Big Qualicum - Public Notice salmon possession

[bgillard]

<center>FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA

FISHERY NOTICE
(BIG QUALICUM RIVER 2010)</center>


POSSESSION AND GEAR RESTRICTIONS AND OPEN AREAS

Closures:

No fishing from Hatchery counting fence to the Hwy 19A bridge Aug 10 – Oct 15.

From the Reserve boundary below the Big Qualicum hatchery downstream to the highway 19A bridge Jan 1- Dec 31.

Downstream of the E&N Railway bridge Dec 1 to June 15.

From the Hatchery counting fence downstream to the Qualicum First Nation Reserve, from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise Oct 16 to Nov 30.
Fishing in or Near Government Facilities
There is no fishing below the top river weir located approximately 75 meters downstream of the railway trestle, to down stream of the Hatchery counting fence on the Big Qualicum River.
Gear:
Fly fishing only September 1 to October 15.
From Horne Lake Dam to E&N railway bridge, hook or artificial lure Dec 1 to May 31.

Chum
Oct 1 - Nov 30, the daily limit of chum salmon is one (1) per day in the Big Qualicum River. Minimum size limit of 30 cm.
Chinook
Apr 24 - Oct 15, the daily limit of Chinook is four (4) less then 62cm, Hatchery or Wild. Oct 16 - Dec 31, the daily limit of Chinook is four (4) of which only two (2) may be over 62 cm Hatchery or Wild.
Coho
Until further notice Possession is zero (0). Coho fishing opportunities will be assessed.
Pink/Sockeye
Possession is zero (0). Pink fishing opportunities will be assessed.
Notes:
Your limit of salmon is 4 per day of the aggregate (combined) allowable catch.
Barbless hooks are required when fishing for salmon in tidal and non-tidal waters of British Columbia.
The term "hatchery marked" means a fish that has a healed scar in place of the adipose fin.

Report all violations 24 hours per day to
1-800-465-4336

 

[Olde School]

Hello.

Looking at this link http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/fresh-douce/region1-eng.htm makes it appear that fishing IS allowed?

Will you clarify this for us please?

Thanks.

Smiley.

 

[bgillard]

As the season progresses and the returns to the rivers become more clear, the closed times, posession limits, species, gear etc. must be varied for each individual river system.

This is done by variation order (legal level) Your fishery officers then prepare a public notice, and forward it to a fax out list (sporting goods stores etc) or post the rivers (not the best as some SOB's rip the notices down). That's why I'm trying this system, and it appears people are reading the notices.

If we didn't have this system, then likely all rivers would have to be closed all the time to be precautionary.

The sport fish guides are publish every 2 years, the best forcasts are made and added to the guides to allow for some expected opportunity.

EG. We are just changing the guides for the next two years because of an expected poor return on coho after the hatchery lost 95% of their smolts due to the high water temperature.


[Please note the new notice on Coho for the Big Qualicum I posted today. This is and example where the river was closed to coho, but due to the inseason managment we were able to open it up to some retention in portions of the river.


Best always give us a call at the local offices or check in with your sport fish store. If they are a professional outfit, they should be on our fax out list. If not, we'll get them on it.

 

[bgillard]

I should have clairified, it was the Puntledge hatchery that lost their smolts 2 years ago, not the Big Q. We have big concerns regarding the returns next year in the Puntledge

 

[Reaper]

even if it is closed next year it was most awsome to have been able to fish them this year after not being able to for what i think the last 3
so anytime i am able to fish them i am extremlly greatfull they are a fantastic fighting fish
was an absoulute shame that we lost smolts i heard that some was imported to make up for the losses is this so?

 

[bgillard]

No, none were imported. What the hatchery has done, is released the fish in the upper systems. They hope the cool water off the glacier will provide better survival.

The screens on the water intake for BC Hydro appear to be successful on the down stream migration.

We had to close chum on the Big and Little Qualicum today. Please have a look at my notices I posted on line.

Only 5000 in the Big Q, so far. The hatchery would like 75,000.

 

[Reaper]

thats a shame that this year is so bad i remember fishing the parents of these fish and they was big fish and lots of them i hope things turn around and the runs are just late