Fishery Notice

The Groundfish Management Unit (GMU) would like to remind harvesters of upcoming deadlines. 

1) The current fishing season (2024/2025) for all commercial groundfish 
fisheries closes at 23:59 hours February 20, 2025. The following timelines will apply:

a) To allow for adequate time for licence issuance and to process all permanent reallocations prior to the start of the 2025/2026 season, commercial
   groundfish permanent reallocations for the 2024/2025 season must be submitted to GMU prior to 16:00 hours February 3, 2025.  

b) Temporary re-allocation requests for all species for the 2024/2025 season must be submitted to GMU prior to 16:00 hours February 27, 2025.

c) All fish must be landed and validated prior to 23:59 hours February 27, 2025.

2) The new fishing season (2025/2026) for all commercial groundfish fisheries, except for Pacific Halibut and Lingcod fisheries, will begin at 00:01
   hours February 21, 2025. The following timelines will apply:

a) The 2024 commercial Pacific Halibut season dates and times will be determined at the International Pacific Halibut Commission Annual Meeting on
   January 31st, 2025. A separate fishery notice will be posted announcing these dates and times. 

b) On April 1, 2025, retention of Lingcod will be permitted in groundfish management areas 3C, 3D, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D and 5E.  Retention of Lingcod by
   hook and line gear in management area 4B will be permitted on May 1, 2025 and only in sub-Areas 12-1 to 12-13 and 12-15 to 12-48. From November
   15, 2025 until March 31, 2026 a spawning closure for the retention of Lingcod by hook and line gear will be in effect for all areas.  

c) Licence issuance will commence in mid-February 2025; a fishery notice will be issued shortly with the specific date. Please Note: Lingcod and
   Dogfish harvesters are reminded to acquire revised conditions of licence and licence amendments prior to fishing, even if their primary licence
   eligibility has not yet expired (e.g. category A salmon licence eligibilities). These documents will be available when issuance of 2024/2025
   groundfish licences begins.

d) Reallocations for the 2025/2026 season will not be processed until carryover calculations have been completed in March 2025. Please do not submit
   any reallocations for the 2025/2026 season until further notice. 

For further information, please refer to the groundfish Integrated Fisheries Management Plan (IFMP): https://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/library-bibliotheque/41098067.pdf.

FOR MORE INFORMATION please contact:

Lindsay Richardson-Deranger
Groundfish Trawl Coordinator
Phone: 604-345-4731

Gwynhyfar Mason
Halibut Coordinator 
Phone: 236-334-7534

Darah Gibson
Sablefish Coordinator 
Phone: 778-953-4968

Emma Fisher
Regional FM Officer
Phone: 604-353-2521

Barry Peirce 
Quota Officer
Phone: 604-666-5865

Anna Khan
Quota Officer
Phone: 236-335-0392

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0059
Sent January 21, 2025 at 1353

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Printed from the Pacific Region web site on August 24, 2026 at 0148