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

Salmon Limits, Openings & Closures

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

Gear Restrictions

• 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.

Chinook

• 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.

Coho

• Hatchery coho (marked): Coho salmon with a healed scar in place of the adipose fin.
• Coho in-season decisions will be posted here.

Sockeye

• 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
  • Red Tide (PSP) and Sanitary Contamination Closures for Area  18

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:

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.