Area 26

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 26 Map | Area 126 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 and Chinook opportunities map - Area 26/126: Kyuquot Sound (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 Are 126 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: Jul 15-Oct 1: Non-retention Shoreward of a line from White Cliff Head to a marker Rugged Point.

All species: Jul 15-Oct 1: Non-retention Subareas 26-2 to 26-5 and 26-9.

All species: Jul 15-Oct 1: Non-retention: Shoreward of the line from the most westerly point of Union Island to a boundary marker on the opposite shore of Vancouver Island.

All species: Jul 15-Oct 1: Non-retention: Subarea 26-8 (Malksope Inlet) and Subareas 26-9 (Ouokinish Inlet) shoreward of a line from boundary signs on opposite sides of the entrance to the inlets.

All Finfish, Including Salmon Closures and Special Measures

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

Rockfish Conservation Areas
Checleset 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

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.

Manila clams, varnish clams, butter clams, native littleneck clams, razor clams and oysters: April 1, 2011 until further notice: In accordance with the Maa-nulth First Nations Final Agreement (Treaty), the beaches described below will be closed to the harvest of intertidal bivalves between the high water mark and the low water mark. These “Inter-tidal Bivalve Harvest Areas” are set aside for the use of Maa-nulth First Nations members only:

• Big Bunsby:  
  1. “Malksope-Upsowis”: That portion of Malksope Inlet-Bunsby Islands in Subarea 26-8 inside a line that starts at 50°06.836’ N, 127°30.502’ W,   then straight to 50°06.865’N,  127°30.505’ W, then straight to 50°06.878’N, 127°30.485’ W, then straight to 50°06.873’ N, 127°30.427’ W, then straight to 50°06.877’ N, 127°30.381’ W, then straight to 50°06.878’ N, 127°30.361’ W, then following the shoreline southeasterly to 50°06.805’ N, 127°30.224’ W, then straight to 50°06.783’ N, 127°30.137’ W, then straight to 50°06.757’, N 127°30.104’ W, then straight to 50°06.714’ N, 127°30.064’ W, then straight to 50°06.675’ N, 127°30.058’ W, then straight to 50°06.567’ N, 127°30.057’ W, then straight to 50°06.591’ N, 127°30.195’ W, then following the shoreline northward to the point of commencement. Closure map 
  2. “Malksope-Bunsby Islands”: That portion of Malksope Inlet–Bunsby Islands in Subarea 26-7 inside a line that starts at 50°06.180’ N, 127°30.845’ W, then straight to 50°06.252’ N, 127°30.837’ W, then straight to 50°06.246’ N, 127°30.810’ W, then straight to 50°06.215’ N, 127°30.650’ W, then straight to 50°06.184’ N, 127°30.602’ W, then straight to 50°06.187’ N, 127°30.555’ W, then straight to 50°06.212’ N, 127°30.542’ W, then following the shoreline southward then northward to the point of commencement, and that portion of Malksope Inlet–Bunsby Islands in Subarea 26-7 east of a straight line from 50°06.322’ N, 127°30.692’ W to 50°06.284’ N, 127°30.573’ W. Closure map 
• Kauwinch River:  
  1. “Kauwinch River”: That portion of Kashutl Inlet at the mouth of the Kauwinch River in Subarea 26-5 bounded on the west by a line that starts at 50°08.749’ N, 127°16.844’ W, then following the low water mark to 50°08.401’ N, 127°16.360’ W, then straight to 50°08.281’ N, 127°16.017’ W, then following the low water mark to 50°08.249’ N, 127°15.876’ W, and bounded on the northeast by a straight line from 50°08.728’ N,127°16.226’ W to 50°08.710’ N, 127°16.164’ W. Closure map  
• Artlish River:  
  1. “Artlish River”: That portion of Tahsish Inlet in Subarea 26-4 at the mouth of the Artlish River bounded on the west by a line that starts at 50°07.191’ N, 127°05.561’W, then following the low water mark to 50°06.166’ N, 127°05.568’ W, and bounded on the east by a straight line from 50°06.956’ N, 127°05.275’ W to 50°06.815’ N, 127°05.109’ W. Closure map 
• Amai Inlet:  
  1. “Amai Inlet”: That portion of Amai Inlet in Subarea 26-3 southeast of a straight line from 50°01.469’ N, 127°05.021’ W to 50°01.524’ N, 127°04.899’ W. Closure map

Listed on 23/09/2011 FN0937

Shellfish Contamination
McKay Cove; Walters Cove; Malksope Inlet; Ououkinsh Inlet; Cachalot Inlet;
Nasparti Inlet; unnamed creek on Union Island; Amai Inlet; Clanninick Cove;
Tahsish Inlet; and Kashutl Inlet.