Fishery Notice

Effective April 1, 2023, and May 1, 2023, the following recreational daily limits and closure times apply to Rockfish and Lingcod in North and South Coast waters as described. These management measures are required to reduce fishing impacts on rockfish in general and identified species of rockfish.
Possession Limits are twice the Daily Limits for Rockfish and Lingcod as described below.

OUTSIDE WATERS:
North Coast - Areas 1 to 10, 101 to 110, 130, 142:
- Daily limit: Rockfish, all species combined (including Bocaccio) - three (3), only one (1) of which may be a China rockfish, a Tiger rockfish, or a Quillback rockfish
- Daily limit: Lingcod - three (3) - no minimum length
- Zero (0) retention for Yelloweye rockfish 
- Open time: April 1, 2023 to November 15, 2023
- Close time: November 16, 2023 to March 31, 2024

South Coast (Outside Waters)- Areas 11, 21 to 27, 111, 123 to 127, Subareas 12-14 and 20-1 to 20-4, and Area 121:
- Daily limit: Rockfish, all species combined (including Bocaccio)  - three (3), only one (1) of which may be a China rockfish, a Tiger rockfish, or a Quillback rockfish 
- Daily limit: Lingcod - three (3) - minimum length 65 cm
- Daily limit: Bocaccio rockfish - one (1)
- Zero (0) retention for Yelloweye rockfish 
- Open time: April 1, 2023 to November 15, 2023
- Close time: November 16, 2023 to March 31, 2024

INSIDE WATERS:
South Coast (Inside waters) - Areas 13 to 19 and Subareas 12-1 to 12-13, 12-15 to 12-48, 20-5 to 20-7 and 29-5
- Daily limit: Rockfish, all species combined (including Bocaccio) - one (1)
- Zero (0) retention for Yelloweye rockfish 
- Daily Limit: Lingcod - one (1) - minimum length 65 cm
- Lingcod Annual Limit - ten (10)
- Open time: May 1, 2023 to September 30, 2023
- Close times: April 1, 2023 to April 30, 2023; October 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024
Area 28 and Subareas 29-1 to 29-4 and 29-6 to 29-17 are closed for Rockfish and Lingcod April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024 (year round).

The exceptions to these openings are:
Areas 121: No person shall fish for or retain halibut, rockfish and lingcod in Area 121 outside the 12 nautical mile limit seaward of a line that begins at 48 degrees 34.000 minutes and 125 degrees 17.386 minutes W and continues south easterly at a bearing of 116 degrees True to a point at 48 degrees 28.327 minutes and 125 degrees 01.687 minutes W.

Areas 121: Closed to all finfish, year round in the waters of Swiftsure Bank. Those portions of Subareas 121-1 and 121-2 inside a line that begins at 48 degrees 34.000 minutes N and 125 degrees 06.000 minutes W, then true east to 48 degrees 34.000 minutes N and 124 degrees 54.200 minutes W, then southeasterly to the International Boundary, outer perimeter at 48 degrees 29.618 minutes N and 124 degrees 43.553 minutes W, then westerly following the International Boundary perimeter to 48 degrees 29.605 minutes N and 124 degrees 56.190 minutes W, then northwesterly to the beginning point.

Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA, Glass Sponge Reef (GSR), and Marine Protected Area closures remain in effect - refer to the following web pages for descriptions:
1)RCAs- http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/restricted-restreint-eng.html#rca
2)GSRs- http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/restricted-restreint-eng.html#sponge
3) Marine Protected Areas- https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/maps-cartes/restricted-restreint-eng.html#mpa

Lingcod Catch Records: The licence holder shall record immediately and permanently on the licence all lingcod caught in Areas 12 to 19 (excluding Subarea 12-14), Subareas 20-5 to 20-7 and 29-5. Or, if mobile internet access is immediately available, the licence holder may alternatively record catch immediately in their National Recreational Licensing System (NRLS) account. The licence holder's current licence and all catch records must be available for immediate inspection upon request of a fishery officer or guardian. The licence holder's current licence or NRLS account shall record and must include all catch records from any previous term licences held in the 2023-24 licence year.

Variation Orders: 2023-RCT-005 (Close Time) and 2023-RFQ-056(Quota)

Notes: 
Anglers are reminded of the mandatory condition of licence for the release of rockfish; all anglers in vessels shall immediately return all rockfish that are not being retained to the water and to a similar depth from which they were caught by use of an inverted weighted barbless hook or other purpose-built descender device.

Licensing - the 2023/2024 BC Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence and Conditions of Licence are in effect starting 00:01 hours April 1, 2023.

Please review the BC Sport Fishing Guide online at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/index-eng.html for any other restrictions that apply to the Area that you are fishing in such as, finfish closures, size limits, annual limits and permitted gear.

Did you witness suspicious fishing activity or a violation? If so, please call the Fisheries and Ocean Canada 24-hour toll free Observe, Record, Report line at 1-800-465-4336.

For the 24 hour recorded opening and closure line, call toll free at 
1-866-431-FISH (3474).

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Pratima Alexander (Recreational Groundfish Manager) - Pratima.Alexander@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0267
Sent March 17, 2023 at 1231

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Visit Fisheries and Oceans Canada on the Web at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Printed from the Pacific Region web site on May 11, 2024 at 0807