Fishery Notice

The Department has received and accepted a request to increase the chinook trip 
limit from 50 to 75 in the T'aaq-wiihak Nation's ISBM chinook salmon 
demonstration fishery previously announced in FN0641.  The revised Fishery 
Notice is as follows:

The Ahousaht, Ehattesaht, Hesquiaht, Mowachaht/Muchalaht and Tla-o-qui-aht 
First Nations' (T'aaq-wiihak Nations') ISBM chinook salmon demonstration 
fishery by troll and gill net will open July 12, 2017 at 00:01 hours until 
further notice.

The following areas are open for vessels under 25 feet in length: 

A portion of Subarea 25-4: northwesterly of a line beginning at a boundary sign 
on Bligh Island near 49°39.732'N and 126°28.815'W then drawn northeasterly 
across the channel to a boundary sign on the opposite shore near 49°40.181'N 
and 126°28.166'W (Hanna Channel/Zuciarte Channel closure); and southwest of a 
line drawn from 49° 43.903' N and 126°29.639' W southwesterly across the inlet 
to a point located at 49°43.680' N and 126°30.322'W (Hisnit Inlet closure).

A portion of Subarea 25-5: at the head of Tlupana Inlet southerly of a line 
beginning near a point located at 49°46.768' N and 126°28.827' W then drawn 
easterly to the opposite shore to a point located at 49°46.679' N and 126°
27.351' W (Head Bay/Moutcha Bay closure); and westerly of a line in Nesook Bay 
beginning at a point located at 49°46.209' N and 126°24.997' W then drawn 
southerly to the opposite shore to a point located at 49°45.590' N and 126°
25.009' W (Nesook Bay closure).

Subarea 25-6

Subarea 25-7

A portion of Subarea 25-8 southeast of a line commencing from the northern most 
tip of Strange Island due east to a boundary sign on the opposite shore of 
Tahsis Inlet.

The TAC for this fishery is 818 chinook pieces until an in-season reforecast is 
available in early August.

Species and amounts permitted for sale:
Chinook: Trip limit of 75 pieces. All chinook retained for sale must be greater 
than 55cm fork length (head on) and 44cm (head off). 

Chum and pink: Bycatch of chum and pink may be retained for sale.

Halibut: A daily limit of 1 piece per vessel to a maximum of 4 pieces per trip 
may be retained for sale. The lesser of the daily limit or the trip limit will 
apply. All halibut retained for sale must be greater than 81.3 cm (32 inches) 
head on measured in a straight line, passing over the pectoral fin, from the 
tip of the lower jaw with the mouth closed to the extreme end of the middle of 
the tail or head off more than 61.0 cm (24 inches), measured in a straight line 
from the base of the pectoral fin at its most anterior point to the extreme end 
of the middle of the tail. All halibut sold will be counted against the 
commercial quota holdings of the T'aaq-wiihak Nations.

Rockfish: A daily limit of 7 pieces per vessel to a maximum of 28 pieces per 
trip may be retained for sale. All quota applicable rockfish species sold will 
be counted against the commercial quota holdings of the T'aaq-wiihak Nations.

Lingcod: A daily limit of 2 pieces per vessel to a maximum of 8 pieces per trip 
may be retained for sale. The lesser of the daily limit or the trip limit will 
apply. All lingcod retained for sale must be greater than 65 cm head on 
measured from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail or head off, greater 
than 50 cm measured along the shortest length of the body to the tip of the 
tail. All lingcod sold will be counted against the commercial quota holdings of 
the T'aaq-wiihak Nations.

All fish encountered in this fishery must be retained with the exception of 
dogfish and undersize chinook. Amounts of fish retained above the sale limits 
described above and all other fish species not permitted for sale will be 
counted against each T'aaq-wiihak Nations' Food, Social, and Ceremonial (FSC) 
allocations.

Fishing shall be permitted by trolling with barbless hook and line and 
gillnets. Gill nets shall be a maximum of 50 fathoms long and 60 meshes deep 
and must be retrieved without the aid of any mechanical or hydraulic device. 
Gill nets must be attended at all times; a vessel can not be further than 50 
metres from the deployed gill net at any time. The end of the gill net that is 
not attached to a vessel shall be marked with a lantern that gives a steady 
white light during the period beginning one hour after sunset and ending one 
hour before sunrise.

All harvesters must file a start fishing report (hail out) prior to 
participating in the fishery by calling or texting 250-266-0418 or emailing 
alex@taaqwiihak.ca or completing the report online at www.taaq.ca.

A vessel designated to harvest fish shall be identified by an Identification 
Number and by affixing an Identification Flag that is clearly visible, legible 
and unobstructed. Designation to partake in this fishery must accompany the 
participant while fishing or transporting fish harvested in this fishery. 

All fish caught in this fishery are to be landed at the designated landing 
sites: 
Gold River Fuel Dock, Gold River; and
Yuquot (Friendly Cove).

Transferring of catch from one vessel to another is not permitted without 
written permission in advance from the First Nation's Fishery Manager that the 
harvester is registered with.

All participants must obtain a Landing Slip, in order to sell any fish caught 
under the authority of this licence. All fish sold in this fishery must be 
accompanied by a Sales Slip. 

All halibut retained for sale must be tagged by a T'aaq-wiihak dockside monitor 
prior to sale.

All fish retained for sale and for FSC will be verified by T'aaq-wiihak 
dockside monitors. Harvesters must permit T'aaq-wiihak dockside monitors access 
to their catch for the verification procedure. J.O. Thomas and Associates 
monitors may also be sampling chinook (and coho when applicable) for coded-wire 
tags.

Harvesters will maintain a logbook and submit a completed report to the T'aaq-
wiihak landing monitor at each landing. Landing slips will not be issued by the 
T'aaq-wiihak landing monitor without the submission of completed logbook 
reports. 

T'aaq-wiihak harvesters are reminded to refer to the communal licence 
authorizing this fishery for complete details. Copies of the licence are 
available from the DFO Resource Manager, Peter Hall (250-720-4445), the 
Mowachaht/Muchalaht Fisheries Manager, Kadin Snook (250-283-2015) and the T'aaq-
wiihak Fisheries Manager, Alex Gagne (250-266-1071).

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) 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 ECCC 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 ECCC directly by calling the Wild Bird 
Mortality Reporting Line 1-866-431-2473 (BIRD). Handle birds with gloves, 
double bag dead birds. Label bag with date, time, location, fishery opening and 
vessel name (Skipper name isn't needed). Alternatively, please send photographs 
of birds with a reference object such as a coin, and the date, time, location, 
fishery opening and vessel name to laurie.wilson@canada.ca. Questions: contact 
Laurie Wilson (laurie.wilson@canada.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).  Please 
include information such as the type of sea turtle seen (i.e. leatherback), the 
location, and time of sighting. 
          
Fishers should be advised that whales can be encountered in the fishing area. 
Fishers should take precautionary measures to avoid fishing near whales to 
avoid potential contact with fishing gear. If a whale becomes entangled in 
fishing gear, fishers should immediately call the Observe, Record, Report (ORR) 
line at 1-800-465-4336. Fishers are advised not to attempt to free the whale of 
the fishing gear as this can pose a serious threat to the safety of the fisher 
and the animal. 

Fishers are advised to notify local DFO managers or patrol vessels to report 
abandoned, lost, or entangled gear.


FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Peter Hall, Resource Manager, Port Alberni (250) 720-4445

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0692
Sent July 21, 2017 at 1354

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