How It Works

As a recreational fisher or stakeholder, you can use the Vericatch accessQ service to facilitate the leasing of halibut quota in just three easy steps:

1. Obtain an Experimental Licence from DFO
2. Lease your desired quota through accessQ
3. Receive and retain your provisional record of quota lease

For more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions page.

1. Obtain an experimental licence from DFO

Visit and complete the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada's online Expression of Interest form for the Halibut Experimental Recreational Fishery. Once DFO receives and processes your submission they will send you a licence application form. There is no charge for the experimental licence.

If you participated in the Halibut Experimental Recreational Fishery for a previous season and are re-applying for the program, you do not have to complete an Expression of Interest form. Instead, please provide DFO with your contact information and their Groundfish Management Unit will contact you.

Once you have received your licence application, complete and return it to DFO who will then provide you with an experimental licence. DFO will also provide you your conditions of licence, along with a paper log book for keeping track of your catch throughout the season.

Please consult the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada website for the most up to date information regarding the current halibut limits for fishing halibut in BC.

2. Lease your desired quota through accessQ

1. Sign in to accessQ. If this is your first time using accessQ, create a new account at the sign up page
2. Once you are signed in, click on Listings, select from the species you wish to lease, provide your experimental licence number (beginning with "XRQ"), and follow the remaining prompts to the checkout process where you will be asked for payment information

3. Receive and retain your provisional record of quota lease

Once the purchase has been completed in the prior step, accessQ will provide you via email a provisional record of quota lease which you print and keep with you during your fishing activities. Vericatch will then notify DFO where they will then send you an updated licence amendment reflecting the total amount of halibut quota transferred onto your experimental licence.