Fishery Notice

This notice advises fishers of the recreational Chinook management measures and Chinook fishing opportunities in place for the 2024 season for portions of Areas 28 and 29, including Howe Sound, Burrard Inlet, Boundary Bay, Fraser River approach and main stem tidal and non-tidal waters.

For all areas, any in-season changes or terminal opportunities based on abundance will be announced by subsequent Fishery Notice(s). Fishers are reminded to check the DFO website before they go fishing for current regulations in effect that day.

The following measures are in effect for the following areas:

Area 28 and Subarea 29-8 (with the exception of those portions of Area 28 listed in the section below):

-Currently in effect to 23:59 hours July 31: Chinook non-retention;

-00:01 hours August 1 to 23:59 hours August 31: 1 Chinook per day with a maximum size limit of 80 cm on marked and unmarked Chinook.

-00:01 hours September 1 to 23:59 hours December 31: 2 Chinook per day.

Subarea 28-9

-Currently in effect to 23:59 hours August 11: No fishing for Chinook;

-00:01 hours August 12 to 23:59 hours August 31, the daily limit for Chinook salmon is one (1) per day.

-Effective 00:01 hours September 1 until 23:59 hours December 31, the daily limit for Chinook salmon is two (2) per day.

Portions of Howe Sound and Burrard Inlet - Subareas 28-7 to 28-9; Subarea 28-1; and that portion of Subarea 28-2 that lies southerly of a line drawn due east from Halkett Point on Gambier Island (49? 26.735'N, 123? 19.302'W) to a point (49? 26.550'N, 123? 14.317'W) on the mainland corresponding with the southeast point of the Lions Bay RCA:

-Currently in effect to 23:59 hours August 31: No fishing for Chinook;

-00:01 hours September 1 to 23:59 hours December 31: 2 Chinook per day.

Please see Fishery Notice FN0663 for information on Chinook management measures in Subareas 29-1 to 29-5, and Fishery Notice FN0630 outlining areas closed to salmon fishing for Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery including Subarea 29-3.

Approaches to Fraser River and tidal water of the Fraser River - Subareas 29-6, 29-7, 29-9 to 29-17 and the non-tidal (Region 2) waters of the Fraser River from Mission Bridge to the confluence with Sawmill Creek:

-Currently in effect until further notice: No fishing for salmon (Note: Fishing opportunities for specific salmon stocks may be considered at a later date).

Variation Orders Numbers 2024-RCT-016; 2024-RCT-017; 2024-RCT-282; 2024-RFQ-283 in effect.

Coast-wide Recreational Fisheries:

For the recreational fishery, the annual aggregate limit for Chinook salmon is ten (10) in all tidal waters coast-wide.

Variation Orders: 2024-RFQ-009 in effect.

NOTES AND REMINDERS:

Barbless hooks are required when fishing for salmon in tidal and non-tidal waters of British Columbia.

No fishing is allowed within 100 meters of any government facility operated for counting, passing or rearing fish.

It is illegal to willfully foul hook a salmon. If you accidentally foul hook a salmon in the ocean, it may be retained if the species is open to retention. If you accidentally foul hook a salmon in any lake or stream, including the tidal parts of coastal streams, it may not be retained and you must release it immediately with the least amount of harm as possible.

The term "marked", "hatchery marked", or "adipose fin clipped" means a fish that has a healed scar in place of the adipose fin.

All anglers must have a licence to fish in tidal waters in BC. Apply for your BC tidal waters recreational fishing licence and salmon conservation stamp at: https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/licence-permis/index-eng.html.

All anglers must have a licence to fish in non-tidal waters in BC. Apply for your BC non-tidal waters recreational fishing licence and non-tidal salmon surcharge at: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/sports-culture/recreation/fishing-hunting/fishing/recreational-freshwater-fishing-licence

Anglers are advised to check: http://bcsportfishguide.ca for fishing closures and other recreational fishing information.

Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCAs) are currently in effect and are closed to all fin-fishing.  Descriptions of RCAs and other closures such as finfish closed areas, salmon non-retention areas, and other recreational fishing information, can be found on the internet at:
https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/index-eng.html

Fishers are encouraged to participate in the Salmon Sport Head Recovery program by labelling and submitting heads from hatchery marked Chinook and Coho Salmon to head depots. The head-off measurement can be used by enforcement officers to assess compliance on size limits if you remove the head from Chinook or Coho. Recovery of microscopic coded-wire tags found inside hatchery marked Chinook and Coho heads provide critical information for coast-wide Salmon stock assessment programs. Contact the Salmon Sport Head Recovery Program toll free at 1-866-483-9994 for further information.

Sport fishers are reminded of the importance of catch monitoring programs for recreational fisheries. As a condition of their BC Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence, fishers are required to provide complete and accurate information regarding their catch and fishing activities upon request of DFO creel surveyors stationed at marinas and boat launches. DFO Creel surveyors are designated authorities of Fisheries and Oceans Canada under s.61(5) of the Fisheries Act; please be respectful when asked to report catch and allow biological sampling. Refusal to report catch and/or harassment of creel surveyors will not be tolerated and may result in charges laid.

Internet Recreational Effort and Catch Reporting program (iREC): Sport Fishers are reminded that it is a condition of their BC Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence to complete their iREC report online before their reporting deadline. The assigned reporting period, the web address of the iREC reporting program, a unique access ID and the reporting deadline is printed on each adult licence. A report must be completed even if you did not fish during your reporting period, and also if you fished, even if you caught nothing. iREC reports are used to estimate recreational effort and kept and released catches of finfish and shellfish. For further information see FN0330 or contact the Sport Fishing Report Team at DFO.SportFishingReport-RapportPecheSportive.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

The Government of Canada recognizes that Southern Resident Killer Whales face imminent threats to their survival and recovery. In May, the Government of Canada shared the 2024 and 2025  management measures to be implemented this spring and summer that help address the key threats of reduced prey availability (primarily Chinook salmon), and acoustic and physical disturbance. These measures include salmon fishery closures, Interim Sanctuary Zones that restrict vessels from entering (including fishing), Speed Restricted Zones that restrict vessels to a maximum of 10 knots in designated areas (including fishing), minimum approach distances and a number of voluntary measures including to stop fishing (do not haul gear) and reduce speed to less than 7 knots when within 1,000 metres of killer whales and let them pass, and a voluntary speed reduction zone in Tumbo Channel.

For more information about the 2024 management measures, please visit https://www.canada.ca/southern-resident-killer-whales or contact the Marine Mammal Team at DFO.SRKW-ERS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca. For more information on the best ways to help whales while on the water, please visit: bewhalewise.org.

If a marine mammal 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 animal of the fishing gear as this can pose a serious threat to the safety of the fisher and the animal. If your vessel strikes a whale, or if you observe a sick, injured, distressed, or dead marine mammal in B.C. waters, please contact the hotline immediately: 1-800-465-4336 or VHF Channel 16.

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 species of sea turtle seen (i.e. leatherback), the location and time of sighting.

Report suspicious activity or violations by email at DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or by calling the 24-hour, toll-free Observe, Record, and Report line at 1-800-465-4336 or 604-607-4186 in greater Vancouver.

The 24-hour, toll-free information line for fishery notices regarding openings and closures is 1-866-431-3474 or 604-666-2828 in greater Vancouver.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Please contact the nearest Fisheries and Oceans Canada office or visit our website at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0757
Sent July 31, 2024 at 1639

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Printed from the Pacific Region web site on December 21, 2024 at 0257