Area 20 (Sooke/Port Renfrew)

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	45 cm	2	4	See below for details	April 1 - March 31	Barbless Hook & Line
Chum	30 cm	4	8	N/A	April 1 - March 31	Barbless Hook & Line
Hatchery Coho (Marked)	30 cm	2	4	N/A	June 1 - December 31	Barbless Hook & Line
Wild Coho	30 cm	See below for in-season decisions.				Barbless Hook & Line
Pink	30 cm	4	8	N/A	April 1 - March 31	Barbless Hook & Line
Sockeye	30 cm	See below for in-season decisions.			April 1 - March 31	Barbless Hook & Line

Chinook

• Subareas 19-1 to 19-4 and Subarea 20-5 (waters near Victoria between Cadboro Point to Sheringham Point): Until June 14, 2013:
  • 2 chinook per day, wild or hatchery marked between 45 cm and 67 cm or hatchery marked greater than 67 cm in length.
  • June 15 - July 19, 2013: 2 chinook per day, wild or hatchery marked less than 85 cm, or hatchery marked greater than 85 cm in length. FN0156 2013-03-13
• The annual limit for chinook caught south of Cadboro Point (including 20-5 to 20-7) is 20. The annual limit in the rest of Area 20 is 30.
• July 15 to October 25: No retention of chinook in Subareas 20-1 and 20-2 inside or north of a line from Owen Point to the Port San Juan Light and Whistle Buoy then to Woods Nose.
• August 1 to October 15 there is no retention of chinook in the Sooke Inlet, Sook Harbour and Sooke Basin, north of a line from Muir Point to Possession Point.
• 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.

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 20

Ecological Reserve - harvesting of all shellfish is prohibited in Botanical Beach:

• Those waters between the lowest tide level and the highest tide level between a fishing boundary sign 1,500 m northeast of San Juan Pt following the shoreline southeasterly to a fishing boundary sign 250 m west of the mouth of Tom Baird Creek.

Due to sanitary contamination concerns, there is no harvesting of bivalve shellfish in:

• Becher Bay
• Pedder Bay
• Sooke Harbour
• Sooke Basin

All Species, Closures and Special Measures

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve closed to scuba and skin diving for all species, all year. Includes all tidal waters within the park.

August 15 to Labour Day in September - Closed to fishing for all finfish:

• Those waters that are inside a line that begins at a white square boundary sign located approximately 0.8 nautical miles west of Owen Point, then to 48°32.45’ north latitude and 124°32.05’ west longitude, then to the Port San Juan Light and Whistle Buoy, then to Woods Nose, then across Port San Juan to a white square boundary sign at 48°33.23’ north latitude and 124°28.55’ west longitude