Area 25

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 25 Map | Area 125 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	45 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	June 1-Dec 31	Hook & Line
Wild Coho	30 cm	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 opportunities map - Area 25/125: Nootka Sound (PDF) 2011 Chinook opportunities map - Area 25/125: Nootka Sound (PDF) 2011 Coho opportunities map - Area 25/125: Esperanza Inlet (PDF) 2011 Chinook opportunities map - Area 25/125: Esperanza Inlet (PDF)

* 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: Effective May 18, 2011: no fishing for Sockeye - except Area 125 see FN0694. Listed on 16/05/2011 FN0399

*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 species: In Nootka Sound waters: Muchalat Inlet, portion of Hannah Channel (east of a line at or near 49º40.77’N and 126º30.20’W, and across to 250 m east of Descubierta Point) and Zuciarte Channel (north of a line from the light on the southern tip of Clerke Peninsula to Zuciarte Channel south light): non-retention of all salmon from July 15 to October 15.

All species: Tahsis Inlet bounded on the north by a line from Mozino Point to a boundary sign of the opposite shore of Tahsis Inlet, and bounded on the south by a line from the most northerly point of Strange Island to a boundary sign on the opposite shore of Tahsis Inlet: non-retention of all salmon from July 15 to October 15.

All species: In Esperanza Inlet waters: Port Eliza and Espinoza Inlet from boundary signs at entrance to both inlets; and the waters of Zeballos Inlet and Hecate Channel inside or northerly and easterly of a line from Steamer Point Light on Nootka Island to a boundary sign on the opposite shore: non-retention of all salmon from July 15 to October 15.

Chinook: Jul 15-Oct 15: Non-retention in that portion of Esperanza Inlet north easterly (shoreward) of a line from a boundary sign at the western entrance to Port Eliza to a boundary sign located 0.6 km east of the entrance to Rosa Harbour to a line from Steamer Point Light on Nootka Island to a boundary sign on the opposite shore.

All Finfish, Including Salmon Closures and Special Measures

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

Subarea 25-1 (Those waters of Muchalat Inlet lying easterly of the Gold River Harbour Limit) is closed to fishing for all finfish from July 15 to October 15.

That portion of Subarea 25-4 inside a line drawn between square white fishing boundary signs on opposite sides of the entrance to Hisnit Inlet is closed to fishing for all finfish from July 15 to October 15.

That portion of Subarea 25-4 northwesterly of a line from Salter Point to Hoiss Point is closed to fishing for all finfish from July 15 to October 15.

That portion of Subarea 25-5 inside a line drawn between square white fishing boundary signs on opposite sides of the entrance to Nesook Bay is closed to fishing for all finfish from July 15 to October 15.

That portion of Subarea 25-5 inside a line drawn between square white fishing boundary signs on the opposite sides of the entrance to Head Bay is closed to fishing for all finfish from July 15 to October 15.

That portion of Subarea 25-6 northwesterly of a line from Boston Point to Salter Point (Kendrick Inlet) is closed to fishing for all finfish from July 15 to October 15.

That portion of Subarea 25-8 northerly of a line from Mozino Point to a fishing boundary sign on the opposite shore is closed to fishing for all finfish from July 15 to October 15.

The portion of Subarea 25-8 southeasterly of a line from the most northerly tip of Strange Island to a square white boundary sign on the opposite shore of Tahsis Inlet is closed to fishing for all finfish from July 15 to October 15.

Subarea 25-10 (Zeballos Inlet northerly of boundary signs near Little Zeballos River) is closed to fishing for all finfish from July 15 to October 15.

Subarea 25-16 [Tahsis] is closed to fishing for all finfish from July 15 to October 15.

Rockfish Conservation Areas
West of Bajo Reef

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

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.

Prawn and Shrimp: Subareas 25-1, 25-8, 25-16 (Tahsis and Muchalat Inlets): Jan. 1 - March 31, 2012: the harvest of prawns and shrimp by trap, ring net, or spear while diving will be closed. Map Listed on 06/12/2011 FN1176

Shellfish Contamination
Friendly Cove; Tlupana Inlet; Inner Basin; Port Eliza; Three Cove Bay; Kleeptee Creek; unnamed creek mouth at Hanna Channel; Nesook Bay; Bodega Island; Queen Cove; Plumper Harbour; Mooyah Bay; Ceepeecee; Esperanza; and Espinosa Inlet.
May 31 to September 30: Santa Gertudis Cove.

Dioxin contamination - Gold River
Consumption of crab hepatopancreas should not exceed 70 g/week in those waters of Muchalat Inlet lying east of the Gold River Harbour limit, and in those waters of Muchalat Inlet lying east of a line between Anderson Point and Atrevida Point.