Fishery Notice

On June 27th Stock Assessment recommended a downgrade of the Somass Sockeye 
return to 300,000.  This is based on run-timing, Area D catch rates and total 
accounting to date.   

At this run size the Area D gillnets TAC is 6,800 and the current catch is 
approximately 6,500.  Area B seine does not have an allocation at this run 
size. There are no Area B or Area D commercial fisheries planned for the week 
of June 29 to July 6.  Conditions will continue to be monitored daily and any 
potential changes will be determined at Harvest Committee meetings. The next 
scheduled reforecast is for Thursday July 4th.  

The Area D fishery on Tuesday, June 18, with a fleet of 94 boats, caught 
approximately 6,500 sockeye.

The seine test-fishing vessel commenced operations on June 10. 
Test-set information will be available on the internet at: 

http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/xnet/content/salmon/
testfish/sockeye/Area23_seine.htm

The Somass Sockeye in-season stock assessment program will be in place in 
2019.  This program collects escapement, test fishing, catch and environmental 
information on a weekly basis.  This information is collected and a reforecast 
will be made after June 27th, and weekly every Thursday, for the duration of 
the season.  This may lead to further commercial sockeye opportunities if 
conditions warrant.

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.

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 and 
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).


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. 

          
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. 

Fishers are advised to notify local DFO managers or patrol vessels to report 
abandoned, lost, or entangled gear. A local diver has volunteered to remove the 
nets at no charge.

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

For more information contact:  
Mike Spence, Resource Manager, Port Alberni at 1-250-720-4440.

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0599
Sent July 2, 2019 at 0921

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Printed from the Pacific Region web site on September 13, 2026 at 0505