Digest of Benefit Entitlement Principles   Chapter 15 - Section 5

15.5.0 Determination of the benefit rate

Although no official declaration is required, information regarding those participating in making a catch and the share arrangements of the participants must be provided to the buyer, the usual "deemed" employer, for taxation and insurability purposes. Records of Employment completed by the employer/buyer and income tax information must be in accord ^{Footnote 1} .

The insurable earnings of a fisher are the fisher's share of proceeds from the sale of catches based on the share arrangements of the participants. For boat owners or lessees, shares, wages and salaries plus 25% of the gross value of the sales, are deducted. There is no minimum amount of weekly earnings ^{Footnote 2} .

For insurable earnings to be used to qualify for benefits or for calculating the benefit rate of a fisher, they must come from catches delivered in the qualifying period ^{Footnote 3} . If the catch is fresh, earnings are allocated equally to each day of a fishing trip and assigned to the appropriate weeks. In the case of a cured catch, the earnings are allocated to the week of delivery of the catch ^{Footnote 4} .

If a trip starts prior to the beginning of the qualifying period and ends after the start of the qualifying period, insurable earnings are allocated equally to each of the days of the trip and only those earnings within the qualifying period are counted ^{Footnote 5} .

To calculate the benefit rate, fishing earnings which fall in the qualifying period are added to those reported on Records of Employment from other employers and divided by a divisor ranging from 14 to 22 based on the regional rate of unemployment and found in the Table ^{Footnote 6} .

The insurable earnings from insured employment other than fishing, which would fall in the fisher's rate calculation period are converted to a weekly amount by applying the divisor ^{Footnote 7} . They are added to the insurable earnings from fishing as determined above ^{Footnote 8} .

Earnings from non-fishing employment where the claimant quit voluntarily without just cause or lost the employment for reasons of misconduct are excluded from the calculation of the benefit rate ^{Footnote 9} .

The rate calculation period is the most recent 26 consecutive weeks of employment in the qualifying period prior to the commencement of a fishing claim ^{Footnote 10} .

The total weekly insurable earnings from fishing and other employment are used to establish the benefit rate. The claimant's weekly benefit rate is the weekly amount multiplied by the percentage benefit rate that applies, which is currently 55% ^{Footnote 11} . However the maximum benefit rate will not exceed 55% of the maximum yearly insurable earnings divided by 52 ^{Footnote 12} .