Fishery Notice

Central Coast Bulletin #31
April 05, 2017: 

The Proud Canadian worked through the through Spiller Channel yesterday before 
moving into Bella Bella.  Their charter is complete.

The gill net charter Star King continued their sounding program in Spiller 
Channel yesterday.  They will be continuing in the area today.  The Lady Raven 
continued their charter yesterday in the Gunboat Passage and Troup Passage, and 
today they will be heading towards Berry Inlet and Powell Anchorage. 

The Vector was in Bella Bella yesterday, and is heading south through Fitz Hugh 
Sound today, before heading for Area 10, and onto Port Hardy.  This will be the 
end of their tour in the Central Coast.

The next spawn fight is scheduled for Thursday April 6, weather dependant.

The dive charters will be starting later this week.

There has been three small "puff spawns" observed in Upper Spiller Channel and 
a spot spawn in Troupe Narrows.  These spawns do not appear to be continuing, 
or have significant biomass to back them up.

The heaviest concentration of predators and sounded fish are in Spiller Channel 
and outer Seaforth Channel.  A large biomass of fish had moved into lower 
Spiller Channel, but with the recent poor weather seems to have moved into 
deeper water.

Soundings and Roe Tests:

Area 6

Meyers Passage ---------------- Apr 02, Fish on Bottom 
Palmer Anchorage -------------- Mar 19, 10 tons
Thistle Passage --------------- Apr 02, Scratches + Fish on Bottom
Trahey Inlet ------------------ Mar 19, 40 tons
Kitasu Bay -------------------- Apr 02, 3000+ tons
March 18; Jamieson Point;6.3%;20.2cm;53:44; 24-3-18-1-0; (26.7g:101.7g)
March 5; Jamieson Point; 0%; 20.0cm; 51:51; 1-18-33-0-0; (1g:96.91g)
Price Island ------------------ Mar 19, NFF
Normansell Islands ------------ Mar 04, scratches; fish close to beach
Clifford Bay ------------------ Mar 04, NFF; Bird and whale activity

Area 6 Soundings Total		  3050 tons

Area 6 Spawn Summary:
Mar 29: The spawn observed in Clifford Bay ended on the same day it was 
observed; however it has been reported to have begun again, and expanded along 
the southern shore of the bay.  

Mar 28 - Apr 03: The spawn in Kitasu Bay continues, and is expanding.  
Currently estimated at 3.9 miles of spawn.


Area 7

Lower Spiller Channel --------- Apr 04, 1335 tons; lots of predators 
March 31; N of Tankeeah; 15.6%; 19.7cm;44:56; 54-1-1-1-0; (28.8g:99.8g)
Adjusted Percentage for Male:Female Ratio = 14%

March 28; Shingle Rk; 11.2%; 19.6cm; 56:49; 46-0-3-3-0; (24.5g:92.6g)
March 27;S of Mosquito; 11.5%; 19.9cm; 59:43; 41-1-2-0-0; (28.3g:98.2g)

Upper Spiller Channel --------- Apr 04, 1880 tons 
April 03; Neekas; 13.7%; 19.4cm; 49:60; 59-1-0-2-0; (23.2g:89.9g)
Adjusted Percentage for Male:Female Ratio = 12.5%

Spiller Inlet ----------------- Apr 04, NFF
Lower Return Channel ---------- Mar 25, 60 tons, small schools
March 8; Return Channel; 0%; 20.3cm; 49:51; 0-18-33-0-0; (0.3g:101.04g)
Gunboat Passage --------------- Mar 30, 140 tons
Troup Passage ----------------- Apr 04, 580 tons
March 2; Troup Passage; 0%; 19.4cm; 52:52; 0-8-44-0-44; (0g:83g)
Inner Seaforth Channel -------- Mar 30, 715 tons, 500 at Idol Pt. 
Outer Seaforth Channel -------- Apr 01, 2000 tons in several schools
March 30; Wootton It; 12.3%; 47:52; 49-1-1-0-0; (24.98g:100.86g)
March 29; E Harmston Is; 13.1%; 41:42; 40-1-1-0-0; (32.91g:121.15g)
Powell Anchorage -------------- Apr 01, 150 tons
Berry Inlet ------------------- Apr 01, 25 tons 
Moss Passage ------------------ Apr 01, 130 tons, skimmers
Lower Mathieson Channel ------- Mar 29, NFF
East Higgins Passage ---------- Apr 01, 500+ tons estimated
March 20; East Higgins; 8.8%; 19.0cm; 47:51; 33-3-14-1-2; (26.6g:99.4g)
March 8; East Higgins; 0%; 20.6cm; 50:50; 2-8-40-0-1; (0g:99.38g)
Raymond Passage --------------- Apr 01, 150 tons
Norman Morrison --------------- Apr 01, 15 tons, scratches
Thompson Bay ------------------ Apr 03, 130 tons 
Waskesui Passage -------------- Mar 29, 10 tons
Boddy/Joassa ------------------ Apr 03, 140 tons, FOB
March 22;Boddy Narrows; 11.3%; 19.3cm; 64:54; 50-0-4-1-0; (23.3g:84.9g)
Peter Bay --------------------- Mar 29, 40 tons
Dundivan Inlet ---------------- Apr 03, Fish on Bottom
Stryker Bay ------------------- Apr 03, NFF
Spider Channel ---------------- Mar 29, 35 tons
Kildidt Sound ----------------- Mar 30, 90 tons

Area 7 Soundings Total          8125 tons

Area 7 Spawn Summary:
Apr 02: East Higgins Passage: Spawn reported starting behind the SOK operation.

Apr 03: Spot spawns reported in several places in Upper Spiller Channel: two in 
Ellerslie Bay, and one near Cheenis Creek.

Apr 04: Spot spawn reported in Troup Narrows, estimated 100 meters, no fish to 
back up and already washing out.


Area 8

Pruth Bay --------------------- Mar 20, Scratches
Kwakshua Channel -------------- Mar 25, 100 tons
Fish Egg Inlet ---------------- Mar 21, 50 tons
Fairmile Passage -------------- Mar 25, 800 tons
Naulau Passage ---------------- Mar 30, 150 tons
Mustang Bay ------------------- Mar 30, NFF
Kwakume ----------------------- Mar 27, NFF
Warrior Cove to Namu ---------- Mar 30, NFF
Kiwash Cove ------------------- Mar 30, NFF

Apr 03: Spotty spawns reported in Fitz Hugh Sound, on the eastern shoreline 
near Kwakume Inlet.

Definitions:
Scratches - Herring present in small schools 1 to 2 tons
Skimmer - Herring spread out near the surface, difficult to quantify
Fish on bottom (FOB) - Herring too close to the bottom to quantify
NFF - No Fish Found
Washed out spawn - Spawn that is coming to an end
Miles - Means nautical miles for this bulletin

ROE TEST CODE: Date;Location;roe yield;fish size;males:females;#1-#2-#3-
#spawned-#juvenile;(roe weight g:fish weight g)

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Jeff Radford 250-799-5127

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0335
Sent April 5, 2017 at 0937

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