It is always hard to predict or anticipate what the DFO regulations may be. Here is a quick look at what the upcoming season may have in store for us. For the most current information on DFO regulations click here:
Chinook
No management restrictions have been announced thus far for the 2021 season, which leaves us at 2 chinook per day, with 4 in possession. The last couple of years from mid-June to mid-July we have experienced an in-season reduction in daily limits for chinook to 1 per day, 2 in possession. I expect this trend to continue as the number of returning adult fish in the Skeena watershed are still of some concern. Hopefully they will start showing some signs of stability this next season with all the hard work on conservation the recreational industry has done. Skeena river fish make up a good percentage of our catch and when their numbers are low it stands to reason that our catch stats will be affected.
Coho
2021 regulations for coho are: 4 salmon per day with an aggregate limit of eight salmon. Nothing has been said about a regulation change to this point, but numbers have definitely been on the decline for our northern fish stocks.
Halibut
A bright spot for this upcoming season will be halibut. Halibut biomass and TAC (total allowable catch) has not decreased coast wide, this means regulations should remain the same as they were in 2020. The limits are currently 1 halibut per day, 2 total possession if both of your halibut are under 90cms. You may only possess 1 fish if it is between 90 and 123 cms. The Sport Fish Advisory Board is still strongly advocating for a daily retention of two and a possession limit of three, however unless the current biased allocation plan (which allocates 80% of the halibut catch to the commercial fishery and 20% to the recreational anglers) undergoes an overhaul this will not likely happen.
Lingcod & Rock Fish
Lingcod is also anticipated to remain at 2 per day and 4 in possession for the 2021 season.
Rockfish retention is anticipated to remain the same as 2020 with a daily retention of 3 and a possession limit of 6. You can only retain either 1 Quillback, 1 Tiger, or 1 China rockfish out of those 3 per day. Yellow-eye rockfish remain closed for retention in 2021.
Keep reading ….
- Greetings from Bobblehead
- Year in Review: Longhorn provides a 2020 Fishing Report
- A New Way to Target Lingcod: Spearfishing
- Focus on the Fishing Hole: Exploring with your Guide
- Staff 2020: Thanks and Introductions
- So You Think You Want to Catch Fish More than Me?
- For the Love of the Game
- DFO Outlook for 2021