Redrock Crab	Pacific (Dungeness) Crab

For information on harvesting crabs, visit Crabs and Crabbing.

MUSSELS

Mussels have bluish-black shells curved in a distinctive “D” shape, like a flattened teardrop. The inside of the shell is pearly violet or white. Projecting from between the shells on the flat side is a bundle of tough, brown byssal threads, which are used to anchor the mussel to hard surfaces. Inshore waters support the native blue mussel, which can reach nine cm in length. Wave-swept rocky shores have beds of the larger California mussel, which grows to 25 cm in length. The Blue mussel has a smooth outer shell surface with growth rings, while the California mussel has raised radial ribs.

Immediately prior to harvesting, check for shellfish closures with the nearest DFO office, or by calling 604-666-2828, or visit the sewage and biotoxin contamination closures website for PSP and other shellfish closures.

Check the shellfish table for limits. In the Pacific Rim National Park the combined daily limit for mussels is 12.

OCTOPUS

The octopus has eight tentacles that sometimes stretch 4.8 m across in a 45 kg specimen. The octopus is a mollusc that is related to the squid, oyster, clam and snail. The giant Pacific octopus is the major species on the west coast and also the world's largest. It is illegal to use jigs, gaffs, spears, rakes or any other sharp-pointed instrument to take octopus. It is recommended that harvesters use a very sharp knife to kill Octopus quickly.

Daily limit is 1.
 

OYSTERS

Pacific oysters are large shellfish that are the primary species cultured in southern B.C. Their shells are thick with a rough sculptured appearance. Shell colour varies: the outside is a combination of browns, greens and grays, often with sharp purple fluting near the edges. The interior is white and satin smooth. The two shells of the oyster are held together by a ligament at the hinge and a large adductor muscle.

The North Coast (Areas 1-11) is closed to the harvest of oysters due to PSP concerns.

The Lower Mainland area is closed to oyster harvesting.

Immediately prior to harvesting, check for shellfish closures with the nearest DFO office, or by calling 604-666-2828, or visit the sewage and biotoxin contamination closures website for PSP and other shellfish closures.

Return oyster shells to the beach, preferably where you collected them. Oyster larvae survive at a much better rate if they settle on the old shells. 

NOTE: Permission is required to harvest oysters from marked oyster farms.

Check the shellfish table for limits.

Olympia Oysters

The Olympia oyster (Ostrea conchaphila) is the only native oyster along the west coast of Canada. It is a small oyster species, with a maximum reported size of 9 cm, although most individuals are less than 5 cm. Large clusters of Olympia oysters once existed in the Strait of Georgia, however only small groupings have survived. They exist in a few sites on the west coast of Vancouver Island but little information exists on populations in Johnstone Strait or the Central and North Coasts. Given the history of poor resilience to directed harvests and the relatively limited number of sites where Olympias occur, recreational fishers are asked to not disturb these oysters.

Fishing restrictions may be introduced in the future.
 

SCALLOPS

Of the 10 species of scallop known from B.C., only four are of interest to fishers. Spiny and pink scallops are relatively small (less than 10 cm) and reddish in colour. Weathervane scallops are large (15 to 20 cm) with brown upper shells and whitish lower shells. Rock scallops are large (up to at least 20 cm) with thick, rough shells often overgrown with encrusting organisms. Spiny, pink and weathervane scallops are swimming scallops, while adult rock scallops attach themselves to objects.The North Coast (Areas 1-11) is closed to the harvest of rock, pink, spiny and weathervane scallops due to PSP concerns. 

Immediately prior to harvesting, check for shellfish closures with the nearest DFO office, or by calling 604-666-2828, or visit the sewage and biotoxin contamination closures website for PSP and other shellfish closures.

Check the shellfish table for limits.

For more information about scallops.

SEA CUCUMBERS

The daily limit for sea cucumbers is 12. 

For more information on sea cucumbers.

SEA URCHINS

The daily limit for sea urchins is 12.

For more information on sea urchins.

SHRIMP & PRAWNS

Shrimp have two body sections protected by a hard outer covering called a carapace. They sport antennae, eyes, mouthparts, and feeding and walking legs. The muscular abdomen extends behind the carapace and has swimming legs and a fanlike tail. Most shrimp live three years: one as a juvenile, one as a male and one as a female. Five of the 85 species of shrimp found in B.C. are of interest to fishers: coonstripe, humpback, smooth and spiny pink shrimp, and prawns. Coonstripe shrimp are red-brown with irregular brown and white oblique lines on the carapace and abdomen. Humpback shrimp are red-tan with dark red and bright white markings.Pink shrimp are uniform translucent red. Prawns, the largest shrimp in B.C. (25 cm in length), are red with white horizontal bars on the carapace and at least two pairs of white spots on the abdomen. Coonstripe shrimp live in shallow water on or near pilings and floats; humpback shrimp on soft or hard bottoms; pink shrimp on soft bottom; and prawns in rocky areas.

The daily limit for shrimp is 200 and the possession limit is 400.

For conservation purposes, prawns carrying eggs under their tail should be released.

Check the shellfish table for limits.

Visit shrimp and prawns for further information on harvesting and gear.

SQUID

Squid are swimming soft-bodied animals characterized by a muscular tube called the mantle. The mantle has fins at the narrow end, contains the internal organs and is open at the end supporting the head, arms and tentacles.

Squid have large eyes, 10 arms and two feeding tentacles that have suckers and sometimes hooks on pads at the ends. They swim slowly using their fins and force water from the mantle through a siphon for burst of greater speed. Depending on activity level, squid change colour rapidly. Three species are of interest to B.C. fishers: opal squid, neon flying squid and Humboldt squid. Opal squid are relatively small (up to 13 cm in B.C.) and are pale lavender in colour. They are found in inshore waters, most noticeably when they gather in large schools to spawn in shallow water. Neon flying squid are relatively large (up to 100 cm and 5 kg). They are mauve on the upper surface and silvery or gold below; the tentacle sucker rings are distinctivewith four large teeth and numerous smaller teeth in between. Humboldt squid are very large (up to 200 cm and 45 kg) and are brown or red in colour.

Please Note:
Make sure you know what the size and catch limits are for the species that you intend to harvest.

Provincial Parks, National Parks, and ecological reserves, may have species limits or restrictions. Be sure to check with the local DFO office or Park Office prior to harvesting.

AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES

Plants and animals which do not occur naturally in an area are referred to as aquatic invasive species (AIS). In marine waters, some AIS have been introduced for commercial reasons. Pacific oysters and Manila clams are prime examples of such species on the West Coast. Other, not so welcome exotic species, may arrive in the ballast water of foreign ships, on the propeller or hull of recreational boats, through pet stores, research institutions, or with live imported bait or seafood.

AIS can be detrimental to our native populations of plants and animals. Your help in documenting aquatic invasive species in our waters is needed.

European Green Crab

The European green Crab (Carcinus maenas), has arrived in B.C. waters. Surveys conducted in 2006 found green crab in Barkely Sound, Clayquot Sound, Nootka Sound and Esperanza Inlet. Green crab may pose a serious threat to estuarine and marine ecosystems on the West Coast of North America as they are voracious predators feeding on a variety of intertidal plants and animals, including oysters, mussels, clams and juvenile crabs.

How to identify:
five lateral carapace spines; carapace width up to 10 cm;
three rounded lobes between eyes; rear legs are flattened for swimming;
colour varies from yellow/green to reddish/brown for live animals and
‘washed or baked’ red for moults.

Tunicate Species

Several exotic tunicate (sea squirt) species have invaded Canadian waters. At least six of these species have been reported in B.C. and most are the focus of ongoing monitoring and research projects. Those of concern include individual or solitary tunicates (clubbed tunicate and vase tunicate) and grouped or colonial tunicates (golden star tunicate, violet tunicate). Tunicates generally are found on a variety of submerged structures (e.g.: docks, buoys, ropes, anchors, pilings, boat hulls, etc.). Many of the exotic tunicate species have the ability to overgrow native species affecting community structure and dynamics.

How to identify:
colonial tunicates grow in dense colonies of individual organisms (zooids) with a gelatinous texture. Solitary tunicates can be distinguished by the arrangement of the zooids.

Mitten Crab

Mitten crabs, originally from Asia, are another exotic species to North America. This crab poses a serious threat to freshwater and tidal water ecosystems, and was first discovered on the west coast of California in 1992. There is reason to believe that they could migrate into B.C. waters.

Mitten crabs live in freshwater but migrate to tidal water to reproduce (they are the only freshwater crab in North America). They can eat salmon, trout and sturgeon eggs and may threaten successful spawning of these species. They have also been known to damage fish habitat due to erosion of river banks.

These crabs are easily identifiable by two hairy, equal-sized claws. They have a notch between the eyes and may be up to 100 mm wide. The colour of Mitten crabs varies from light brown to olive green.

Zebra Mussels

Zebra mussels, a freshwater mollusc, are an introduced or exotic species to Canada. They were introduced to the Great Lakes System in 1988 and have spread rapidly to inland lake systems in Ontario, likely aided by recreational boating traffic.

Zebra mussels are invisible to the naked eye in their early life stages (called veliger), when they can be transferred unknowingly in pipes, live wells, bilge water and baitfish buckets. They are generally found in shallow (6-30 feet), algae-rich water.

Where Zebra mussels have colonized, often in large clusters, they have clogged municipal and industrial water intake lines, covered boat hulls, fouled beaches, killed native clams and disrupted lake ecosystems.

At three weeks, they begin to form hard shells and will resemble loose gravel or silt. Even at this early stage, Zebra mussels can attach to hard objects by "holdfasts" –strong, tough, byssal threads.

How you can help

1. Report aquatic invasive species:
   If you find any of these AIS, please report them to DFO by e-mail AISPACIFIC@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or by phone at 1-888-356-7525. Please include the date and exact location (GPS if available). If possible, obtain individuals (solitary tunicates or crabs) or a small sample (colonial tunicates) and put the specimen in a sealed container with rubbing alcohol or freeze in a sealed plastic bag.
   Photos of the animals may also be sent to the above e-mail address.
    
2. Avoid the introduction of aquatic invasive species:
   Do not move any live marine animals from one body of water to another or even from one part of the shore to another. Whenever you move your boat from one water body to another, AIS may tag along for the ride.
    
3. Take these precautions to prevent the spread of harmful AIS from one body of water to another:
       • Inspect your boat, motor, trailer and equipment. Remove visible debris.
       • Drain water from motor, live well, bilge and transom wells while on land.
       • Wash/dry your boat, tackle, downriggers, trailer and diving equipment.
       • Empty your bait bucket on land before leaving any water body.
       • Learn how to identify aquatic invasive species.

For more information on Aquatic Invasive Species, please see the STOP The Spread of Invasive Species brochure.