Fishery Notice

Herring spawn flight March 4 was conducted covering Area 23 - 25. No spawn was 
observed.  In Area 24, sea lions and ducks were observed in Baseball Bay, 
suggesting recent and/or pending spawn activity there.  In Area 25, sea lion, 
duck and whale activity was seen in the Port Langford area.

The next possible overflight is Friday March 8 (weather dependent). 

The test boat is in Area 25. Having conducted tests in Nootka Sound it has 
moved to Esperanza.

First Nation contractors continue to conduct herring spawn reconnaissance, 
supplemental surface spawn surveys and FSC catch monitoring on the west coast 
of Vancouver Island in:

"	Area 23 
"	Area 24
"	Area 25 


Area 23 Barkley Sound

2000 tonnes 

From Cabbage Rocks to Chrow Islands (Test Vessel)

TEST 1: Feb 23 on 50 tons at Food Islets: 6.0%; 18.8cm;80m:52f;35-5-13- 1-0 
(17.5 :75.3g)
TEST 2: Feb 24 on 50 tons at Cabbage Rocks: 9.8%; 20.0cm; 57m: 57;43-4-10-1-0 
(22.7g:86.9g)
TEST 3: Feb 24 on 300 tons at Chrow Island 7.8%; 19.7cm; 62m: 43f;33-4-6-  1-0 
(23.9g:94.4g)
2 test sets for water hauls (no fish caught) 

Feb 23: Test Vessel Proud Canadian - approximately 700 tonnes in area.  
Feb 24: Test vessel reporting approximately 1100 tonnes sounded in area.  Fish 
are showing inside western shore of Barkley Sound from Chrow Island to David 
Island.
Feb 25: Test Vessel sounded on the outside of Forbes into Cabbage rocks  total 
estimated sounded in area up to 2000 tonnes.
March 5: FN charter spotted a small spawning event in Ucluelet Harbour, and 
sounded fish around Forbes Island.


Area 24 Clayoquot Sound

1000 tonnes

TEST 6: Feb 26 on 200 tons at Hootla Kootla fish were all juveniles in test 12 
to 15 cms. 

Feb 24: spawn in Hesquiaht Harbour on western shore near inner Basin.  First 
Nation Charter will survey the area Feb 26.
Feb 26: First Nation Charter reported 700 tonne sounded near Hootla Kootla and 
eastern edge of Openit Peninsula. 
Feb 28: test boat 1000 tonne in Hootla Kootla Area, a test set showed all 
juvenile herring.
March 1: Active bird, whale and sea lion activity in Hesquiaht
March 5: Spawn observed near Clifford Point, up to 13 layers of spawn deposited 
at 30 foot depth.
March 6: Large spawn event occurring at Hesquiaht Harbour, concentrated around 
Anton Spit, but spot spawns also found nearby.


Area 25 Nootka Sound

2000 tonnes

March 1:  test vessel Proud Canadian sounded Yuquot Pt to Maquinna Point in the 
morning estimate approximately 2000 tonnes in area.

Area 25 Esperanza Inlet

2500 tonnes

Feb 28:  Spawn flight observed spawn in Outer Nuchatlitz and off Rosa Island.  
First Nation Charter will be in area to survey tomorrow.
March 4: Spawn flight observed sea lion, duck and whale activity in Port 
Langford.  

TOTAL WCVI: 7500 tonnes

Please note: The primary objective of the herring test seine vessel program is 
to collect herring biological samples from Areas 23-25 for stock assessment 
purposes (e.g. size of fish, age distribution of fish in each sample).  Herring 
stock locations and estimates are collected as part of the stock assessment 
program to locate herring stocks in as part of the sampling process to collect 
the biological samples, and do not cover all areas.  The tonnage of stocks for 
each area provided in this notice are in season estimates only, and do not 
reflect the biomass of stocks in the area.  The estimates of stock biomass will 
be provided in the analysis which will be undertaken in the post season period, 
following the collection of biological samples as well as herring spawn 
distribution and abundance data. 

The vessel selected to collect biological samples for herring stock assessment 
in 2019 is the F/V Proud Canadian with skipper Philip Dupuis.  The test vessel 
will operate on WCVI for 20 days in 2019.  No fish will be retained for sale.
	

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Ryan O'Connell DFO Nanaimo 250 756 7160

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0189
Sent March 7, 2019 at 0829

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Printed from the Pacific Region web site on June 10, 2026 at 2048