Do you throw your spawning spot prawns back?

[Islandgirl]

I alway have, I know there is a mortality and I am wondering if we should keep them as part of our limit or set them free ?
Friends were at the Courtenay Fish and Game Club dinner last night and ALL the prawns on the table all had eggs in them.

 

[trophywife]

I throw about a third back and little ones too

 

[sammyslabber]

Some people(Asians) actually prefer the ones with eggs more.I thought Fisheries sampled catches & closed it down if there were to many spawning prawns.
I guess they're to busy chasing illegal Hali Fisherman!

 

[Charlie415]

I believe (correct me if I am wrong) that fisheries does test sets to see if the females have laid their eggs. If there is to many prawns with eggs they will delay the commie opening. And no I don't throw the females with eggs back as it usually is not very many with eggs anyways.

 

[Rum Buddies]

most I know always throw back prawns with eggs. Its so easy to catch prawns there really is no need to take them.

 

[Islandgirl]

Yes I agree.. that is what suprises me that the Courtenay Fish and Game club had spawners on the table for their fundraiser dinner .

 

[Fish Assassin]

I try to toss them back. I am upset to even here that Courtenay Fish and Game Club would serve them at thier dinner last night. After all the effort I put into releasing them it upsets me to hear that some people keep them. All them people are doing is bringing on a closure of prawning at this time of year. I would love to know who supplied them.

It will not be long till our area is closed just like many others at this time of year.

 

[Malibuguy]

Of course I throw the egg carrying females back. That is how we get more prawns. Same as crabs - that is why we release the females. The eggs are already fertilized and she is only carrying the eggs until they are ready to be hatched/released.

 

[Islandgirl]

So we all seem to agree so why did Courtenay Fish and Game server spawners???
Maybe someone from the board can enlighten us?

 

[Steelhead S2]

I am in tough spot. My missus loves the eggs. So, she gets the ones with eggs on them. But it's always a very few. If I ever have a haul where it actually looks like an issues I'll likely sort and loss the berried ones. But, just like anything else out there, since it;s legal to take them, the best tactic is to please my queen.

 

[Whole in the Water]

For conservation purposes I throw the egged up ones back - makes sense to me.

 

[Fish Assassin]

Island Girl, there were lots of ticket sold for this banquet dinner, and it sounds like there were lots of prawns to go around. Prawns that had eggs which had to be sportsman caught and donated concidering the time of year. I would love to know who donated them. Write them a letter and ask them this. As a fish & game protective association dedicated to wildlife management and conservation WHY would you serve these or allow them to be donated.

It is legal to keep berried prawns still, but that should be changed.

 

[Cuba Libre]

I checked-- The prawns were purchased from a commercial fishermen. The club didnt know anything about them other than it was legal. Before you jump up and down that they should not have been served, ask yourself what you would have done with a couple of hundred lbs of prawns that the fishermen would not take back . It was a fund raiser--- prawns had been advertised on the menu. Several other people I have talked to said they were great-- So some were happy-- some were not (including club members).

Owen-- commercial guys have freezers too..

 

[Fish-Hunter]

Definately put the spawners back if they are still kicking, just makes sense that by putting one back it will put many back into the system to be able to catch them some other time. Feel like crap if we find any during cleaning that got missed.

 

[Fish Assassin]

Bryan---- I was lead to believe commercial guys tossed them back down a tube in their sorting tables that put them six feet under the surface in order to increase their survival rate. They also sort one trap at a time in order to release berried and undersized prawns.

Copied and pasted from the DFO website 2009.

- All berried prawns must be released from opening day May 07 and until June​

30/09.


Did things change in 2010?
​

 

[Fish Assassin]

2011.....This is a draft copy but read this....

4.3. Berried Females
Fisheries and Oceans Canada requires that all berried female prawns be released from the
date of season opening to June 30. Catch must be sorted as it comes on board and the
females released on a trap by trap basis. Waiting until the entire string is pulled
before sorting is considered to be illegal. It is recommended that fish harvesters
relocate to other grounds if they find that they are catching large numbers of berried​

females. High proportions of berried females may result in closure.

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/consul...-trap/docs/ifmp-pgip/2011-2012-1appe-anne.pdf

 

[Cuba Libre]

Yup-- but if the season closes after June 30th, they are allowed to keep them. Who knows when those prawns were caught and cryovaced. The theory is that by then, they will have completed spawning, but as you know-- taint necessarily so...

I dont doubt that we rec guys will have to throw them back sooner or later....

 

[Dogbreath]

As to Prawn Caviar-it's only worth eating while fresh-doesn't freeze well at all.

 

[JuandeOne]

I attempt to release females but don't loose sleep if a few make it home.

I need someone on here to explain the prevailing moral/conservation dichotomy regarding the release of mature female prawns but not the same for halibut. Maybe I'm missing something I can be enlightened on.

 

[Islandgirl]

Hey C.L.
The prawns were bought leagally and should be served.

I know from my own prawning that come mid april getting spawners is extremely rare, almost non existent. Commercial prawning does not open until early May. I would think that come June 30th there would be No spawners left, so the fact that a commercial guy can keep them does not really matter. My question is what is a commercial prawn fisherman doing with that many spawners? Hundreds of $$ of prawns that were spawners!