Fishery Notice

Crab - Fraser River Waters - Area J (Subarea 29-8 - Boundary Bay):

Open 08:00 hours July 15 to 16:00 hours November 30, 2025 to commercial fishing for Dungeness and Red Rock Crab by ring net, dip net, and trap in Crab Management Area J (i.e. Subarea 29-8 - Boundary Bay).

Variation Order NO 2025-245 IS IN EFFECT 

Mandatory Video Monitoring
All vessels must have installed video monitoring equipment for the commercial crab fishery in Area J. Video monitoring supports compliance with trap allocations, and compliments data collected by the EM system which provides vessel location and speed via the vessel's GPS system. For more information, please read 2022 FN0406-COMMERCIAL - Invertebrates: Crab - Fraser River Waters - Area J - Subarea 29-8 (Boundary Bay) - Implementation of Mandatory Video Monitoring in Area J Commercial Crab Fishery at https://notices.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm?pg=view_notice&DOC_ID=258125&ID=all.

RFID Chip Limits
As part of Electronic Monitoring, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips registered in the vessel's inventory will be made up of a set of "Main" RFID chips equal to their trap limit, plus a secondary set of "Spare" chips equal to 20 percent of their trap limit to allow for replacements. 

Vessel masters shall arrange with the approved service provider to update the vessel's entire RFID chip inventory (i.e. Main and Spare chips) at the beginning of the fishing season. These RFID chip numbers shall be entered into a database and submitted to the Department within the first 30 days of fishing for this licence period. 

If the vessel master requires more replacement chips than the 20 percent allotted, the vessel master may contact the service provider to request new chips. 

Holding Cages
The language in the conditions of licence for holding cages has been updated to clarify marking and transportation requirements. Please review your licence conditions.  

Harvest Logs and Reporting
The vessel master shall maintain a log of all harvest operations and provide this information in both hard (paper) copy and electronic copy to the Department in accordance with the timing set out in the conditions of licence. All harvesters must use the new logbook design issued in 2018 (available from your Service Provider).

Each line must have the Vessel Master's name and signature, as well as your individual Fisher Identification Number (FIN). Know your FIN. It will be on your Fisher Registration Card (FRC). If you do not know your FIN, you can call the National Online Licencing System (NOLS) and they can help you.

The new logbook needs one entry per day of fishing in the same Subarea at the same depth and same soak time. If you are fishing in different Subareas on the same day, you will need entries for each of the different Subareas. For example, if you haul 10 strings of 10 traps in the same subarea at the same depth range, you will have one line representing 100 traps for that day if they all had the same soak time. If you haul 50 more traps on the same day in a different Subarea, you will record those traps on a separate line.

Each entry needs to have a single set of representative coordinates latitude/longitude) for each Subarea where fishing occurred.

Nearly all of the crab caught are Dungeness, but remember to note the species on your logbook. Some crab harvesters still keep red rock crabs on occasion.  

Soak time is how long your traps have been in the water before you haul them. This can be recorded in days or hours.  

Know your Subarea. Your Service Provider can help you with this if you need maps or other tools to let you know which Subarea you are fishing in.

Section B - Octopus by-catch. When you catch and keep an octopus, record it in Section B. Use the line number from the crab catch above in Section 'A' and record the count and weight.

Section C - Description of Traps. This is where you will record the measurements for the traps you are using. You can do this once at the start of the year if your traps do not change during the year. Otherwise, record any changes to trap types that you make on another page. 

ADDITIONAL REMINDERS:

2025 Trap limits:
The trap limit for the 2025 season in Area J is 156 traps per licence.  

Escape Holes:
All crab traps must be fitted with at least two escape holes that are 105 mm in diameter and not more than 100 mm below the top of the frame.

Hanging Bait Ban:
The use of hanging bait is prohibited in Area J. All bait must be contained within hard plastic bait containers having a screw top lid. Bait containers may have holes that are 8 mm in diameter or smaller drilled in them. Bait containers that do not meet the requirements described above are not permitted in any traps fished.

Single Lines and Buoys:
A line and buoy shall be attached to each and every trap fished in Area J (Boundary Bay). No ground lines are permitted. Fishers are reminded to keep buoys out of the navigation channels.

Single Haul:
Hauling of crab trap gear will be permitted only once per day. This is called single hauling.

Daylight Fishing Only: 
Setting and hauling of crab traps is permitted only between one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset.

Male Retention Only:
No person shall catch and retain or possess any female crab.

Soft Shell Crab:
Soft-shell crab may not be retained or possessed in the commercial crab fishery. This prohibition also applies to crab buyers and processors. 

"Soft-shell crab" means a crab whose shell is not fully hardened, and yields to finger pressure. A crab with a durometer measurement of 70 units or less is defined as a soft-shell crab.  

Size Limits:
No person shall retain or possess any Dungeness crab smaller than 165 mm, measured as the maximum distance in a straight line through the greatest breadth of the shell.
 
No person shall retain or possess any red rock crab smaller than 115 mm, measured as the maximum distance in a straight line through the greatest breadth of the shell.

Each fisher shall ensure that their measuring gauge is accurate. 

Canada/US Boundary:
No gear shall be fished in US waters; this includes all buoys, lines and traps. The Canada/US International Boundary in Boundary Bay is most accurately determined by visual observation utilizing the range markers located at Point Roberts and at the Peace Arch. The NAD 83 (WGS84) latitude of IBC Monument No. 4 at Point Roberts and Monument No. 5 at Peace Arch is 49 degrees 00.125 minutes north latitude. The NAD 83 (WGS84) latitude of the midpoint of the Canada/US International Boundary in Boundary Bay, between Monuments No. 4 and 5, is 49 degrees 00.130 minutes north latitude.

Best Management Practices:
Release all by-catch species with the least possible harm. Retention of flatfish, finfish, and soft, female, and undersized Dungeness crab is prohibited.

To improve FSC access and to reduce conflicts, keep gear away from areas fronting First Nation reserves. 

Buoy lines should be appropriate for water depth and tide cycles.

Keep crab buoys brightly painted and in accordance with licence conditions. 

Minimize wash in harbours, particularly at boat launches, marinas and other wharves.

Avoid pulling crab traps through beds of eel grass.

If commercial harvesters are replacing active crab traps with ones that have been inactive for more than 18 days they should transfer the RFID chip from the active trap to the replacement trap. This RFID replacement activity will help minimize errors associated with reporting violations of soak and trap limits.

Service Provider:
The service provider for Area J is Pacific Coast Fishery Services Inc. (250-931-7686).

This service provider can provide mandatory video monitoring, EM coverage, plastic trap tags & RFID Chips, enter logbook data, and conduct biological sampling with designated observers.

Service providers may require additional information as part of their agreement with licence eligibility holders to ensure that observers can locate the active vessels for the on-board biological data collection requirement and to ensure proper delivery of the electronic monitoring program.

Mandatory Video Monitoring: 
All vessels must have installed video monitoring equipment for the commercial crab fishery in Area J. Contact the service provider to secure this equipment for your commercial vessel.

Electronic Monitoring:
All vessels must have installed an electronic monitoring (EM) system or provide 100% observer coverage; and have approved plastic trap tags and RFID chips for all traps fished.

All radio frequency identification (RFID) tags shall be scanned by the on-board tag reader immediately upon removal from the water. If an RFID chip fails to be read, that trap shall be removed immediately from the water until the chip is repaired or replaced.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Chips:
All crab traps fished shall be marked with a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip attached to the buoy. Where single traps are marked by individual buoys, the RFID chip shall be attached to the buoy rather than to the trap.  

RFID chips shall be placed on buoys, as required, in such a manner that they can be scanned by an on-board chip reader.

All radio frequency identification (RFID) chips shall be scanned by the on-board chip reader immediately upon removal from the water. No dragging of gear is permitted prior to scanning of the tags.

Plastic Tags:
All crab traps fished under the authority of a commercial crab by trap licence shall have approved plastic tags, with the current licence year and an identification number unique to each individual vessel, attached to each trap. 

Only those plastic crab trap tags that have been reported and registered to be fished shall be attached to traps. Each vessel will be issued a total number of tags equal to their trap limit plus 20 percent to allow for replacements.

If the vessel master requires more replacement tags than the 20 percent allotted, a complete new set of replacement tags shall be issued. New replacement tags shall be marked with the letters "RP" and be a different colour than the original set issued. New replacement tags shall also indicate the licence year and be unique to each individual vessel.

Please note: 
To receive replacement plastic trap tags or buoy tags, the harvester must contact their approved service provider. The service provider will contact the area crab manager regarding issuing a complete new set of replacement trap tags or buoy tags. If the harvester is issued a new set of replacement plastic tags, all other plastic tags must be removed and returned to DFO not later than the 21st day of the month following the issue date. Tags that have been replaced are invalid after that date.

Harvest Log and Fishing Location Information:
The harvest log shall be kept on board the licenced vessel.

The harvest log shall be produced for examination on demand of a fishery officer or an observer.

The licence holder shall ensure the completed log pages (original copy) and electronic copy of the log are forwarded not later than 28 days following the end of each month in which fishing occurred to: 
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Shellfish Data Unit, Pacific Biological Station, 3190 Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 6N7
Tel: (250) 756-7022 or (250) 756-7306

In the event that a licence holder does not fish under authority of this licence, the licence holder shall submit a nil report. 

Fish slip Information:
An accurate written report shall be provided on a fish slip of all fish caught and retained under the authority of this licence. A report shall be made even if the fish are used for bait, personal consumption or disposed of otherwise.

The vessel master shall submit slips not later than seven days after landing. 

Slips shall be mailed to:

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Regional Data Unit, Suite 200 - 401 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 3S4 

Fish slip books may be purchased directly from the printer, Proforma Business Forms, phone (604)596-6133. Alternately fish slips can be downloaded free of charge, from the DFO website. For more information, see the website:
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/stats/fishslips-carnets/index-eng.html,

or phone the Regional Data Unit message line at (604)666-2716.

Licencing: 
Please see the National Online Licensing System (NOLS) at
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/sdc-cps/licence-permis-eng.htm

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Further fishing information and requirements are documented in the 2025/26 Crab Integrated Fisheries Management Plan available upon request to DFO.PACFMCrab-CrabeGPPAC.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or:

Abigail Mitchell
Areas I & J Crab Manager
Fraser and Interior Area 
Tel: (778) 361-0271
E-mail: abigail.mitchell@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0589
Sent June 30, 2025 at 1211

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Printed from the Pacific Region web site on June 12, 2026 at 1850