Area 12

EXPECT IN-SEASON CHANGES!

The closures and restrictions described in this Area may be varied by Fishery Notice. These management changes and additional openings and closures are indicated in red on this page. You can also click on Updates on the left bar to see Fishery Notices.

Click the following links for the appropriate information:
Salmon | All Finfish (including Salmon) | Finfish (other than Salmon)
Shellfish | Area 12 Map

Salmon

Barbless hooks must be used when fishing for salmon in all tidal waters of British Columbia.

Openings & Closures:

Species	Min Size	Daily Limit	Possess. Limit	Annual Limit	Season Open	Gear Permitted
Chinook	62 cm	2	4	30	Apr 1-Mar 31	Hook & Line
Chum	30 cm	4	8	N/A	Apr 1-Mar 31	Hook & Line
Hatchery Coho	30 cm	2	4	N/A	Jun 1-Dec 31	Hook & Line
Wild Coho	TBD	To be determined	To be determined	N/A	Jun 1-Dec 31	Hook & Line
Pink	30 cm	4	8	N/A	Apr 1-Mar 31	Hook & Line
Sockeye**	30 cm	see below	see below	N/A	see below	Hook & Line
The combined daily limit for all species of Pacific salmon from tidal waters is 4. Coastwide daily limit for chinook is 2. Aggregate daily limit for all species of Pacific salmon from tidal and non-tidal waters combined is 4.

2011 Coho and Chinook opportunities map - Area 12: Queen Charlotte Sound (PDF)

All Species: Aug 1-Sep 30: In Subarea 12-16, the waters of Hardy Bay shoreward of a line from a boundary sign on the Keltic Seafoods wharf to a boundary sign on the opposite shore (inner portion of Hardy Bay): you may only use a single-pointed hook that measures no more than 15 mm between the point and shank when fishing.

All Species: Aug 1-Sep 30: In Subarea 12-16, the mouth of the Keogh River within a 400 m radius of the shore: you may only use a single-pointed hook that measures no more than 15 mm between the point and shank when fishing.

All Species: Aug 1-Sep 30: In Subarea 12-17, those waters inside a line that starts at a boundary sign approx. 1.9 km northwest of the Cluxewe river mouth, then to 50°37.53’ N and 127°12.21’W, then to 50°36.98’N and 127°09.53’W, then 200° true to a boundary sign on the shore: only a single-pointed hook may be used.

Chinook: Jan 1- Dec 31: Minimum size limit is 62 cm.

Chinook: Aug 1-Oct 31: Subarea 12-19: Non-retention in the waters of Broughton Strait southerly of a line from Ledge Point to the light on the southern end of Haddington Island, then to the light on Yellow Bluff on Cormorant Island, then following the southerly shoreline to a marker on Gordon Bluff, then to Lewis Point on Vancouver Island.

** Sockeye: Effective 23:59 hours Friday, Sept. 16, 2011 and until further notice: daily limit for Fraser sockeye will be reduced to zero (0) in all waters listed in FN0784. Area 23 still remains open for the harvest of sockeye as per Fishery Notice FN0447.  Listed 16/09/2011 FN0901

**Sockeye: Aug. 25 until further notice: the daily limit for sockeye is four (4) per day in:

• Areas 11 and 111
• Area 12
• Area 13 (Johnstone Strait);
• Areas 14, 15, 17, 18 and 19 (Strait of Georgia);
• Area 20 (Juan de Fuca Strait);
• Areas 21, 121 and 123 to 127 (West Coast of Vancouver Island). Note: Area 23 (Barkley Sound and Alberni Inlet) is open to retention of Somass sockeye ( see FN0447);
• Area 28 (Howe Sound, Burrard Inlet and Indian Arm);
• Area 29 (Strait of Georgia and the tidal waters of the Fraser), except Subarea 29-8 (Boundary Bay).

Sockeye retention is not permitted in the following areas:

• Area 16 - remains closed and at this time there is no proposed opening of Subareas 16-19 to 21 (Sabine Channel);
• Area 22 - In Nitinat Lake;
• Areas 24 to 27 inclusive;
• Subarea 29-8 (Boundary Bay)

Listed 24/08/2011 FN0784

All Finfish, Including Salmon Closures and Special Measures

For other finfish limits, please visit the species and limits table.

Those waters of Port McNeill Bay westerly of a line from a boundary sign at the north end of the Western Forest Products jetty, true north to a boundary sign on the opposite shore of Ledge Point Peninsula, are closed to fishing for all finfish from August 15 to December 31.

The mouth of the Klinaklini River (Knight Inlet) shoreward of a line from a fishing boundary signs at the southern entrance to Wahshihlas Bay to a fishing boundary sign at Rubble Point is closed to fishing for all finfish, all year.

The mouth of Scott Cove Creek and Viner Sound shoreward of a line between two fishing boundary signs located at King Point and the boundary sign located on the Gilford Island point approximately 1km South of Scott Cove Creek on the point 1 km south from the mouth of Scott Cove Creek is closed to fishing for all finfish August 15 to September 30.

The mouth of the Kingcome River shoreward of a line from a fishing boundary signs on Petley Point to a fishing boundary sign on a point on the opposite shore of Kingcome Inlet is closed to fishing for all finfish, all year.

The mouth of the Wakeman River north of a line connecting two fishing boundary signs on opposite shores approx. 6 km from the head of Wakeman Sound is closed to fishing for all finfish, all year.

The mouth of Nimpkish River inside a line from a fishing boundary sign at a point on the shore of Vancouver Island approximately 1.5 km east of Broad Point, then to a navigational aid in the middle of Haddington Passage, then to a fishing boundary sign at a point approximately 1 km east of Willow Creek, then to the tidal water boundary signs approximately 100 m upstream of the Highway 19 bridge is closed to fishing for all finfish June 1 to November 30.

Sub-area 12-20: Parson Bay bounded inside a line from Red Point on Harbledown Island to a marker on the most northwest point of Parson Island, from there following the northern shore to the most easterly point and from there true east to Harbledown Island is closed to fishing for all finfish, June 15 to September 30.

Rockfish Conservation Areas
Bate-Shadwell Passage	Goletas Channel
Browning Passage-Hunt Rock	Bolivar Passage
Shelter Bay	Browning Islands to Raynor Group
Drury Inlet-Muirhead Islands	Hardy Bay-Five Fathom Rock
Numas Islands	Suquash
Haddington Passage	Burley Bay–Nepah Lagoon
Mackenzie–Nimmo	Wakeman Sound
Dickson Polkinghorne Islands	Nowell Channel
Greenway Sound	Belleisle Sound
Kwatsi Bay	Bond Sound
Thompson Sound	Salmon Channel
Weynton Passage	Port Elizabeth
Eden-Bonwick-Midsummer-Swanson Islands
Lower Clio Channel	Viscount Island
Havannah Channel	Upper Call Inlet
Cracroft Point South–Sophia Islands	West Cracroft–Boat Bay

Finfish (Other than Salmon)

Halibut: recreational fishing for halibut is closed until further notice.

Sevengill shark, Shortfin mako, Common thresher, Bigeye thresher, Smooth hammerhead, Pacific angel shark and Pacific sleeper shark; Salmon shark: Effective June 1, 2011 until further notice:

• Sevengill shark, Shortfin mako, Common thresher, Bigeye thresher, Smooth hammerhead, Pacific angel shark and Pacific sleeper shark: The daily limit is zero (0).
• Salmon shark: The daily limit is one (1) and the possession limit is two (2).

Listed on 11/05/2011 FN0389

Lingcod: Closing Time Reminder: Fishing for lingcod will close October 1, 2011 until further notice. Listed on 20/09/2011 FN0918

Rockfish: Closing Time Reminder: Fishing for rockfish will close October 1, 2011 until further notice. Listed on 20/09/2011 FN0918

Shellfish

See the Shellfish Table for limits.
Please see important Additional Shellfish Information.

Be sure to check for both PSP and Sanitary Contamination Closures if you plan on consuming any shellfish.

Nimpkish Estuary Special Management Area: From June 15 to September 14, the daily limit for all crab species (other than King or Box crab) is reduced to two in Subarea 12-19: those waters at the mouth of the Nimpkish River that lie inside a line that begins at a boundary sign approx. 1.5 km easterly of Broad Pt, then continues to navigation aid N17, then to a boundary sign located approximately easterly of Willow Creek then following the shoreline of Vancouver Island to the beginning point. Only dip nets, ring nets or hand picking is permitted to harvest crab in this area at this time.

Shellfish Contamination
Hardy Bay; Echo Bay; Beaver Harbour; Port Neville; Hopetown Passage; Macgowan Bay; bay west of Everard Islets; Shoal Harbour; Little Nimmo Bay; Southeast Turnour Island; Sutherland Bay; Double Bay; Alert Bay; north side of Cormorant Island; Clam Cove; Laura Bay; Burly Bay; Dickson Island; Shushartie Bay; Helen Bay; and Joe Cove Bay.
May 31 to September 30: Cutter Cove.