jriptide
Member
Has anyone else found the commercial prawn boats getting out of hand in Saanich Inlet. I have lost 4 traps this year, close to $600 in gear. One had the float recovered in Mill Bay and another was found in deep water (Arbutus Ridge) by a local, far from where I had the traps (Pat Bay). Safe to say it is one of the aluminum prawn boats out of Cowichan Bay. I have taken the names of the nearby commercial floats to report to fisheries and see what can be done here.
The real **** off here is that when I pulled my traps that had commercial lines on top of them, I did not cut their lines and I come back the next day and two of my traps have gone missing in the same area.
I also found that almost every time I left my traps over night the commercial boats were dropped right on top of me. I was lowering my traps one afternoon and boat came right out at me and put trap lines right around my boat.
Last year I had 4 traps pulled and dumped in shallow water, this year they are cutting my trap lines and dumping traps where they will be lost forever.
It would seem they are trying to intimidate the sport fisherman from prawning in Saanich.
All I can say is that it is a good thing I am too old to do what I would have done back in my commercial fishing days, we did not waste time discussing things.
The real **** off here is that when I pulled my traps that had commercial lines on top of them, I did not cut their lines and I come back the next day and two of my traps have gone missing in the same area.
I also found that almost every time I left my traps over night the commercial boats were dropped right on top of me. I was lowering my traps one afternoon and boat came right out at me and put trap lines right around my boat.
Last year I had 4 traps pulled and dumped in shallow water, this year they are cutting my trap lines and dumping traps where they will be lost forever.
It would seem they are trying to intimidate the sport fisherman from prawning in Saanich.
All I can say is that it is a good thing I am too old to do what I would have done back in my commercial fishing days, we did not waste time discussing things.