Jarrod you have no clue . stick to what you know ok ....
And you know what????? LOL... now coming to a theatre near you... Mandatory log books my friend so embrace it
DFO, with help of the Sport Fishing Institute (SFI) and the West Coast Fishing Guides Association (WCFGA), have been asking guides and lodges to report catches in logbooks for over a decade. Due to poor compliance in past years and review of how the process of requesting catch information is supposed to proceed, DFO is now requiring guides and lodges provide the necessary information under section 61 of the Fisheries Act.
The SFI and the WCFGA have agreed to assist DFO by providing support and advice to ensure the transition does not disrupt the business operations of lodges and guides, and that catch reporting and bio sampling protocols respect the priority of guides to provide an excellent customer service and fishing experience to their clients.
The SFI and the WCFGA agree that guides and lodges have a higher responsibility for reporting their catch. These organizations recognize the importance of accurate and timely catch and biological information to demonstrate the sustainability of the fishery and provide the necessary tools to effectively manage the fishery in season. These organizations also recognize the need to maintain the highest level of professionalism and respect for the resource within our fishing guide community and are confident that the vast majority of professional fishing guides and lodges will fully support and comply with this program.
What is section 61 requirement for guides and lodges to provide catch and sampling information and how will it affect you?
Section 61(5) of the fisheries Act states that:
61 (5) A person referred to in subsection (1) shall, in accordance with the regulations and the terms and conditions of any lease or licence issued to the person under this Act, provide a fishery officer, a fishery guardian or any authority designated in the regulations, lease or licence with any information relating to a matter mentioned in subsection (2) that the regulations, lease or licence requires.
Subsections (1) and (2) state:
Persons who may be required to provide information
61 (1) The following persons may be required under this Act to provide information or to keep records, books of account or other documents:
(a) any person who engages in fishing;
(b) any person who purchases fish for the purpose of resale;
(c) any owner, operator or manager of an enterprise that catches, cultures, processes or transports fish; and
(d) any agent or employee of a person referred to in paragraphs (a) to (c).
61 (2) A person referred to in subsection (1) may be required to provide information or to keep records or other documents relating to any of the following matters:
(a) the number, sex, size, weight, species, product form, value or other particulars of any fish caught, cultured, processed, transported, sold or purchased;
(b) the time and place at which any fish was caught or landed and the person, enterprise or vessel by which the fish was caught or landed;
(c) the time and place at which any fish was purchased and the person, enterprise or vessel from which the fish was purchased;
(d) the vessels, gear and methods used and the number of persons employed for the purpose of catching fish;
(e) the buildings, equipment, products and methods used and the number of persons employed for the purpose of culturing or processing fish; and
(f) any other matter relating to the proper management and control of fisheries or the conservation and protection of fish.
63 (3) No person shall produce for examination or copying by an inspector, a fishery officer or a fishery guardian or any authority designated by a fishery officer or a fishery guardian any records, books of account or other documents that contain false or misleading information.
The following condition of licence is stated on the tidal waters sport fishing licence:
“Provision of Information: The licence holder shall provide accurate information regarding their catch and fishing activities upon request of a Creel Surveyor and/or an online surveyor, authorities designated under s. 61(5) of the Fisheries Act.”
Here is a link to the complete Fisheries Act Section 61:
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/f-14/page-9.html#h-19
DFO will be working with guides and lodges to provide support with monitoring and sampling requirements wherever possible. Creel surveyors are stationed in key landing locations and will provide assistance and training in the completion of the log book and bio sampling protocols as they can.
If you don’t have access to a creel surveyor you are required to complete a logbook yourself for every fishing trip. In addition, you should be collecting heads from adipose fin clipped chinook and coho, and providing additional samples as requested. The requirement priority is in this order:
1. Complete a log of catch and effort for each fishing trip in the supplied logbook or electronic log
2. Provide adipose clipped heads, with an appropriately filled out marked head label, for as many heads as practical. Record the head label number in your logbook in the biological sampling section.
3. Along the WCVI in 2018, conduct biological sampling on 1 chinook salmon per day, generally the first chinook within 5 nautical miles of the surf line. Sampling consists of taking scales, length, and head for otolith dissection. Bio sampling protocols can be obtained by contacting Karin Mathias at:
Karin.Mathias@dfo-mpo.gc.ca. In other areas, DFO may be requesting DNA or other samples.
IF DFO staff become aware of guides and lodges along the WCVI who are not complying with required reporting then a Fishery Officer can serve notice demanding the information. If the guide or lodge refuses to provide or falsifies information, the guide or lodge can be charged with an offence under Section 61 of the Fisheries Act.
DFO, in cooperation with the SFI and WCFGA is making every effort to provide as much support, training and assistance as possible during the transition period of mandatory compliance. If you have any questions about the program along the WCVI, or require support, training or sampling materials please contact:
