Commercial Prawning

[Fish Assassin]

Why I thought it was closed, am I wrong? Saw a commercial prawner out off of Hornby today. He set a string about 200 yards long. I was stunned. I think they don't open till the second week of May.

Any one know for sure?

Prawn sucked were we were out there with him so we went to the Denman ferry hole and picked up a few.

 

[Kisinana]

There are a couple of commercial prawners doing sets for the DFO. they do this to decide how much is available and how long the commercial season will be. I guess they are making sure that sporties do not take too many before the season for commercial opens.

 

[coho17]

This is how false info gets spread.

There are no test sets at this time of year. DFO never decides how much is available. There is no set length to the commercial season, only 10 days notice till close.

It was either a sportsfisher, poacher, or first nations fisher would be my guess.

There is still plenty of time to catch prawns before the commercial season opens. Not too worry Kisinana.

 

[Fish Assassin]

Poacher was my thought.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Prawning opens 6 May 10 if i remember correctly. Never hurts to call in suspected poachers to the hot line, 1-800-465-4336. This number can also be found on the inside front cover of the B.C. tidal waters sport fishing guide. Glad to see that you are getting out....................BB

 

[seagal]

I'll be heading out there over the next few weeks to try my luck at prawning. I will also have my cell and d.f.o's number if I witness any such activity.

 

[Steelhead S2]

Could well have been a sporty. Have fished very long strings with floats at both ends, keeping within the legal number of traps. Fished this way using a long-line drum to haul, and only kept legal limits. So, could just have been someone else lucky enough to have access to that type of rig. Agree though, from the outside it would certainly look suspicious.

 

[lazoman]

From the Prawn Management Plan,

"The commercial prawn & shrimp by trap fishery usually opens May 1 and generally lasts about 60 days with Subareas closing in-season as the prawn spawner index target is reached. For 2010, it is proposed that the coastwide opening date for the commercial fishery again be delayed to allow additional time for the prawn spawning cycle to complete in the north. The coastwide opening date proposed for the commercial fishery is May 6, 2010."

 

[twinwinds]

BUT .....Commercial prawners do spawner index surveys throughout the coast prior to fisheries.

 

[Kisinana]

Coho 17
I did not mean it as a slam, I meant that the sport fishing does not take too many from an area.
Test sets are done continously and if there is a shortfall showing, they will close an area as they did the past 3 months around Powell River and in past years in the Saanich area.
In the past there has been as little as 48 hours notice to the end of the season.
Like has been posted here it could be someone with commercial gear putting in 4 personal traps because he has the equipment or it could be a test or possibly even poaching.
If someone is concerned contact fisheries and they will I'm sure check it out or they might have information already.
Keeping your eyes and ears open is the only way to curb poaching,because if we all watch there will be more to go around.

 

[Cuba Libre]

quote:it could be someone with commercial gear putting in 4 personal traps because he has the equipment or it could be a test

Its no big secret that commercial prawn and crab fishermen do a little "exploring" with thier recreational licence in thier wallet, with recreational gear before thier commer5cial season opens. Only difference is that they can only use four traps on one string, just like us. Perfectly legal.

20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[lazoman]

But, commercial harvest is continually monitored, and may be shut down at any time during their opening.

 

[Duffer]

You can get Fresh Side Stripe SHRIMP every night down at the Marina around 5 PM off Lito Veloso he does commercial SHRIMP down off Hornby almost daily all winter. If you havent tried them yet you should sweeter then prawns but smaller but very YUMMY!!!! 20 bucks gets you a feast for 4. Thats probably who you saw out there doesnt fish as deep for Shrimp the Prawns are deeper.

 

[Fish Assassin]

The Sun Isle was the name on the boat. He was not shrimping.

 

[Steelhead S2]

Bit of an aside, but do they trap for sidestripes? I've dragged them, and had a few end up in my prawn raps from time to time. But I was not aware of a commercial trap fishery for them.

 

[Duffer]

He doesnt use traps for shrimping not sure of the name of his new boat its a 40 ft aluminum but he drags for the shrimp.

 

[Fish Assassin]

These were prawn traps. He was not shrimping.

 

[Tanglefoot]

I think that reporting every suspicion of illegal fishing activity to dfo is the proper course of action. If we're wrong, no harm done. If we're right these people don't deserve less.