Fishery Notice

Central Coast Bulletin #32
April 06, 2017: 

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 Berry Inlet and Powell Anchorage area, 
and towards Moss Passage.  They will be working in the Troup Passage, Return 
Channel, and Inner Seaforth area. 

The Vector was in the Fitz Hugh Sound area yesterday, and will be continuing 
south 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 this afternoon, weather dependant.

The dive charters will be starting as soon as they arrive on grounds over the 
next few days.

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 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. A large school of fish has been observed inshore near Odin Cove.

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 06: The spawn in Kitasu Bay continues, and is expanding.  As of 
April 3, it was estimated at 3.9 miles of spawn.


Area 7

Lower Spiller Channel --------- Apr 05, 900 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 05, 1230 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 ---------- Apr 05, 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 05, 580 tons
March 2; Troup Passage; 0%; 19.4cm; 52:52; 0-8-44-0-44; (0g:83g)
Inner Seaforth Channel -------- Apr 05, 2000 tons, mostly near Odin Cov 
Outer Seaforth Channel -------- Apr 05, 665 tons
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 05, 80 tons
Reid Passage ------------------ Apr 05. 225 tons
Berry Inlet ------------------- Apr 05, Skimmers 
Moss Passage ------------------ Apr 05, 60 tons
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 05, 240 tons
Stryker Bay ------------------- Apr 03, NFF
Spider Channel ---------------- Mar 29, 35 tons
Kildidt Sound ----------------- Mar 30, 90 tons

Area 7 Soundings Total          7200 tons

Area 7 Spawn Summary:
Apr 02 - April 05: East Higgins Passage: Spawn reported starting behind the SOK 
operation.  As of April 6 the spawn was reported as no longer active.

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.  April 6: spawn reported to be expanded in Kwakume Inlet  
proper, with an estimated 1.5 miles of spawn in the inlet, several layers 
thick, and continuing.

Area 10
Apr 05: Active spawn reported beginning April 5, and continuing today.  

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 - FN0340
Sent April 6, 2017 at 0927

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