Fishery Notice

In 2018, Area H Troll Sockeye harvest opportunities will be managed as an 
Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) demonstration fishery and will be based on 
available commercial Total Allowable Catch (TAC). Sufficient vessel quota is 
required to participate in any fishery opening below.

At this time the cumulative individual quota in pieces for each Area H licence 
is 386 Sockeye salmon based on a share of 0.06092% and a commercial TAC of 
633,552 Sockeye.  Each individual quota amount (in pieces) will change if the 
available commercial TAC changes in-season and is cumulative for the season. 
These commercial TACs are for the purpose of calculating the individual quota 
amounts for Area B and H vessels only.

Area H Troll will open effective 00:01 hours August 6, 2018 until further 
notice in the following sub-areas:

Areas 12 and 13 (Johnstone Strait):

Subareas 12-1, 12-3 to 12-5.

That portion of 12-2 excluding south of a line from a boundary sign at 50 
degrees 28.570 minutes North by 126 degrees 18.117 minutes West to a boundary 
sign at 50 degrees 28.393 minutes North by 126 degrees 15.279 minutes West 
(Adams River Boundary).

That portion of 12-6 bounded on the east by a line starting at Bold Head on 
Swanson Island located at 50 degrees 37.665 minutes North by 126 degrees 44.190 
minutes West then to Wedge Island light, then to a point in the White Cliff 
Islets located at 50 degrees 39.220 minutes North by 126 degrees 43.828 minutes 
West, then to a point in the Penfold Islet located at 50 degrees 41.377 minutes 
North by 126  degrees 48.605 minutes West, then to Staples Islet located at 50 
degrees 46.126 minutes North by 127 degrees 07.227 minutes West.

That portion of 12-8 bounded on the West by a line from Graeme Point on Malcolm 
Island located at 50 degrees 38.360 minutes North by 127 degrees 09.740 minutes 
West thence to Staples Islet located at 50 degrees 46.126 minutes North by 127 
degrees 07.227 minutes West.

Subarea 13-7 excluding Deepwater Bay (from the boundary sign located at 50 
degrees 11.434 minutes North and 125 degrees 20.268 minutes West to a boundary 
sign at 50 degrees 10.861 minutes North and 125 degrees 20.885 minutes West). 

Subareas 13-8 and 13-9.

That portion of 13-10 lying West of a line from Islet Point on Sonora Island, 
located at 50 degrees 17.677 minutes North and 125 degrees 23.663 minutes West, 
to a boundary sign on Quadra Island, located at 50 degrees 16.760 minutes North 
by 125 degrees 22.780 minutes West.

That portion of 13-11 lying west of a line from Bodega Point on Quadra Island, 
located at 50 degrees 14.883 minutes North and 125 degrees 22.016 minutes West, 
to a boundary sign located on Quadra Island at 50 degrees 16.390 minutes North 
and 125 degrees 22.620 minutes West.

Subareas 13-27 to 13-32

Areas 18 and 29 (Strait of Georgia):

Subareas 18-1, 18-11

Subareas 29-1 to 29-6

Vessel Masters are requested to avoid fishing in the vicinity of Killer Whales 
when they are present in these areas.

Variation Order No. 2018-H-TR-001


The available commercial Fraser River sockeye TAC will be distributed over the 
course of the fishery (in increments) rather than all at once and will be 
announced by fishery notice and adjusted if necessary following Fraser Panel 
meetings (usually Tuesday and Friday) depending on abundance and stock 
composition. Announcements will also be made on grounds and may be made via the 
Gulf Troll information line.

The vessel must have sufficient allocations (ITQ) of sockeye salmon to 
participate in this fishery.  It is the responsibility of the vessel master to 
cease fishing when the vessel quota for Fraser River sockeye salmon is 
achieved. For further details please refer to the guidelines for the 2018 ITQ 
demonstration fishery which are available in Appendix 7 of the 2018 Integrated 
Fisheries Management Plan for Southern BC at the following link.

IFMP Southern: http://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/40694306.pdf

The next update will be made by fishery notice.

For 2018 there is a new minimum approach distance for Killer Whales of 200m, in 
all Canadian Fisheries waters in the Pacific Ocean and British Columbia. For 
other whales, dolphins and porpoises the minimum approach distances is 100m.

NOTE:

1. The target species in this fishery is Sockeye salmon; the incidental catch 
of Pink and Chum salmon may be retained in the Areas open to fishing.  There 
will be non-retention of Coho, Chinook and Steelhead. This fishery has been 
designed to address stocks of concern constraints.

2. A valid 2018/19 Salmon Area H licence (complete with licence conditions), 
barbless hooks and operating revival tanks are requirements in this fishery.

3. Vessel masters must, prior to leaving for the fishing grounds, either phone 
AMR at 1-888-387-0007, or submit the details via e-log, to complete a start 
fishing report and announce their intention to fish.
 
4. At the end of each fishing day and prior to 08:00 hours of the next 
day, the vessel master must, as a condition of licence, record their catch 
information in either in their Salmon Log Book and report their catch by 
calling AMR at 1-888-387-0007 or submit their catch information via e-log.

5. Within 24 hours of the end of a fishing trip and prior to commencing a 
subsequent fishing trip, the vessel master shall either phone in or submit via 
e-log an End Fishing Report.  Should a vessel master decide not to fish after 
having obtained a Trip Identification Number the vessel master shall phone in 
or submit via e-log a Trip Cancellation report. 

6. Catch validation is mandatory and individual licence holders are required to 
make their own arrangements with a landing observer service provider authorized 
by the Department. Licence holders that plan to harvest Fraser River sockeye 
salmon must register with the landing observer service provider in advance of 
the fishery to confirm arrangements.  For further information contact J.O. 
Thomas and Associates (ph: 1-866-930-4000).

7. Prior to any dockside landing of fish, the vessel master shall hail in to 
the designated landing observer service provider at 1-866-930-4000 between 
06:00 hours and 18:00 hours seven days per week and provide the following 
information:

- vessel name;
- vessel registration number;
- name and Fisher Identification Number of the vessel master;
- contact phone number;
- date, time, port and location of landing of the fish;
- name of fish buying station where fish are to be landed;
- product type;
- estimated number of pieces by species;
- area fished; and
- sub-area fished.

A landing observer shall be present during all landing of catch to record the 
number and weight of each species of salmon delivered.  All salmon shall be 
landed at one of the following locations:  Campbell River, Comox, Cowichan Bay, 
French Creek, Greater Vancouver, Kelsey Bay, Nanaimo, Port Hardy, Port McNeill, 
Prince Rupert or Quadra Island.

The vessel master shall deliver only to packers designated for the quota 
fishery.  The vessel master shall retain a copy of the validation record 
provided by the packer at each delivery.

If the vessel leaves the quota fishery to fish in another fishery the catch 
shall be landed and verified by a landing observer prior to entering the other 
fishery.

8. Quota will be transferable in whole or in part within Area B as well as 
between Area H.  Transfers to other gears are not allowed.  Quota may be 
reallocated as a percent (for the season) or by pieces (temporarily to cover an 
overage).  In all instances overages accrued in-season must be covered by a 
quota reallocation, even if associated with a change in TAC. Reallocations 
associated with overages must be made within 24 hours of landing. In addition, 
vessels will not be permitted to continue fishing (start fishing report) until 
all overages are covered. Contact Erika Watkins at 250-286-5882 or 
Erika.Watkins@dfo-mpo.gc.ca for more information.

9. Vessel masters are reminded that test fishing vessels will be operating 
during the fishery in Areas 12 and 13. In-season test fishing assessment 
information in the marine approach areas is critical in estimating abundances 
of returning Fraser River sockeye stocks and identifying available harvest 
levels. Commercial fisheries must be structured and scheduled to ensure that 
test fishing assessment information is not compromised. Priority access is 
required for the seine test boats in the area where there are designated test 
fishing locations. When a seine test fishing vessel is arriving to a designated 
test fishing location to make a set and while making the set, gillnet and troll 
vessels must provide priority access to this seine test vessel by not fishing 
within one seine net length of this setting location. Fishing at this location 
can occur once the seine test vessel rings are up. For further details, refer 
to Appendix 7D (2018 Fraser Sockeye Commercial Fishery Restrictions in 
Designated Seine Test Fishing Locations) of the 2018 Integrated Fisheries 
Management Plan for Southern BC at the following link: IFMP Southern: 
http://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/40694306.pdf.  
If there is poor compliance identified on the grounds closures will be 
implemented within the test fishing area. For more information please contact 
the on-grounds DFO representative.

10. In Area 12, mooring in Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve will 
only be permitted 24 hours prior to a commercial opening. The west and east 
boundaries are identified by a 4x8 foot white sign with 3x3 foot orange sign in 
the centre. The location of the west boundary is 50 degrees 29.759 minutes N by 
126 degrees 37.592 minutes W and the location of the east boundary is 50 
degrees 29.107 minutes N by 126 degrees 30.365 minutes W. In addition vessels 
will not be permitted to moor in Robson Bight proper during commercial fishery 
openings.

11. Please note changes to transporting of salmon.  Please see Part III of your 
conditions of licence for additional details.  Instructions for the Salmon 
Transfer Log, and the Salmon Transfer Log may be found on our web page in 
section 'Additional Licensing Services Forms' at:
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/licence-permis/licence-commercial-eng.html.

12. 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.

13. 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).

14. 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. 

15. 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.

16. Fishing will not be permitted in the areas closed for rockfish 
conservation. These closures are listed on the DFO website at: 
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/maps-cartes/rca-acs/index-eng.html or can be 
accessed at DFO district offices.

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

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


FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Christine Bukta, Resource Manager (250) 286-5888 or christine.bukta@dfo-
mpo.gc.ca

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0712
Sent August 3, 2018 at 1617

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