Area 18 (Saltspring, Pender, Mayne and Saturna Islands, and Saanich Peninsula)
Salmon Limits, Openings and Closures
- Combined daily limit for all salmon species from all waters: 4
- Coastwide daily limit for chinook: 2
| Species | Min Size | Daily Limit | Possession Limit | Annual Limit | Season | Gear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Chinook Additional info |
62 cm | 2 | 4 | 30 | April 1 - March 31 |
Barbless Hook & Line Note restriction |
| Chum | 30 cm | 4 | 8 | N/A | April 1 - March 31 |
Barbless Hook & Line Note restriction |
|
Hatchery Coho (Marked) |
30 cm | 2 | 4 | N/A | June 1 - December 31 |
Barbless Hook & Line Note restriction |
| Wild Coho | 30 cm | See below for in-season decisions. | June 1 - December 31 | |||
| Pink | 30 cm | 4 | 8 | N/A | April 1 - March 31 |
Barbless Hook & Line Note restriction |
| Sockeye | 30 cm | See below for in-season decisions. | April 1 - March 31 |
Barbless Hook & Line Note restriction |
||
- August 1 to September 30 only a a single barbless hook no greater than 15 mm (point to shank) may be used in the Cowichan Bay and Satellite Channel.
- October 10 - January 15 only a single-pointed hook may be used in the waters of Fulford Harbour inside or NW of a line between a fishing boundary sign located near the navigation light and Jackson Rock on the north shore of Fulford Harbour across the Harbour to a boundary sign on the opposite shore.
- Only a single barbless hook may be used in the tidal portions of all streams.
- In Subareas 18-1 to 18-6, 18-9 and 18-11, Subarea 19-5, and that portion of Subareas 29-4 and 29-5 that lies south of a line from a point on the east side of Valdes Island located at 49.05.562N/123.39.989W then extending 57 degrees True for 5 nautical miles to a point at 49.08.316N/123.33.669W: until June 14, 2013: 2 chinook per day of which only 1 may be greater than 67 cm. FN0376 2013-05-16
- There is no retention of chinook from August 1
to October 15 in:
- Fulford Harbour, Satellite Channel, Shute Passage, Sansum Narrows (Subareas 18-6 to 18-8, 18-10); and
- that portion of Subarea 18-7 that lies northerly of a line from a square white boundary sign on Vancouver Island, to a square white boundary sign on Saltspring Island SE of Burial Islet, and southerly of a line from a square white boundary sign on Saltspring Island approximately 1.5 nautical miles ESE of Musgrave Point, to a square white boundary sign on Vancouver Island approximately 0.5 nautical miles NW of Cherry Point.
- Fulford Harbour, Satellite Channel, Shute Passage and Sansum Narrows (Subareas 18-6 to 18-8, and 18-10).
- Keeping your chinook salmon? You must record (in ink) all retained catch on your Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence.
- Hatchery coho (marked): Coho salmon with a healed scar in place of the adipose fin.
- Coho in-season decisions will be posted here.
- Sockeye in-season decisions will be posted here.
Finfish (Other than Salmon)
For finfish limits, check the species and limits table
Halibut: 2013 and 2013 coastwide limits plus closure and opening dates.
October 10 - January 15 only a single-pointed hook may be used in the waters of Fulford Harbour inside or NW of a line between a fishing boundary sign located near the navigation light and Jackson Rock on the north shore of Fulford Harbour across the Harbour to a boundary sign on the opposite shore.
Lingcod in Areas: 12-1 to 12-13, 12-15 to 12-48, 13 to 19, 20-5 to 20-7 and 29-5.
Closed:
Until April 30, 2013
Open: May 1 - Sept.
30, 2013
Limits, sizes and gear:
Daily limit: one
Possession
limit: two
Size limit: 65cm
Annual limit: ten
Gear: angling
(hook and line) and spear fishing while diving.
Rockfish in Areas: 12 to 19, 20-5 to 20-7 and 29-5
Closed: Until April 30, 2013
Open: May 1 - Sept. 30, 2013
Limits, sizes and gear:
Daily
limit: one
Possession limit: two
Size limit: none
Annual
limite: none
Gear: angling (hook and line) and spear fishing while
diving.
(Rockfish and Yelloweye Rockfish in the aggregate)
FN0305 2013-04-19
Shellfish
- BC-Wide Shellfish Limits Table
- Before you harvest shellfish check
Crab
- Subarea 18-10: The recreational crab fishery may use traps and handpicking by diving in addition to ring-neg and dip-net within the Fulford Harbour recreational access closure.
There is a restricted area in Ganges Harbour to provide a channel for navigation. Crab float (buoys) must remain outside of the restricted area at all times. The area is described as those waters of Subarea 18-3 inside a line that begins at 48°51.52’ N latitude and 123°29.36’ W longitude, then to 48°50.47’ N latitude and 123°27.30 W longitude then to 48°51.47’ N latitude and 123°29.47’ W longitude then to the beginning point

Due to sanitary contamination concerns, there is no harvesting of bivalve shellfish in:
- Annette Inlet
- Bedwell Harbour
- Boot Cove
- Burgoyne Bay
- Cowichan Bay
- Cusheon Creek
- Fulford Harbour
- Ganges Harbour
- Hope Bay
- Horton Bay
- James Bay
- Long Harbour
- Madrona Bay
- Maple Bay
- Moresby Island
- Northeast Saanich Peninsula
- Shark Cove
- Thieves Bay to Oak Bluffs
- Port Browning
- Selby Cove
- Village Bay
- unnamed bays east of Fulford Harbour
- 1.4km from Walker Spit
- May 31 to September 30
- Princess Bay
- Reef Harbour
Dioxin contamination
- Burgoyne Bay and Maple Bay
Consumption of crab hepatopancreas in Burgoyne Bay, Saltspring Island should not exceed 60 g/week; Maple Bay, 125 g/week.
All Species, Closures and Special Measures
Closed to fishing for all finfish August 1 to October 31:
- Those waters of Cowichan Bay inside a line from a fishing boundary sign near Separation Point on Vancouver Island to Wilcuma Wharf.
Closed to fishing for all finfish August 1 to October 15:
- In Subareas 18-7 and 18-8
- that portion of Subarea 18-8 that lies easterly of a line from a square white boundary sign at Separation Point to a square white boundary sign at Wilcuma Wharf in Cowichan Bay;
- and that portion of Subarea 18-7 that lies southerly of a line from a square white boundary sign on Vancouver Island, to a square white boundary sign on Saltspring Island SE of Burial Islet, and northerly of a line from a square white boundary sign on Saltspring Island approximately 1.5 nautical miles ESE of Musgrave Point to a square white boundary sign on Vancouver Island approximately 0.5 nautical miles NW of Cherry Point.
Rockfish Conservation Areas
Bedwell Harbour
Bell Chain Islets
Burgoyne Bay
Coal Island
Maple Bay
Mayne Island North
Navy Channel
Patey Rock
Portland Island
Prevost Island North
Russell Island
South Saturna
RCAs are closed to all recreational fishing except:
- invertebrates by hand picking or dive
- crab by trap
- shrimp/prawn by trap
- smelt by gillnet
- Date Modified:
- 2013-05-16