FISHERIES INNOVATION – A DECISION-MAKING TOOL FOR THE FISHING AREA

Cap-aux-Meules, December 16, 2020 – The Rassemblement des Pêcheurs et Pêcheuses des Côtes des Îles (RPPCÎ) project on the optimal date for the opening of the fishery is funded by the Fonds des Pêches du Québec. Announced on November 10 by Mr. André Lamontagne, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and Ms. Diane Lebouthillier, Member of Parliament for Gaspésie-Les Iles-de-la-Madeleine and Minister of National Revenue, this joint Canada-Quebec grant offers the RPCCÎ and its collaborators the opportunity to develop an innovative project to optimize the choice of the start of the fishing season, in order to support 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 continue its scientific data collection project, the RPPCÎ is receiving $331,000 in funding from the Fonds des Pêches du Québec for the "Deployment of a multi-parameter decision support tool for the opening date of the lobster fishery for ZPH22." This initiative, in partnership with Merinov and X-TELIA, will allow to continue and consolidate the data collection undertaken in 2018 and 2019, in connection with water temperature and the metabolic state of lobster. This research project aims primarily to address a major need of the industry by targeting the best time to start the lobster fishing season.

Merinov
The Merinov team at the Îles-de-la-Madeleine service point supports the RPPCÎ in order to document, independently, the temporal changes in catch yields, Brix indices and bottom temperature conditions in 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 in order 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 egg hatching period. Merinov is proud to continue its collaboration with the RPPCÎ and to contribute to this promising project for the fishing industry of the Îles-de-la-Madeleine.

X-TELIA
These smart buoys measure the temperature of the seabed at more than 23 meters deep and transmit this data to the X-TELIA network gateways located more than 20 km away, on the archipelago. The data is then processed and displayed in real time on a dashboard that can be easily consulted 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 its state-of-the-art wireless technology and its unique expertise in connected objects in Quebec available to the RPPCÎ, and in so doing, to 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 that works concretely to represent fishermen and fisherwomen from the Îles-de-la-Madeleine and to implement truly useful measures 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 to enable informed decisions about the future of marine resources and coastal fishing in the Islands. Since its creation, the RPPCÎ has brought together, on average, more than 200 captain-owners of commercial fishing vessels. The Rassemblement mainly represents lobster fishermen and fisherwomen, but also those of other commercial species.

About Merinov
Merinov is a non-profit organization founded in 2010 that is Canada's largest integrated center for applied research in the fields of fishing, aquaculture, and the processing and valorization of aquatic products. Merinov puts the talent and creativity of its employees at the service of companies and organizations in order to increase their competitiveness through technological innovation and the implementation of sustainable and efficient approaches. In this context, Merinov supports stakeholders such as the RPPCÎ in their R&D initiatives, providing access to expertise and infrastructure that guarantee scientific validity.
For more information:  http://www.merinov.ca.

About X-TELIA
Groupe X-TELIA inc. is a Quebec company that operates a new generation wireless network dedicated to the Internet of Things. This group supports companies and cities that want to deploy applications that depend on highly secure, low-cost and very low-energy long-range connectivity. X-TELIA offers the Quebec market proven solutions from around the world and cutting-edge expertise to facilitate the transition 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.