Fishery Notice

AREA G WCVI CHINOOK FISHERY

The Area G Harvest Committee met this morning to review the April/May fishery 
and the overall Area G fishing plan.  The committee agreed to open an 
additional portion of Area 123 known as Troll Zone 13 effective 00:01 hours 
Wednesday, May 27, 2015, and the committee agreed to reduce the target catch 
for the April/May fishing period to 30,000 chinook to provide sufficient 
available TAC for a plug fishery to occur in late July and/or early August.  
Estimated catch to May 25 is 24,400 chinook.  Depending on catch rates and 
fleet size, the current fishery may close on short notice prior to May 31 if 
the target catch of 30,000 chinook is reached.  

Effective 00:01 hours, Wednesday, May 27, 2015, the Area G chinook fishery is 
open until further notice or May 31, 2015 in the following Areas:

Area 123 - Those portions of subareas 123-3, 123-5, 123-6 and 123-8 known as 
Troll Zones 13, 15A, 15B, 16 and a portion of 15A described as the area bounded 
by the surfline, the Area 124/123 boundary and the following coordinates:
48 42.338 N  125 59.520 W
48 39.076 N  125 57.502 W
48 43.549 N  125 38.103 W
48 46.240 N  125 44.620 W 
48 47.860 N  125 36.319 W
48 52.068 N  125 30.653 W and
48 50.752 N  125 21.561 W.

Note that the southeast corner of Amphitrite Bank is not included in the open 
area described above.

Those portions of 123-8 and 123-9 known as Troll Zones 11 and 12 described as 
the area bounded by the following coordinates:
48 42.338 N  125 59.520 W
48 34.378 N  126 09.418 W
48 16.680 N  126 11.590 W
48 26.790 N  125 34.210 W and
48 39.076 N  125 57.502 W.

Areas 124, 125, 126, 127 and, 

Area 23 - Subareas 23-3 excluding Uchucklesit Inlet, 23-4, 23-5, 23- 6 
excluding Effingham Inlet, 23-7, 23-8, 23-9, and 23-10 excluding Pipestem Inlet 
and Sub-area 23-11 excluding Ucluelet Inlet.

Area 24 - Subareas 24-6, 24-8, 24-9 and that portion of sub area 24-2 seaward 
of a line commencing at Starling Point Light then heading 270 degrees true to 
the opposite shoreline of Sydney Inlet.
 
Area 25 - Subareas 25-6, 25-7, 25-15 and that portion of subarea 25-13 seaward 
of a line commencing from a point (49 50.020 N, 126 57.906 W) at the northeast 
entrance of Rosa Harbour continuing to a point (49 51.577 N, 126 59.640 W) at 
the western entrance of Port Eliza. 

Area 26 - Sub-areas 26-1, 26-2, 26-6, and 26-7.

Area 27 - Sub-areas 27-1, 27-2, 27-3, 27-4, 27-7, and 27-9.

The target species is chinook.  Incidentally caught chum, pink may be 
retained.  All coho, sockeye and steelhead may not be retained. The minimum 
size limit for chinook is 55 cm fork length (head on), and 44 cm (head off). 

Variation Order No. 2015-G-TR-WCVI-007

Negotiations between the Department and the five T'aaq-wiihak First Nations 
(Ahousaht, Tla-o-qui-aht, Ehattesaht, Mowachaht/Muchalaht, and Hesquiaht) 
regarding a chinook AABM 2015 demonstration fishery continue, and updates will 
be provided once those negotiations are complete. 
 
Fishers are reminded that similar to the past three years, conservation 
measures to further protect Fraser River Spring and Sumer Chinooks will likely 
be in effect. These measures include no Area G fisheries in June and monthly 
boat day limits during the April/May fishing period.  For 2015 Area G 
fisheries, the Area G harvest committee has made fishing plans assuming that 
there will be no fishery in June and that the 650 boat days assigned to the 
June fishery will be transferable to the April and May fisheries.  

Fishers are reminded that the dockside catch validation pilot program 
implemented in the past two seasons will continue in 2015 from April 19 until 
September 30.  All fish caught under the authority of an Area G licence must be 
delivered to designated landing sites.  Please refer to your 2015-16 Area G 
Conditions of Licence for details.  This program will operate in conjunction 
with the JO Thomas Coded Wire Tag sampling program.  The ability to utilize the 
JO Thomas's CWT sampling crew to collect catch validation data create 
efficiencies which help minimize validation costs.

Harvesters are reminded that: 
- commercial trolling is not permitted in Rockfish Conservation Areas. These 
closures are listed at the website address 
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/maps-cartes/rca-acs/index-eng.htm 
or can be accessed at DFO district offices.

- sampling for coded wire tags from landed Chinook is essential. In order to 
facilitate sampling, fishers are asked to call J.O. Thomas and Associates 24 
hours in advance toll-free at 1-866-638-6301 before they land their catch with 
the following information:
Landing location.
Estimated date and time of landing.
Processor/company.
Area(s) fished.
Number of Chinook on-board.

Note that calls to this number between Monday and Friday during office hours 
(08:00 to 16:00 hours) will be answered in person. Calls made after office 
hours and on weekends will be directed to a voicemail box where this 
information can be left.

- Freezer vessels are required to retain ALL heads from chinook and coho salmon 
caught and retained. These heads must be delivered at the time of off-loading 
of the salmon catch and be made available for examination by representatives of 
the Department. Contact J.O. Thomas and Associates Ltd. at 1-866-638-6301 
between 08:00 hours and 16:00 hours for instructions relating to these heads. 

Note: Chinook/Coho head bags and labels will be provided at no cost by the 
Department, and can be picked up at the following DFO offices between 0800 
hours and 1600 hours:
Commissionaire, 2nd floor reception, 200 - 401 Burrard St, Vancouver;
Commissionaire, main entrance, 3190 Hammond Bay Rd., Nanaimo;
Front Counter, main entrance, 4706 Tebo Ave., Port Alberni;
Front Counter, main entrance, 8585 Wollason Rd, Port Hardy;
Front counter, 417 2nd Ave W, Prince Rupert; 
Front Counter, 137 Bay St, Queen Charlotte City; and 
Front Counter, 4250 Commerce Circle, Victoria

Alternative arrangements for receiving or picking up packages can be arranged.  
Phone DFO toll-free at 1-866-483-9994 for more information.

As an alternative to retaining the whole head from retained chinook and coho, 
fishers can opt to keep the upper jaw and head, from the tip of the nose back 
to 1 cm behind the eye. These "snouts" must be cut from the top of the head, 
with the cut travelling one centimetre posterior (behind) the eye, to the back 
corner of the mouth. There is no need to retain the lower jaws or gill plates.

- Environment Canada (EC) is monitoring seabird by-catch to determine potential 
impact on bird populations under current fishing effort and bird numbers. 
Fishers are requested to submit all dead birds entangled in nets to EC for 
species confirmation and DNA analysis to determine the colony of origin. Please 
call your local charter patrol to organize pick-up, drop carcasses off at a 
local DFO office, or contact EC directly by calling the EC Reporting Line 1-866-
431-2473 (BIRD). Label birds with date, time, location and vessel name (Skipper 
name isn't needed). Handle birds with gloves, double bag dead birds, store on 
ice. Questions: contact Laurie Wilson (laurie.wilson@ec.gc.ca, 604-862-8817). 

- Fisheries and Oceans Canada is interested in reports of sea turtles in BC 
waters. By documenting sightings we are able to learn more about how, when, and 
where these turtles are using our waters. If you see a sea turtle, please call 
this toll-free phone number: 1-866-I SAW ONE (1-866-472-9663), e-mail 
sightings@vanaqua.org or online reporting at www.wildwhales.org. Please include 
information such as the type of sea turtle seen (e.g. leatherback), the 
location, and time of sighting.


FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Bryan Rusch 250-756-7294

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0461
Sent May 26, 2015 at 1050

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