Possession Limits - your take?

[Pippen]

Just to get this discussion out of the Nootka reports thread what is your interpretation?

I have always been under the belief that according to the regs, until I am at my place of permanent residence I can only have in my possession twice the daily limit of species as well as adhering to the halibut slot.

What was brought up in the Nootka thread was that "if" I take my fish to a 'licensed processor' it is no longer really deemed part of my possession limit. I find this hard to believe and have sent an email to DFO this morning to confirm.

According to the "fish processor" philosophy I could spend a month in a location and catch my seasonal limit so long as I ensure a licensed fish processor has all of my fish. When my license is covered in ink I can load a pile of coolers up in the back of my truck and drive back home to the place where my mail is delivered.

Does anyone have any documented evidence that the fish processor exemption is legit?

 

[spring fever]

Just to get this discussion out of the Nootka reports thread what is your interpretation?

I have always been under the belief that according to the regs, until I am at my place of permanent residence I can only have in my possession twice the daily limit of species as well as adhering to the halibut slot.

What was brought up in the Nootka thread was that "if" I take my fish to a 'licensed processor' it is no longer really deemed part of my possession limit. I find this hard to believe and have sent an email to DFO this morning to confirm.

According to the "fish processor" philosophy I could spend a month in a location and catch my seasonal limit so long as I ensure a licensed fish processor has all of my fish. When my license is covered in ink I can load a pile of coolers up in the back of my truck and drive back home to the place where my mail is delivered.

Does anyone have any documented evidence that the fish processor exemption is legit?

Even if this is legit-which I don't believe is correct-DFO could stop a lot of this chicanery by a simple road block fish count on the road out of Gold river. The processor scam will only work if the processor ships the catch-if you try to carry it yourself you are in clear violation!!

 

[scott craven]

Even if this is legit-which I don't believe is correct-DFO could stop a lot of this chicanery by a simple road block fish count on the road out of Gold river. The processor scam will only work if the processor ships the catch-if you try to carry it yourself you are in clear violation!!

Agree 100%

 

[BearCove]

I have spoken with DFO here locally about this exact issue as I have had guests at the resort thinking hey could bonk more fish because their fish was at the processor and being shipped home. Once your fish has been shipped home and received at your place of residence you can fish again, but not until then. Until your fish is at your place of residence (6 months or more) and in the freezer it is still in your possession. At the processor it is still in your possession as it has not reached your residence.

Only two days can be kept until home, no way around it.

 

[spring fever]

That is my understanding as well!

 

[wildmanyeah]

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/salmon-saumon-eng.html

"When packaging your salmon catch, if a maximum size limit applies, the head and tail must remain attached until you prepare and consume your catch, arrive at your ordinary residence, or deliver your catch to a registered processing facility."

Its really unclear about transporting fish from a registered processing facility. I don't know much about them, do they give you a bill of sale? how are they packaged and labeled? I am also uncertain to weather a fish processor can have more then 1 persons possession limit at their facility at one time. MY guess is if they got raided and had more than your possession limit their, they are going to get busted.

It seems to me as long as they mail it you you're fine, however if your packages have to go through customs I would not ship more then your possession limit.

 

[scott craven]

It's certainly a grey area, if the processor ships direct to your house, DFO are none the wiser
as long as your actual possession remains within the limit.

 

[Pippen]

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/salmon-saumon-eng.html

"When packaging your salmon catch, if a maximum size limit applies, the head and tail must remain attached until you prepare and consume your catch, arrive at your ordinary residence, or deliver your catch to a registered processing facility."

Its really unclear about transporting fish from a registered processing facility. I don't know much about them, do they give you a bill of sale? how are they packaged and labeled? I am also uncertain to weather a fish processor can have more then 1 persons possession limit at their facility at one time. MY guess is if they got raided and had more than your possession limit their, they are going to get busted.

It seems to me as long as they mail it you you're fine, however if your packages have to go through customs I would not ship more then your possession limit.

Yes you have a bill of sale. They also record what comes in from your catch.

They are basically labelled as "Sport Caught Fish, Not for Resale".




BTW....just spoke to someone in the Tofino DFO office and she did confirm that licensed facility or not, you are only allowed 1 possession limit until you go to the place where your mail is delivered. @codfather you may want to contact your Gold River office and ask them about possession/facilities as it would appear what is being done in your neck of the woods is not all that on the up and up?

I will also await the email confirmation and post up the response here when it comes in.

 

[bones]

The processors only only confirm size and species. Once that's been done there allow to cut, package and label. Your catch still has not reached residence, so your fishing is done. The loop hole is where you catch and ship home via UPS. When you go thru the road block and you have 4. They don't know UPS has 4.

 

[pescador]

Yes you have a bill of sale. They also record what comes in from your catch.

They are basically labelled as "Sport Caught Fish, Not for Resale".




BTW....just spoke to someone in the Tofino DFO office and she did confirm that licensed facility or not, you are only allowed 1 possession limit until you go to the place where your mail is delivered. @codfather you may want to contact your Gold River office and ask them about possession/facilities as it would appear what is being done in your neck of the woods is not all that on the up and up?

I will also await the email confirmation and post up the response here when it comes in.

This response saying "until you go to the place your mail is delivered" is exactly the way I understood it. That means you can drop fish at processor go home and go fish the next day even though the fish have not yet been delivered to your residence. This makes perfect sense and I'm sure the way dfo expected it to be interpreted. Saying you can't fish for 4 weeks after you drop fish at a processor makes no sense at all.

 

[wildmanyeah]

This response saying "until you go to the place your mail is delivered" is exactly the way I understood it. That means you can drop fish at processor go home and go fish the next day even though the fish have not yet been delivered to your residence. This makes perfect sense and I'm sure the way dfo expected it to be interpreted. Saying you can't fish for 4 weeks after you drop fish at a processor makes no sense at all.

I am also Certain the processor cant have more then your possession limit at their facility. So if they are efficient at mailing it out the door... I am not sure what you mean by 4 weeks, is that how long it takes them to process it and mail it?

 

[scott craven]

I am also Certain the processor cant have more then your possession limit at their facility. So if they are efficient at mailing it out the door... I am not sure what you mean by 4 weeks, is that how long it takes them to process it and mail it?

As a matter of interest the last time I had fish done at St.Jeans it took 8 weeks to receive the product

 

[cohochinook]

Yes you have a bill of sale. They also record what comes in from your catch.

They are basically labelled as "Sport Caught Fish, Not for Resale".




BTW....just spoke to someone in the Tofino DFO office and she did confirm that licensed facility or not, you are only allowed 1 possession limit until you go to the place where your mail is delivered. @codfather you may want to contact your Gold River office and ask them about possession/facilities as it would appear what is being done in your neck of the woods is not all that on the up and up?

I will also await the email confirmation and post up the response here when it comes in.

Thanks for looking into this further. I'm sure if you were checked by DFO Fisheries Officer and they asked to see your license and saw that you had more than your two-day limit of Springs or other species on your license in a short period of time, you would have some real explaining to do especially, if you were in a remote area like Nootka and you lived further away.

 

[pescador]

I am also Certain the processor cant have more then your possession limit at their facility. So if they are efficient at mailing it out the door... I am not sure what you mean by 4 weeks, is that how long it takes them to process it and mail it?

Yes

 

[wishiniwasfishin1]

Thanks for looking into this further. I'm sure if you were checked by DFO Fisheries Officer and they asked to see your license and saw that you had more than your two-day limit of Springs or other species on your license in a short period of time, you would have some real explaining to do especially, if you were in a remote area like Nootka and you lived further away.

You are allowed to eat your catch!

 

[spring fever]

You are allowed to eat your catch!

Still counts towards possession limit--in your gut or not!!

 

[wildmanyeah]

Just in from DFO, A processor cannot store more then you possession limit at their facilities. If you suspect a processor of doing this you should report them. Every fish they have above your limit is a $150 fine.

 

[pescador]

Just in from DFO, A processor cannot store more then you possession limit at their facilities. If you suspect a processor of doing this you should report them. Every fish they have above your limit is a $150 fine.

Sorry but I don't buy this. If I've returned to my residence after dropping fish at a processor and go out fishing a week later before they've processed my order I'm sure I can drop off more fish to process as long as I am compliant with my legal limitations. This would put St Jeans and others out of business. The season is only a few weeks long (peak).

 

[scott craven]

Just in from DFO, A processor cannot store more then you possession limit at their facilities. If you suspect a processor of doing this you should report them. Every fish they have above your limit is a $150 fine.

I know this is incorrect as I sent 9 - Springs and a couple Coho for processing from a group trip last year
all under one name and license for processing.

 

[Captain PartyMarty]

Still counts towards possession limit--in your gut or not!!

Since when? If I eat the fish, I no longer consider it part of my limit...