Eating Your Catch

[advTHXance]

Can you show in the regs where it says you are fine to go away on your boat for a 2 week trip and write down any more than 4 springs on your license? Good luck explaining that to an officer who notes that you bonked 2 springs 4 days in a row but you ate a bunch.

In theory this would be perfectly legal. Once a fish is consumed it no longer counts towards your possesion limit, but it still applies to the daily limits. As long as all 8 fish are recorded and retained legally and eaten in a way that you never exceed your possession limit, youd be fine.

 

[advTHXance]

In practice, I dont think any normal person could/would eat a whole chinook per day on their vacation.

 

[zurk]

ive never seen a DFO dude in 5 yrs of driving on the fraser so its all irrelevant mostly. just do whatever and try to stay somewhat legal since its all self policed. like jaywalking.

 

[Rain City]

ive never seen a DFO dude in 5 yrs of driving on the fraser so its all irrelevant mostly. just do whatever and try to stay somewhat legal since its all self policed. like jaywalking.

That's funny it's actually true. Been boarded a dozen times or so and not once have they checked our catch. Licenses, barbs, safety equipment. See yah later.

 

[Pippen]

In theory this would be perfectly legal. Once a fish is consumed it no longer counts towards your possesion limit, but it still applies to the daily limits. As long as all 8 fish are recorded and retained legally and eaten in a way that you never exceed your possession limit, youd be fine.

Not being confrontational but I don't think this is the case and not what was received from DFO.

Let me use this as an example. We have 10 family members going away to Kyuquot. If I take my daily limit of springs at 2 and the family cooks one up for dinner each day for 5 days I will have 9 springs marked on my license; 5 of which were consumed and 4 as my possession. If a DFO officer is waiting to check us at the south terminal I think I am going to have a little 'splaing to do.

 

[UkeeDreamin]

Pippen, given your scenario you’d be perfectly legal, regardless of explanations. Don’t forget, the DFO officers and any experts assisting them have the burden of proving to a judge, based on evidence they collect, that a violation has occurred (if it gets that far, must first convince they’re superiors and DoJ). If your documentation and cooler fit what you’ve described, what could the officer possibly charge you with? Your documentation will clearly show you didn’t exceed your daily limit on any days you fished and the 4 fish you have in your possession doesn’t exceed your possession limit. Assuming you haven’t hidden anything and aren’t lying, the FO’s and/or CO’s would have no evidence to proceed with ticketing or charges.

There is also this, taken directly from DFOs British Columbia Sport Fishing Guide (page 10) (I highlighted the essential part):

Fish that you eat
A fish that you’ve caught and are preparing to eat immediately while you are away from your ordinary residence is considered part of your daily limit and your possession limit. Once the fish is eaten, it’s no longer part of your possession limit. However, it is still part of your daily limit for the day it was caught.

Cheers!

Ukee

 

[advTHXance]

The way you described would be less than legal if Im understanding correctly, but by the letter of the law the example I used would be fine. The problem I see with your scenario is that if you harvest 2 springs per day, and eat 1 per day, at the end of 5 days you would have eaten 5 and still possess 5 (10 total), which exceeds the possession limit. Additionally, at the end of each day before dinner the total chinooks in your possession would look like this:

day 1: 2 (day1 limit)
day 2: 3 (day1 limit + day 2 limit - 1 fish for day 1 dinner)
day 3: 4 (day 1/2/3 limit - 2 fish for dinner)
day 4: 5 (4 daily limits minus 3 dinner fish)
day 5: 6 (5 daily limits minus 4 dinnerfish)

 

[advTHXance]

I know the regs are complicated guys but theyre not this complicated. If you have more than 4 chinook in your possession outside of your home at any point in time you are exceeding the legal limit.

 

[advTHXance]

Also Pippen if there are 10 of you and youre the only one with a licence, I believe you would be required to fish alone. So maybe one of the 9 othersback at camp could spend the 30 bucks and lend you a hand and then you dont have any worries about exceeding limits.

 

[CRGreg]

No, he can have as many people as he wants in the boat, but they cannot participate in the fishing process if unlicenced.. that includes setting up gear, reeling in the other lines, netting the fish etc... I agree that its easier to just spend the money on licences.. unless they really dont want to fish.

 

[advTHXance]

That could very well be true, but how do you prove that theyre not fishing? What if you need them to take the wheel while you check the gear? Is that considered fishing? One could even argue the mere fact that theyre on board partaking in the experience is enough to be considered fishing. Speaking personally, I make sure everyone who fishes with me has a licence whether they intend to touch a rod or not. Its just easier that way.

 

[advTHXance]

Johnny loves to fish. He is vacationing in Bamfield for 5 days and each day he catches 2 salmon and eats one of them for dinner. Before dinner each day, how many fish does Johnny have? What about after dinner?

day 1: before dinner Johnny has 2 fish. after dinner Johnny has 1 fish.
day 2: before dinner 3 fish, after dinner 2 fish.
day 3: before dinner 4 fish, after dinner 3 fish.
day 4: before dinner 5 fish (uh oh), after dinner 4 fish (whew)
day 5: Johnny has already reached his possession limit and cant actually fish today legally. Poor Johnny.

 

[Pippen]

Also Pippen if there are 10 of you and youre the only one with a licence, I believe you would be required to fish alone. So maybe one of the 9 othersback at camp could spend the 30 bucks and lend you a hand and then you dont have any worries about exceeding limits.

Haha......yes there will be others fishing but I was just using it as an example.

 

[Pippen]

I am trying to find the email about consumption of fish but in searching I did find this one.

 

[advTHXance]

That email response seems to echo my sentiments precicely.

 

[Aces]

No, he can have as many people as he wants in the boat, but they cannot participate in the fishing process if unlicenced.. that includes setting up gear, reeling in the other lines, netting the fish etc... I agree that its easier to just spend the money on licences.. unless they really dont want to fish.

Then he can only fish 1 rod

 

[advTHXance]

I believe thats false. You can fish as many rods as you want in saltwater by yourself.

 

[advTHXance]

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

"In tidal waters, there’s no limit to the number of fishing rods you can use. In rivers and streams, including the tidal waters of the Fraser River, there’s a limit of one rod per angler"

 

[Aces]

I believe thats false. You can fish as many rods as you want in saltwater by yourself.

It says right in the regs you can use unlimited number of rods if everyone in the boat but only 1 per license if there’s Unlicensed people in the boat

I got a ticket finding out the hard way to physically check to make sure all the guests have their licenses in their possession

 

[advTHXance]

Ah that makes more sense, sorry I misunderstood what you were saying.