Possession limits

oilslick

Active Member
Can anyone explain to me how the possession limits work for out of town guests, especially when going on a 6 - 7 day trip to the West Coast.
I know the locals can go out everyday get their 1 day possession, go home and back the next day to do the same thing day in and day out until their annual limit is reached but for out of towners it's much different
When we go to the West Coast from Vancouver, we usually do this every year and send 3 boats up and spend approx. 10 grand in total to do so when you add everthing up.
As some of you know it doesnt take long to get your possession limits on the West Coast so when/where does the possession limit come into play, does the fish need to be brought back to your original desitnation or can you bring it in to a fish proccessor and have it shipped back and fish for a couple more days?
Were not try to cheat any system as we obey every rule in the book, except maybe having a few beers... but we spend a enourmous amount of money on these trips so were trying to find out whats legal and whats not.
I know this is a touchy subject and some people bend the rules but we just need to know how the DFO looks at it, I've sent the same thing to them but havent heard back, must be too busy figuring out the halibut rules... any clarification would be greatly appreciated
 
The way I interpret it is that you have to drive back to your regular residence and leave the fish before you can return and start fishing again subject to the daily/annual limit/possession rules. Otherwise you'd have fish processors setting up operations all over the West Coast. Any of us who fish the West Coast have the same challenge. That’s why you've got to max out your bottom fishing opportunities, and, take only the quality Springs you catch. I spend approx $ 4K for each trip to Nootka twice a year. That’s $ 500 per Spring for me and my wife. Worth every $. Hopefully this year the DFO will consider opening up the coho fishery off the West Coast. Last year off Nootka there were millions of wilds. You could not keep them off your lines. We released dozens over the 3 days I was off shore.
 
In general you are allowed a 2 day possession limit except as stipulated by the rules (such as Halibut). If you take it to a certified processor then you can fish again-PROVIDED that the fish has been shipped and RECEIVED at its destination. You cannot pick it up at the processors and travel home with 2 or 3 possession limits each. I'm not an expert and I'm sure some lodge owners and guides will help you out a bit more.
 
Possession limits are almost always 2 days catch limits
Halibut 1/2
Springs 2/4
Salmon 4/8 (only 4 of which may be Springs)
Your possession limit is what you may have while in transit to your normal place of residence.
Therefore until you (or someone you authorize) transports the fish home, you can't fish
any more.

(at least that is my understanding) :)
 
take it to a proccessor and have a shipping address to your residence.

i contacted dfo about this as my fish was in the processor for over two months.
 
Oilslick- All 3 of the reply you have received are correct. As an owner operator of an 150 slip Marina & Lodge on the West Coast of Vancouver Island (WCVI) we are asked this same question daily. The GOOD NEWS is we are ask a lot because the fishing is SO GOOD! Pescador is absolutely on the money when he's telling you to max out your bottom fish limits. WCVI is a goldmine for groundfish.
 
When I fish the lakes in the interior I'm up against the same thing. I can if I wish keep two days catch. I'm OK with that because I remember the bad old days when people were running canning operations out of their campers.
If you travel with your family members and they all have licenses and each can keep two days limit, that's a lot of fish.
 
I believe once the fish is in the hands of a licensed processor you have fulfilled the intent of the possession limit law. Like it has been said you can't expect someone to stop fishing because the cannery has your 4 springs for 12 weeks. I have even been looking at the feasibility of having a Vacuum packing business set up somewhere in Victoria and have a truck that makes daily stops in Sooke and Port Renfrew to pick up daily catches for processing back at the shop the same evening. A family member or friend could then pick up the packaged product and take it home. This allows someone on a 4 or 5 day trip to continue to fish as if he were fishing from their home waters.
 
A family member or friend could then pick up the packaged product and take it home.

That is only of this family member or friend has a valid fishing licence too and the packaged fish does not exceed his/her possession limit during the transport home.
 
Profisher, what is to stop someone from fishing every day, taking their daily catch limit to a processing plant while they're on the West Coast and saying send it to my home until they bag their annual limit? I've never interpreted the regs the way you have described them (although I'd be happy if I could do what you suggest). Not sure your argument would stand reason if the person was continuing to fish in the same area and had not returned to their normal place of residence. I've read the words (regs) and don't see them the same way you do. I'm not the expert, just asking the question.
 
That is only of this family member or friend has a valid fishing licence too and the packaged fish does not exceed his/her possession limit during the transport home.

This is where it gets really murky for me. I can go down to the docks in Comox, or Portuguese Joes, and buy a whole bunch of fish - salmon, halibut, prawns etc - and take them home. If I don't have a fishing license am I doing something illegal? What is the difference between doing this and picking up fish from Profisher's packing plant in Victoria?
 
Enough fish is to be able to feed your family for the majority of the off season especially after spending/investing thousands of dollars annually in local West Coast communities up and down VI. Some of us aren’t as fortunate as others, believe me if some of us had a choice on where we lived and worked, we would choose the West Coast experience every time. I feel that your comment is biased but you’re entitled to your opinion.
How much fish is enough?
 
Just "gift" them and you are good to go. It is a loophole that has yet to be fixed. Last I heard it was being worked on.
 
This is where it gets really murky for me. I can go down to the docks in Comox, or Portuguese Joes, and buy a whole bunch of fish - salmon, halibut, prawns etc - and take them home. If I don't have a fishing license am I doing something illegal? What is the difference between doing this and picking up fish from Profisher's packing plant in Victoria?
I guess they could ask you for a receipt from where you claimed you bought them. Or ask the guy you claimed you bought them from to confirm it? I suspect it would be up to you to prove you purchased them from a Commercial seller?
 
There is a legal method for having someone transport your fish and that person doesn't need to be family of have a license. They just need to have permission to transport them from the licensed anglers, have all those persons license details with them and the fish labelled as to who they belong to. They can even transport more than s single persons possession limit this way. I often have 4 people fishing with their possession limit and then because of flight schedules they ask me to drop off their fish to Outfitters for processing. I'll be carrying more than my possession limit on those occasions, but I have their licenses and their permission in writing too.
 
Here's some info from the DFO site
." If you send your fish to a licensed fish processor it is still considered to count towards your possession limit. The amount of fish a person is preparing to consume cannot exceed the possession limit. The head and tail of all finfish and the carapace (shell) of any crab caught must be retained until the fish has been consumed."

It also says you need a letter if transporting someone else's fish.
 
I am quite sure the intent of the reg is that you fish, get your limit, proceed to your residence, drop the fish, then you are good to go back out as long as you're not exceeding daily/annual limits. I believe that if you have sent you fish to a processor and have returned to you regular residence, that you are compliant.
 
In my opinion trying to find loopholes around the possession limit is brutal. 8 salmon, 2 halibut, Lingcod, Rockfish etc etc is more than enough for one person on one trip.
 
I agree with Fishtofino, gifting, processing, trying to find loopholes is endless, take what is appropriate and legal in the spirit of the regs or better yet, release some legal fish and just have some fun fishing.
 
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