery on an urgentbasis, in a season with more than 1,550 reported occurrences of unauthorized fishing in the Maritimes Region. Immediately following the closure of the 2023 fishery, the Department launched an extensive review of the commercial elverfishery, rooted in lessons learned from other jurisdictions, including the State of Maine, which shared extensive information on their experience in developing a more manageableelverfishery. In the course ofthe review it has becomeclearthat the necessary changes include enhancing access for Indigenous communities, a new regulatory frameworkto regulate and license the possessionandexportofelvers, and a suite of operational changes to the managementofthe elverfishery. Many of the required changes would be contingent on the enactment of new regulations, including the design and implementation of a new traceability system to track the movementof elvers. Despite the Department’s best efforts, these changes will notbe in place to support a 2024 fishery. Basedonall the above,it is my view thatit is not possible to have a safe and sustainable elverfishery in 2024, andtherefore the fishery should not be opened. If you have any relevant commentto inform my final decision, I would ask you to please provide them in writing to Jacinta Berthier, Regional Director — Fisheries Management, Maritimes Region (Jacinta.Berthier@dfo-mpo.gc.ca) by February 23, 2024. Any relevant written reply received by this date will be considered prior to my finaldecision. Yours sincerely, De The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, P.C., M.P.