Fishery Notice

This notice serves as a reminder that until further notice, sockeye non-
retention will be in effect in the following Areas to protect Early Stuart and 
the earliest timed Early Summer run sockeye:

Areas 11 to 21, 24 to 27, 111, 121, 123 to 127 and Subareas 29-1 to 29-5. 

Variation Order number 2016-358 remains in effect.


Note: First Nations Food, Social and Ceremonial fisheries in the remainder of 
Area 29 will continue to allow for retention of incidentally caught sockeye 
during targeted chinook fisheries. During the window closure licence conditions 
will include a requirement to use 8 in mesh gill nets in order to reduce by-
catch of co-migrating sockeye stocks and will be managed to limit sockeye 
impacts to levels identified through the Fraser Panel and domestic management 
processes.

The Early Stuart and the earliest timed Early Summer run sockeye window closure 
is expected to be lifted in Areas 11 to 17, 19 to 21, 24 to 27, 111, 121, 123 
to 127 on July 21, 2017, unless in-season assessment information indicates 
otherwise.

The Early Stuart and the earliest timed Early Summer run sockeye window closure 
is expected to be lifted in Areas 18 and 29 at noon on July 27, 2017, unless in-
season assessment information indicates otherwise.

The fishery implications of the Fraser sockeye escapement strategy will be 
strongly influenced by in-season run size estimates and management adjustments 
to account for environmental conditions during the return migration. Returns, 
as well as environmental conditions, are highly uncertain and in recent years 
the run size has been smaller, and/or management adjustment larger than 
predicted resulting in no directed harvest for Early Stuart and the earliest 
timed Early Summer run sockeye. Gill net test fisheries are scheduled to begin 
on July 11 in marine approach areas to provide in-season assessment 
information.  

Consequently, in 2017, the Department is beginning the season by implementing a 
four week moving window closure for all food, social and ceremonial (FSC) 
fisheries in areas where Early Stuart and the earliest timed Early Summer run 
sockeye are likely to be present. There are no commercial or recreational 
fisheries permitted on either the Early Stuart or the early component of the 
Early Summer Run sockeye. The window closure is designed to protect 90% of the 
Early Stuart and the early component of the Early Summer run from directed 
harvest.  In recent years, window closures and other fishing restrictions have 
been required in First Nations fisheries to not exceed the low abundance 
exploitation rate of 10% as indicated by the escapement plan. 

Further, the closure to protect Early Stuart and the early component of the 
Early Summer Run sockeye overlaps with existing management measures in place to 
protect Nimpkish River and Sakinaw Lake sockeye.  For Nimpkish origin sockeye 
these measures include sockeye non-retention in First Nations FSC fisheries 
occurring in Area 12 above Lewis Point until late July.  For Sakinaw origin 
sockeye, these measures include gear restrictions in First Nations FSC 
fisheries prior to July 25, 2017 in Johnstone Strait and prior to August 15, 
2017 in the Upper Strait of Georgia.


FOR MORE INFORMATION:
	
Contact the local DFO office in your area for updated information as it becomes 
available.

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0568
Sent June 22, 2017 at 1427

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