Fish Processing or Drop-off Locations on North Island

If your getting stuff canned or smoked it can take months

1.0. Exactly. In the summer it can take 2 months to get your fish processed.
2.0. The intent of that rule was to stop people dumping fish at a local processor when out of town then going back out and getting their limit again without returning to there residence. That makes sense.
3.0. What doesn’t make sense is I go fishing in Port Hardy July 1 catch my limit then drop my fish at St Jeans in Nanaimo July 2 on the way back to my residence in Vancouver where I will be told my fish won’t be processed till Aug 30th. The way some people seem to think is I can’t fish still Aug 31 upon receipt of my processed fish although I caught the fish two months ago and have been home. That makes zero sense and would put many fish processors and guides out of business. I am certain the DFO’s intent was not to impact the processors/guides negatively.
 
1.0. Exactly. In the summer it can take 2 months to get your fish processed.
2.0. The intent of that rule was to stop people dumping fish at a local processor when out of town then going back out and getting their limit again without returning to there residence. That makes sense.
3.0. What doesn’t make sense is I go fishing in Port Hardy July 1 catch my limit then drop my fish at St Jeans in Nanaimo July 2 on the way back to my residence in Vancouver where I will be told my fish won’t be processed till Aug 30th. The way some people seem to think is I can’t fish still Aug 31 upon receipt of my processed fish although I caught the fish two months ago and have been home. That makes zero sense and would put many fish processors and guides out of business. I am certain the DFO’s intent was not to impact the processors/guides negatively.

that’s actually a good point I never thought of. Hardy buoys is next day processing for the most part so never had to worry for my personal fish as I live in hardy and can get it the next day. But I know st jeans can take a long time as buddies have taken it there....that’d get complicated if they won’t have it ready for a month. Wonder what Dfo says about that.
 
If common sense were to prevail, it seems to me that as long as the angler who's license the fish at the processors were on, made it home to their regular place of residence before going fishing again and could prove it, then that should count and the fish at the processor for long term processing no longer count towards their possession limit. One assumes this should also be true if a fish ended up at the taxidermist for a mount which can take many months. This is DFO however, so common sense may or may not apply and would perhaps depend on the discretion of individual enforcement officers. If this has ever been tested in court that could provide guidance.
 
Last edited:
Has anyone called about this? What if you wanted to go fish again and you still had fish at someplace like St Jeans?

How would DFO know you had fish at a processor ?
as long as your fish in possession are recorded on your license you should be okay.
 
How would DFO know you had fish at a processor ?
as long as your fish in possession are recorded on your license you should be okay.

they take your fishing license number when you drop Fish at a processor. I assume it’s recorded in a system somewhere. Whether DFO can access it remotely, who knows.
 
How would DFO know you had fish at a processor ?
as long as your fish in possession are recorded on your license you should be okay.

If it is anything like hunting they could know. If I were a CO I would review/copy the processors logs assuming they were not required to submit them already to DFO. just to have it on hand. The way things are going with electronic documentation, if it is not already in place it likely soon will be, that they could punch in you license number in their cell phone in the field and have all the information for every fish you have ever taken to a licensed registered processor anywhere in the province. I suspect the amount of effort they would put into checking would be directly proportional to the degree of suspicion they have about your actions or have received a tip that you have been bragging etc. about beating the system to the wrong guy at the marina.
 
they take your fishing license number when you drop Fish at a processor. I assume it’s recorded in a system somewhere. Whether DFO can access it remotely, who knows.

In Hardy at Hardy Buoys there is no licence provided. In speaking with the staff there I was told that is not their job to obtain and keep track of peoples fish possession or licences, they are strictly a fish processor.

Not sure how other places do it.
 
they take your fishing license number when you drop Fish at a processor. I assume it’s recorded in a system somewhere. Whether DFO can access it remotely, who knows.

I think it would take a very diligent C.O. to track this.
I doubt they have the time or manpower to start calling all the processor's to see if you had fish there.
not trying to beat the system, it's just that the processor could have your fish for months
 
Last edited:
This is an email response directly from DFO.

Thank you for contacting Fisheries and Oceans Canada.


In regards to your example regarding possession limits: to take your catch, at maximum possession limit, to a processing plant/licensed facility and then to go out fishing again before taking the first ‘batch’ home is considered illegal fishing.


On a 10 day trip to Tofino, the maximum amount you would be allowed to take home is your maximum possession limit, twice your daily allowance.


In the case of Salmon, the daily limit for all species of Pacific salmon from tidal and fresh waters combined is four. Individual species limits also apply. The possession limit of all salmon from all waters is twice the daily limit. You cannot possess more than eight salmon in total, except for salmon that are at your ordinary residence (page26 of BC Sport Fishing Guide - http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/docs/SFG-GPS-2016-eng.pdf ).

As a follow up I asked "Just to confirm one thing. If I come home from a trip with a possession limit and take it to be processed in my resident town/city, can I not fish anymore until that salmon has been processed?"

This was the reply.

Once you bring your catch to your ‘ordinary residence’ (A residential dwelling where a person normally lives… as referenced in full on page 63 of the BC Sport Fishing Guide) , your possession limit resets as long as you have not exceeded any annual maximum limits, if applicable.
 


In regards to your example regarding possession limits: to take your catch, at maximum possession limit, to a processing plant/licensed facility and then to go out fishing again before taking the first ‘batch’ home is considered illegal fishing.

This is exactly what i said months ago and was attacked over it
 
Still no clarification as to whether you can go fish again.

In Pippens post it asked if he takes it to a processor in his town of residence can he fish again. The answer states if the fish goes to "your" residence, does not say that you can drop at processor and then go fishing again.

I have called and emailed my local DFO office asking for a phone call.

Will post when I hear from them.
 
Still no clarification as to whether you can go fish again.

In Pippens post it asked if he takes it to a processor in his town of residence can he fish again. The answer states if the fish goes to "your" residence, does not say that you can drop at processor and then go fishing again.

I have called and emailed my local DFO office asking for a phone call.

Will post when I hear from them.[/QUOT

I suspect the DFO intentions were different than how the regulation is being interpreted. unintended consequences of a poorly worded reg.
 
Most processors keep track of names and fishing licence numbers. To do otherwise would leave them unlawfully in possession of the fish. If the processor is inspected by DFO they need to be able to prove the source of the fish in their possession. It wouldn't be difficult for an Officer to follow up with a processor if they had an individual that they suspected of being in an over possession situation.
Easiest thing to do is to just stay within the limits..

G
 
Still no clarification as to whether you can go fish again.

In Pippens post it asked if he takes it to a processor in his town of residence can he fish again. The answer states if the fish goes to "your" residence, does not say that you can drop at processor and then go fishing again.

I have called and emailed my local DFO office asking for a phone call.

Will post when I hear from them.

Seems logical that you should be able to take them home and then take them to the processor for smoking etc. and then go out again. Having to wait until the fish are processed may not imo be in the spirit of the law.
 
Seems logical that you should be able to take them home and then take them to the processor for smoking etc. and then go out again. Having to wait until the fish are processed may not imo be in the spirit of the law.

That’s another good point. Take em home then to processor then what? Wording of law is poor I’d say. Who really needs more than a possession limit to eat though? That results in 130-140lbs of fillets for someone. Don’t get me wrong if you provide for family and extended family then fair. My fiancé’s mom and step dad and her dad and my aunts always want fish but even between her and me 3 days out is plenty.
 
Seems logical that you should be able to take them home and then take them to the processor for smoking etc. and then go out again. Having to wait until the fish are processed may not imo be in the spirit of the law.

Taking home then to processor is ok, you have taken to place of residence first.
 
Once the fish have been to your house, they no longer count towards your possession limit. Getting them to your "ordinary Residence" re sets the clock. When I drop fish off at St Jeans in the summer sometimes its almost 3 months before I get the smoked product back.
 
That’s another good point. Take em home then to processor then what? Wording of law is poor I’d say. Who really needs more than a possession limit to eat though? That results in 130-140lbs of fillets for someone. Don’t get me wrong if you provide for family and extended family then fair. My fiancé’s mom and step dad and her dad and my aunts always want fish but even between her and me 3 days out is plenty.

Taking home then to processor is ok, the fish has been to your place of residence. You could travel with your annual limit if you wanted to as long as it has all gone home first.

I had a conversation with DFO last summer about heading south to Baja with unmarked fish in my freezer, smoked fish, and canned fish.

What if I was stopped and checked?

I was told that it would be up to the officer to decide if he believed my story about having it at my residence prior to travel.

Really a grey area.
 
Last edited:
That’s another good point. Take em home then to processor then what? Wording of law is poor I’d say. Who really needs more than a possession limit to eat though? That results in 130-140lbs of fillets for someone. Don’t get me wrong if you provide for family and extended family then fair. My fiancé’s mom and step dad and her dad and my aunts always want fish but even between her and me 3 days out is plenty.

Thats the thing how much fish do people need going bad in the freezer. Man alive a couple people with their limit of chinook in 15-20# fish, plus your Coho or Pinks or Sockeye what ever it may be. That can be 16 salmon plus if you watch where you go you can get some Hali, maybe some Ling and some other bottom fish. Shoot man I don’t know how much people need. It’s the same as the Prawn limit being lowered yah it sucks but how much do you need going bad in the freezer, go get a few, have a feed and freeze some when your done go out again. I’m planning on heading out there this spring for some prawns and salmon doesn’t bother me it’s been lowered and I’ll be driving 1400km to get there. No biggy, it’s the experience as much as anything, the product is just a part of it it’s not the only thing that matters if it is your missing out.

I’ve said it before I’ll say it again, the days of living off the land of wild game are done, it’s a treat and a special occasion to eat from the land. Get used to it, it’s the age we live in plain and simple.
 
Back
Top