Silver Streak
Active Member
ESQUIMALT ANGLERS’ ASSOCIATION 1101 MUNRO STREET, VICTORIA, B.C., V9A 5P2
Andrew Thomson, DFO Regional Director, Fisheries Management, 200 – 401 Burrard Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6C 3S4
October 11, 2025
The Esquimalt Anglers’ Association is concerned regarding the lack of concern and cooperation displayed by DFO, particularly in regard to issuing Fishery Notices announcing changes in our recreational fishing opportunities.
It has been a Department of Fisheries & Oceans practice of issuing Recreational Fishery Notices only a day or two before a regulatory change affecting anglers. We believe this in intentional on DFO’s part as it makes it difficult to plan a fishing trip or schedule holidays ahead of time.
Our current concern is over the lack of any recent notice by DFO of the October 01 opening in Area 19 for the retention of one wild (unclipped) coho in the daily limit of two coho. Many anglers were not aware that DFO posted FN0439 on May 14 announcing this change. The change was incorporated in the large Fishery Notice, 12 sections below the top of the notice. This could not be viewed unless one scrolled down through the other sections covering the whole South Coast for the entire year’s coho regulations.
We believe that DFO should have posted another Fishery Notice a couple weeks prior to October 01 again announcing the local recreational coho retention change. The original wording of FN0439 issued by DFO May 14 affecting this area appears below in italics.
Effective 00:01 hours October 1, 2025, until 23:59 hours December 31, 2025, you may retain two (2) Coho per day, of which only one (1) may be unmarked. These measures apply in the following waters: Area 19.
Many of our members have expressed displeasure with the way DFO has mishandled these communications.
Wayne Zaccarelli, Secretary EAA
