INNOVATION IN FISHERIES - A DECISION SUPPORT TOOL FOR THE FISHING AREA

Cap-aux-Meules, December 16, 2020 - The project of the Rassemblement des Pêcheurs et Pêcheuses des Côtes des Îles (RPPCÎ) on the optimal opening date of the fishery is financed by the Quebec Fisheries Fund. Announced on November 10 by André Lamontagne, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and Diane Lebouthillier, MNA for Gaspésie-Les Iles-de-la-Madeleine and Minister of National Revenue, this joint Canada-Quebec grant provides the RPCCÎ and its collaborators with the opportunity to develop an innovative project to optimize the choice of the start of the fishing season, with a view to supporting the competitiveness and sustainability of the sectors involved. Indeed, it is crucial to ensure the profitability of the fishery from the opening of the season, while minimizing its impact on the stock at the end of the season.

The Rassemblement des Pêcheurs et Pêcheuses des Côtes des Îles (RPPCÎ)
In order to pursue its scientific data collection project, the RPPCÎ has obtained $331,000 in funding from the Fonds des Pêches du Québec for the "Deployment of a multiparametric decision support tool for the opening date of the lobster fishery in LFA22". This project, in partnership with Merinov and X-TELIA, will continue and consolidate the data collection undertaken in 2018 and 2019, in relation to water temperature and the metabolic state of lobsters. This research project is mainly aimed at meeting a major industry need by targeting the best time to start the lobster fishing season.

Merinov
The Merinov team at the Magdalen Islands point of service is supporting the RPPCÎ in order to document, in an independent manner, the temporal evolution of catch yields, Brix indexes and bottom temperature conditions during the pre-fishing season. For this last parameter, the team has developed, in close collaboration with X-TELIA, a connected buoy model that will be deployed on both sides of the archipelago to acquire data in real time and at high frequency. During the season, egg samples taken by volunteer fishermen allow Merinov to determine the theoretical hatching period of the eggs. Merinov is proud to continue its collaboration with the RPPCÎ and to contribute to this promising project for the Magdalen Islands fishing industry.

X-TELIA
These smart buoys measure the temperature of the seabed at a depth of more than 23 metres and transmit this data to the X-TELIA network gateways located more than 20 km away in the archipelago. The data is then processed and displayed in real time on a dashboard that can be easily accessed by the RPPCÎ on mobile phones. This information at your fingertips allows for informed decision making based on reliable present and historical data. "X-TELIA is pleased to make available to the RPPCÎ its cutting-edge wireless technology and expertise in connected objects, unique in Quebec, and thereby help an industry of which we are all proud," says Éric Bourbeau, President of X-TELIA.

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About the RPPCÎ
The Rassemblement des Pêcheurs et Pêcheuses des Côtes des Îles (RPPCÎ) is a non-profit organization founded in 2015, which works concretely to represent the fishermen and fisherwomen of the Magdalen Islands and to implement measures that are truly useful to ensure the preservation and sustainability of the various species. Since 2017, the organization has overseen and invested financially in several scientific research and technological adaptation projects that allow for informed decisions on the future of marine resources and inshore fishing in the Magdalen Islands. Since its creation, the RPPCÎ has brought together, on average, more than 200 captain-owners of commercial fishing vessels. The Gathering represents mainly lobster fishermen, but also other commercial species.

About Merinov
Merinov is a not-for-profit organization founded in 2010 and is Canada's largest integrated centre for applied research in fisheries, aquaculture, and aquatic product processing. Merinov provides companies and organizations with the talent and creativity of its employees in order to increase their competitiveness through technological innovation and the implementation of sustainable and efficient approaches. In this context, Merinov supports players such as RPPCÎ in their R&D initiatives, providing access to expertise and infrastructures that guarantee scientific validity.
For more information : http://www.merinov.ca.

About X-TELIA
X-TELIA Group Inc. is a Quebec-based company that operates a next generation wireless network dedicated to the Internet of Things. The group supports businesses and cities that want to deploy applications that depend on highly secure, low-cost and low-power long-range connectivity. X-TELIA offers the Quebec market solutions that have been proven elsewhere in the world, as well as leading-edge expertise to facilitate the shift to the Internet of Things. The X-TELIA network is specifically designed to support new applications that make cities smarter, industry more efficient and citizens safer.