SFI Up date

[Derby]

slow and steady usually wins the race.. However it is government and DFO..

 

[Derby]

June 14, 2024​

HAPPY BC FAMILY FISHING WEEKEND AND FATHER'S DAY!​

Timing is great for BC's Family Fishing Weekend and Father’s Day too! Abundance of Chinook all along the coast, particularly in the southern areas, is high with excellent fishing wherever you may choose to go. While there are factors that can result in strong returns of any salmon stock, ocean conditions and other factors over the last several years appear to have been good to Chinook and Coho in particular. The numbers of salmon coming back or on our coast are impressive and encouraging.

With the season now well underway, we hope you find an opportunity to get out with friends and family to wet a line soon, or this weekend! A reminder that this Father's Day weekend, June 14, 15 and 16, tidal waters licences are free but if you plan or hope to retain a salmon you must purchase the salmon conservation stamp. The licence and the stamp are available on the DFO website here: Learn about and apply for a recreational fishing licence. And with your licence acquired remember you can use the free Fishing BC app to hold and display your tidal waters licence. No need for paper – your mandatory catch can be legally recorded to your licence and to the NRLS through the app. Everything you need to know about fishing regulations, species info, tides, weather and more is available for free and easily on the Fishing BC app. Linking your licence to the app is easy, follow the prompts or refer to this one-page licence link guide.

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ABUNDANT CHINOOK AND COHO
Once again, Coho appear to also be at high levels of abundance with good showings of both marked and unmarked fish in Georgia Strait and Juan De Fuca. This bodes well for strong returns of mature fish later in the year and is potentially an indication that good ocean conditions persist in inside waters as well as outside waters.

Chinook catches in the southern MSFs, precautionary and highly sustainable opportunities to retain hatchery fish, are reported to be good. Mark rates and average sizes are also excellent, with marked fish up to 94 cm being reported. Regardless of where you choose to fish and particularly where a release is a possibility, use best practices for fishing and releasing salmon including use of a single barbless hook with a gap less than 15mm, avoiding small fish, using a gaff release rather than a landing net, and releasing fish at the water line.

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BIG SPRING RAFFLE - COUNTDOWN TO THE FINAL DEADLINE IS ON!
Only a few Big Spring raffle tickets remain! Get yours or top up while you still can. Two early bird prizes, two Okuma bottom fishing rods and lever drag reels and a SE Duncanby Lodge Islander TR3 Reel were drawn in May. The superb main prizes including the Grand Prize - a Kingfisher Boat, Yamaha Motor and Scotty downriggers package – as well as trips to Langara Fishing Adventures in Haida Gwaii, Codfather Charters in Port Hardy, and with Pacific Angler out of Vancouver are still to be drawn. For tickets and details visit the SFI homepage.

Good luck for the final draws taking place at 12:00 p.m. on July 1! Ticket purchase deadline is Midnight on June 30 or while they last!

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SRKW
2024 Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) and whale regulations have all been announced or triggered, if you are out on the water and in the southern coast particularly, please take care and know where you cannot fish or be while in proximity to SRKWs, Killer Whales or other whales. We are hopeful that SRKW regulations implemented will continue to evolve to be more effective by removing static closures in favour of applying a larger avoidance zone for all vessels in all waters. Whales may come near or towards you while fishing but do your best to leave an avoidance zone around them, a minimum of 400m, reduce or eliminate noise, move away from whales as they pass or forage, and avoid getting in front of them.

BC FISHING TRADITIONS
Fishing is key part of the identity and culture of many hundreds of thousands of British Columbians and like you, we consider the activity and setting that so many enjoy with family and friends as an integral part of life in BC. We encourage all anglers to fish responsibly, be kind to each other out on the water, and to follow best practices for any fish you must release.

Best fishes, and once again, tight lines over the Family Fishing Weekend and happy Father’s Day!

The SFI Team

 

[Derby]

July 19, 2024​ MID JULY WITH EXCELLENT FISHING TO BE ENJOYED ALL ALONG THE BC COAST!​ Abundance of Chinook and Coho in coastal waters, particularly in the southern areas, continues to be notable with excellent fishing wherever you may choose to go. Marked and unmarked Coho and Chinook are particularly plentiful in Georgia Strait and Juan De Fuca. This bodes well for strong returns of mature fish later in the year and is potentially an indication that good ocean conditions persist in inside as well as outside waters. Chinook catches in the southern Mark Selective Fisheries (MSF), the precautionary and highly sustainable opportunities to retain hatchery Chinook, have been monitored closely through Reference Fisheries (RFs). These RFs occur wherever MSF opportunities have been implemented to confirm that each MSF area is suitable by assessing mark rates, stock composition and size of Chinook encountered. While there are strong numbers being reported for many Chinook and Coho stocks with opportunity and access gradually being reinstated or considered every year as a result, the recently released Northern and Southern Integrated Fishery Management Plans (IFMP) maintains the status quo from 2023 in practically all areas. This is particularly disappointing for residents of southern Vancouver Island keen to get out and participate in a sustainable local harvest for what are now highly abundant Cowichan River Chinook. Cowichan Chinook returns continue to be at historically high levels, a recovery results achieved through collaboration across all sectors, yet restrictions on access and opportunity to those stocks in the local area for recreational anglers have not been eased. Across BC wherever it is found that a stock is consistently, and in this case significantly, above its escapement than both near terminal and, often, in river access is provided to the public fishery. Inexplicably recreational Chinook restrictions on and near the Cowichan continue to be imposed. We urge DFO to address this management inconsitency and allow public fishery access to a well recovered Chinook stock and sustainable opportunity as soon as possible. ​ BEST RELEASE PRACTICES In recognition of the high abundance of salmon and circumstances that may require you to release any species of salmon, best practices for release should be adopted and used at all times. Handle fish as little as possible and release fish at the water line whenever practical. Use a single barbless hooks with a gap less than 15mm, 3/0 octopus hooks as example, avoid small fish, and use a gaff release rather than a landing net. Visit Releasethemright.ca for more information. ​ FISHING BC APP While many have already acquired a 24/25 tidal waters fishing licence online you may not have linked it to your Fishing BC app. This is a simple two step process that will let you keep a permananent record, year to year, of any of your catch, and to legally record mandatory catch records to your licence. Get your DFO licence here: Learn about and apply for a recreational fishing licence. With your licence acquired link it to the FBC app to hold and display your tidal waters licence. Linking your licence to the app is easy, follow the prompts in the app or refer to this one-page licence link guide. WATCH OUT FOR WHALES 2024 Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) and whale regulations have all been announced or triggered, if you are out on the water and in the southern coast particularly, please take care, know what you need to do, where you cannot fish, or be while in proximity to SRKWs, Killer Whales or other whales. Whales may come near or towards you while fishing but do your best to leave an avoidance zone around them, a minimum of 400m, reduce or eliminate noise, move away from whales as they pass or forage, and avoid getting in front of them. SAVE THE DATE - 2024 POLICY CONFERENCE AND BIG SPLASH GALA On November 29th the SFI will hold its annual Policy Conference at the Vancouver Convention Centre, this year's theme is Selective and Sustainable. We are looking forward to this highly anticipated forum where elected officials, public servants and those in the sport fishing industry can meet, share their perspectives on the issues facing the recreational fishery and discuss expectations for the coming seasons. As we did last year, we will be providing the Pacific Salmon Foundation a portion of the day to share details about programs and projects that are funded by revenues generated from sales of the Salmon Conservation stamp on your tidal waters licence. Following the Conference, also at the Vancouver Convention Centre, join us at the Big Splash Gala and Fundraiser. Plan to be there on November 29th for a fun, social evening to reconnect with friends and colleagues, a great meal and a chance to bid on and win a variety of excellent items. Much more information to come on each event, ticket sales will begin in September. Have a great weekend on the water! Until next time, tight lines! The SFI Team ​