Fishery Notice

Fishery continues 00:01 hours April 1, 2025 until further notice to commercial fishing for Dungeness and Red Rock Crab by ring net, dip net, and trap in the following Pacific Fishery Management Areas:

Areas 11, 15, 21, 22, 26, and 27. 

Area 12 except;

Subarea 12-13 (Blunden Harbour)

That portion of Subarea 12-13 that lies southeast of a line that begins at 50°54.238'W and 127°16.571'N on Robinson Island to a point at 50°54.388'W and 127°16.292'N on Edgell Island, following the southerly shoreline of Edgell Island to 50°54.571'W and 127°15.977'N across to 50°54.578'W and 127°15.968'N then following the westerly shoreline to 50°53.545'W and 127°13.867'N, then northwest of a line from a point at 50°53.545'W and 127°13.867'N to a point at 50°53.528'W and 127°13.976'N on the one of the Raynor Group islands, following the northerly shoreline of that island to 50°53.515'W and 127°14.289'N then to a point at 50°53.515'W and 127°14.586'N on another island in the Raynor Group then following the northeasterly shoreline of that island to a point at 50°53.648'W and 127°15.057'N on the northwest side that island, then easterly of a line from a point at 50°53.648'W and 127°15.057'N on the Raynor Group Island to Shelf Head located at 50°54.067'W and 127°16.277'N on the southeast tip of Robinson Island, then following the shoreline to the beginning point. (First Nations FSC and Recreational Access Closure, seasonal portion)

That portion of Subarea 12-13 that lies northwest of a line that begins at 50°54.238'N and 127°16.571'W on Robinson Island to a point at 50°54.388'N and 127°16.292'W on Edgell Island, following the northerly shoreline of Edgell Island to 50°54.571'N and 127°15.977'W to 50°54.578'N and 127°15.968'W on the mainland, following the shoreline to 50°54.132'N and 127°17.797'W and across to a point located at 50°54.135'N and 127°17.762'W on Robinson Island then following the northerly shoreline of Robinson Island to the beginning point. (First Nations FSC and Recreational Access Closure in Blunden Harbour, year-round portion); 

Subarea 12-19 (First Nations FSC and domestic, and Recreational Access Closure);

Area 13 except:

Discovery Passage dioxin closures in Subareas 13-3 to 13-6; 

That portion of Subarea 13-7 southeast of a line that begins at 50°10.827'N 125°21.137'W [Separation Head] then to 50°11.487N 125°20.344W; 

That portion of Subarea 13-10 east of a line that begins at 50°17.702N  125°18.922W [Chonat Point] then to 50°17.367N 125°18.922W; 

Subarea 13-11; 

That portion of Subarea 13-14 inside a line that begins at 50°00.696'N 125°08.802'W [Francisco Point] then northerly along the shore for 5 km to 50°03.208'N 125 10.347W then true east to the 200 m contour then following the 200 m contour south to 50°00.696'N 125°06.956'W then to the beginning point.

That portion of Subarea 13-12 north of a line from 50°18.872'N 125°14.203'W [Walters Point] to 50°18.872'N 125°13.339'W. (Owen Bay Dioxin Closure)

That portion of Subarea 13-43 westerly of a line that begins at 50°35.649'N 125°33.219'W then to 50°34.700'N 125°33.652'W (First Nations FSC and Recreational Access Closure  in Heydon Bay).

Area 14 except for Subareas 14-11 and 14-14 (First Nations FSC and Recreational Access Closure in Comox Harbour).

Area 16 except:

Subarea 16-4;

That portion of Subarea 16-5 inside a line that begins at 49°29.917'N 123°44.798'W then to 49°29.917'N 123°46.401'W then following the shoreline to the beginning point, (First Nations FSC and Recreational Access Closure).

That portion of Subarea 16-5 inside a line that begins at 49°31.389'N 123°46.759'W [Four Mile Point] then to 49°31.943'N 123°47.393'W [Carlson Point] then following the shoreline to 49°29.917'N 123°46.401'W then to 49°29.917'N 123°44.798'W then following the shoreline to the beginning point closed to commercial crab fishing from 00:01 March 15 to 23:59 September 15 (First Nations FSC and Recreational Access Closure).
 
Area 17 except:

Those portions of Subareas 17-4 and 17-5 west of a line that begins at 49°05.799'N 123°48.039'W [Reynolds Point] then to 49°02.255'N 123°42.580'W [Miami Islet] then to 49°00.466'N 123°45.806'W [south of Kulleet Bay].  (Stuart Channel north Dioxin Closure)

Those waters in portions of Subareas 17-6,  17-7 and all of Subarea 17-9 lying inside a line that begins at 48°57.934'N 123°39.673'W [Donckele Pt] 48°58.155'N 123°40.417'W [south-eastern entrance to Preedy Harbour, Thetis Island] then to 48°58.241'N 123°41.441'W [Dayman Island] then to 48°58.283'N 123°41.706'W [Scott Island] then to 48°58.882'N 123°46.105'W [Sharpe Point] then to 48°58.296'N 123°47.239'W then following the westerly shoreline of Vancouver Island to 48°50.851'N 123°35.530'W [Grave Point] then to 48°51.000'N 123°34.242'W [Erskine Point] then following the easterly shoreline of Saltspring Island to 48°53.963'N 123°35.559'W [Parminter Point] then to then to 48°56.031'N 123°37.921'W [Josling Point] then following the westerly shore of Kuper Island to the beginning point. (Stuart Channel south Dioxin Closure)

That portion of Subarea 17-8 that begins at 48°59.397'N 123°39.126'W [Thetis Island] then to 48°59.181'N 123°38.201'W [navigational buoy near Centre Reef] then to 48°58.897'W 123°37.627'W [Norway Island] then following the northerly shoreline of Norway Island to 48°58.549'N 123°37.021'W then to 48°58.121'N 123°36.838'W then to 48°57.981'N 123°36.575'W then to 48°56.031'N 123°37.921'W [Josling Point] then following the easterly shoreline of Kuper Island to 48°59.043'N 123°39.648'W then to 48°59.122'N 123°39.648'W then following the southerly shoreline of Thetis Island to the beginning point (First Nations FSC and Recreational Access Closure).

Subarea 17-14: Those waters of Newcastle Channel and Nanaimo Harbour lying southerly of a line that begins at 49°11.598'N 123°56.936'W [Pimbury Point] then to 49°11.677'N 123°56.829'W [Shaft Point] then following the southwesterly shoreline of Newcastle Island to 49°11.023'N 123°55.553'W [Newcastle Island] then true south to 49°10.638'N 123°55.553'W [Protection Island] then following the southwesterly shoreline of Protection Island to 49°10.226'N 123°55.082'W [Gallows Point] then to 49°09.996'N 123°53.676'W	[Jack Point] and northerly of the parallel passing through 49°06.952'N at the Cedar Road Bridge on the Nanaimo River (First Nations FSC and Recreational Access Closure).

Area 18 except:

That portion of 18-2 inside a line from 48°50.427'N 123°19.984'W then to 48°50.010'N 123°19.675'W [Dinner Point] then following the shoreline to the beginning point.  (First Nations FSC and Recreational Access Closure in Dinner Bay)

That portion of 18-5 inside a line that begins at 48°50.123'N 123°14.703'W then to 48°50.062'N 123°14.571'W then following the shoreline to 48°49.566'N 123°14.230'W then to 48°49.481'N 123°14.206'W then following the shoreline to the beginning point.  (First Nations FSC and Recreational Access Closure in Horton Bay)

Those portions of Subareas 18-6 and 18-7 that begins at 48°42.472'N 123°30.216'W then to 48°42.815'N 123°28.800'W then to 48°41.883'N 123°28.285'W then to 48°41.540'N 123°29.699'W then to the beginning point. (British Columbia Provincial Ecological Reserve #67)  Note:  some electronic charts do not correspond to these boundaries.  You must ensure that you use the above coordinates when determining the closure area.

That portion of Subarea 18-7 east of a line that begins at 48°47.259'N 123°33.235'W [Bold Bluff Point] then to 48°48.820'N 123°33.235'W.  (Burgoyne Bay Dioxin Closure)

Those waters of Subarea 18-7 westerly of a line from 48°48.500'N 123°35.322'W [Paddy Mile Stone] to 48°49.257'N 123°35.318'W [Arbutus Point].  (Maple Bay Dioxin Closure)

Subareas 18-8 and 18-10.  (First Nations FSC and Recreational Access Closures in Cowichan Bay and Fulford Harbour)

Area 19 except for:

That portion of Subarea 19-1 inside a line that begins at 48º26.444'N 123º23.267'W [Chapman Point] then to 48º26.409'N 123º23.317'W then following the shoreline to 48°25.024'N 123°24.494'W [Macauley Point] then to 48°24.814'N 123°23.633'W [the light at the western end of the Ogden Point breakwater] then following the shoreline to the beginning point. (Victoria Harbour Dioxin Closure) 

Those portions of Subarea 19-3 inside a line that begins at 48°24.814'N 123°23.633'W [the light at the western end of the Ogden Point breakwater] then to 48°24.387'N 123°23.280'W [Brotchie Ledge Light] then to 48°24.649'N 123°22.701'W [Holland Point].  (Ogden Point Marine Reserve) 

Those waters of Subareas 19-3 and 20-5 within 0.5 nautical miles of Great Race Rock.  (Marine Reserve)  This closure is within both Area 'H' and Area 'E'.

Those waters of Subarea 19-5 inside a line that begins at 48º35.990'N and 123º23.400'W [Turgoose Point] then to 48º37.040' N 123º22.780' W [light off NW point of James Island] then following the shoreline of James Island to 48º35.370' N 123º20.960' W then to 48º33.490'N 123º21.750'W [Cowichan Head] then northerly following the shoreline to the beginning point. (First Nations FSC and Recreational Access Closure in Cordova Channel)

Those waters easterly of a line that begins at 48º39.223'N 123º 20.763'W [navigation light at the north end of Sidney Island] then to 48º38.245'N 123º20.437'W then following the shoreline to the beginning point.  (First Nations FSC and Recreational Access Closure near Sidney Spit)

Area 20 except for:

That portion of Subarea 20-2 northerly of a line that begins at 48°32.574'N 124°29.861'W [Owen Point] then to 48°34.395'N 124°24.440'W.  (First Nations FSC and Recreational Access Closure Area in Port San Juan)

Those waters of Subareas 19-3 and 20-5 within 0.5 nautical miles of Great Race Rock.  (Marine Reserve)  This closure is within both Area 'H' and Area 'E'.

That portion of Subarea 20-5 north of a line that begins at 48°20.196'N 123°37.377'W then to 48°19.848'N 123°37.243'W [Lamb Islet] then to 48°19.848'N 123°35.568'W then following the shoreline to the beginning point (First Nations FSC and Recreational Access Closure).

That portion of Subarea 20-5 north of a line that begins at 48°19.927'N 123°32.892'W [Manor Point] then to 48°20.245'N 123°32.458'W then following the Pedder Bay shoreline to the beginning point (First Nations FSC and Recreational Access Closure).
That portion of Subarea 20-6 inside a line that begins at 48°22.500'N 123°42.012'W [Trollope Point] then to 48°22.651'N 123°42.643'W then to 48°22.770'N 123°42.684'W then following the shoreline to 48°22.684'N 123°41.487'W [Billings Point] then to 48°22.444'N 123°41.487'W then following the shoreline to the beginning point (First Nations FSC and Recreational Access Closure).

Area 23 except for:

Subarea 23-1.  (First Nations FSC and Recreational Access Closure Area in Alberni Inlet)

Those portions of Subareas 23-6, 23-7, 23-8, 23-9 and 23-11 inside a line that begins at 48°57.752'N 125°19.689'W then to 48°55.575'N 125°12.795'W then to 48°50.221'N 125°18.865'W then to 48°51.757'N 125°23.699'W then to 48°54.318'N 125°23.719'W then to the beginning point.  (Pacific Rim National Park, Broken Group Islands)

Area 24 except for that portion of Subarea 24-4 inside a line that begins at 49°18.030'N 126°04.140'W [northern end of McNeill Peninsula] then to 49°18.030' N 126°03.710' W then to 49°17.483' N 126°03.024' W then to 49°16.814' N 126°02.960' W then to 49°16.439' N 126°02.608' W then to 49°16.226' N 126°02.823' W [Yates Point].  (First Nations FSC and Recreational Access Closure Area in Millar Channel)

Area 25 except for Subareas 25-1 to 25-3.  (Dioxin Closure)

Subarea 29-5. 

Offshore Areas 111, 121, 123 to 127.

Refer to the 2025/2026 Integrated Fishery Management Plan and the 2025/2026 Commercial Harvest Fishing Plan for the detailed commercial fishing plan, information on the North Coast and the Area 28/29 fishery, closed area descriptions including navigational closures, and contact numbers. 

Variation Order Number: 2024-164 is in effect.
Variation Order Number 2024-143 is revoked.

Full descriptions of the sponge reef closures may be found at: https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/ceccsr-cerceef/closures-fermetures-eng.html

Full descriptions of the Pacific Fishery Management Areas can be found at:
https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2007-77/FullText.html

For more information contact:

Crab Management Areas 'E' and 'G':  Brittany Myhal 250-739-9217, Brittany.myhal@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Crab Management Area H:  Mike Kattilakoski 250-174-4788, mike.kattiakoski@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0269
Sent March 24, 2025 at 1227

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Printed from the Pacific Region web site on September 6, 2026 at 0520