Fishery Notice

Area 23 Gill nets open Tuesday June 18, 2019 for 14 hours, from 06:00 to 20:00 
hours, in the following subareas:

-Subarea 23-3, excluding Uchucklesit Inlet inside or westerly of a line between 
boundary signs at 48 degrees 58.648 minutes north latitude and 124 degrees 
59.613 minutes west longitude near Burrough Point and 48 degrees 58.851 minutes 
north latitude and 124 degrees 59.093 minutes west longitude near Brooksby 
Point; and,
excluding San Mateo Bay inside or easterly of a line between boundary signs at 
48 degrees 57.450 minutes north latitude and 124 degrees 59.310 minutes west 
longitude near Hissin Point and 48 degrees 56.838 minutes north latitude and 
125 degrees 00.145 minutes west longitude near Bernard Point;
-Subarea 23-4, excluding Numukamis Bay inside or easterly of a line between 
boundary signs at 48 degrees 53.000 minutes north latitude and 125 degrees 
03.153 minutes west longitude near the western entrance to Poett Nook and  48 
degrees 55.240 minutes north latitude and  125 degrees 01.192 minutes west 
longitude; and,
excluding Rainy Bay inside or northerly of a line between boundary signs at 48 
degrees 58.110 minutes north latitude and 125 degrees 02.935 minutes west 
longitude near Ecoole and 48 degrees 58.100 minutes north latitude and 125 
degrees 01.350 minutes west longitude approximately 0.85 nautical miles north 
of Chup Point;
-Subarea 23-5; and
-Subarea 23-6, 
excluding Effingham Inlet inside or northerly of a line between boundary signs 
at 48 degrees 59.358 minutes north latitude and 125 degrees 10.783 minutes west 
longitude and 48 degrees 58.958 minutes north latitude and 125 degrees 11.355 
minutes west longitude near the entrance to Effingham Inlet.

Minimum mesh size 100 mm, maximum depth 90 meshes, maximum hang ratio 3:1, and 
corkline to web distance minimum 0 cm, maximum  2 m. 

Incidental catch of chinook may be retained. Coho and Steelhead may not be 
retained. Six strand Alaska-twist web, conventional multi-strand web or a 
combination of the two may be used. There will be no additional fishing time 
this week. 

Variation Order No. 19-Sal-23-GN-01


Fishers participating in this fishery should read their licence conditions 
carefully. 

The pre-season forecast for Somass sockeye is in the moderate range with a 
working forecast for planning fisheries of 350,000 sockeye. Due to an expected 
low proportion of Great Central Lake sockeye, the recommended management 
forecast for Somass sockeye is in the "low" zone for harvest management. This 
will be monitored in season and restrictions may be implemented on short notice 
to protect migrating sockeye. Further opportunities or restrictions will be 
determined at the weekly Harvest Committee meetings.
 
The seine test-fishing vessel will commence operations June 10.

Test-fishing information will be available after June 12. A run-size update 
will be provided after June 27. Test-set information will be available on the 
internet at: 
http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-
mpo.gc.ca/xnet/content/salmon/testfish/sockeye/Area23_seine.htm

The Somass Sockeye in-season stock assessment program will be in place in 
2019.  This program collects escapement, test fishing, catch and environmental 
information on a weekly basis. This information is collected and a reforecast 
will be made after June 27, weekly every Thursday, for the duration of the 
season. This may lead to further commercial sockeye opportunities if conditions 
warrant.

Test-set information will be available on the internet at: 
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/species-especes/salmon-saumon/research-
recherche/testfishery-pechedessai-eng.html
 
Please note the following Area 23 specific licence condition being continued 
for 2019: In order to avoid collisions with gill nets by transiting vessels, 
four (4) additional buoys (floats) that are white or yellow in colour and at 
least 60 cm in circumference must be attached to the gill net equidistantly 
between the buoy(s) marking either end of the gill net. Please refer to your 
2019/2019 Conditions of Licence for complete requirements. 

Fishery Notice FN0409 outlines conditions of licence information for 2019-20. 

All salmon gill net fisheries have requirements for recording and reporting.   

As required by new US comparability requirements, all countries exporting fish 
and fish products to the United States must record marine mammal interactions 
in a consistent manner. As such, Canada has committed to updating licence 
conditions for all marine commercial and First Nation economic fisheries. The 
link to the online National form and instructions for filling in and reporting 
can be found here: 
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/mammals-mammiferes/documents/report/Fish-
Harvester-Form-Eng.pdf for more information, please see FN0388.

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. A local diver has volunteered to remove the 
nets at no charge.

The 24 hour toll-free phone-in line for fisheries notices is 1-866-431-3474.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Mike Spence, Resource Manager, Port Alberni (250) 720 4440

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0538
Sent June 14, 2019 at 1028

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Printed from the Pacific Region web site on July 25, 2026 at 2156