Area 29

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 29 Map | Tidal Boundaries on Rivers
Fraser River-Pitt River Tidal Waters

Salmon - Excluding the Tidal Portion of the Fraser River

Salmon - Tidal Portion of the Fraser River (Fraser River Salmon Limits)

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 * see changes below	62 cm	2	4	15	Apr 1-Mar 31	Hook & Line
Chum*****	30 cm	4 see changes below	8 see changes below	N/A	Apr 1-Mar 31 see changes below	Hook & Line
Hatchery Coho	30 cm	2	4	N/A	June 1-Dec 31	Hook & Line
Wild Coho	TBD	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	closed	closed	N/A	closed	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 - Areas 18, 19, 20 and Subareas 29-4 and 29-5: Cowichan to Victoria (PDF)

Chinook

• Chinook is open Apr 1-Mar 31 in Area 29, except for the tidal portion of the Fraser River.
• There is an annual limit of 15 Chinook that may be taken from the waters of Areas 28 and 29. For the annual limit for tidal waters of the Fraser River, please visit the Fraser River Salmon Limits page.
  
• All retained Chinook must immediately be recorded in ink on your Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence.

***** Chum

• Area 29 except Subareas 29-11 to 29-17 (the tidal waters of the Fraser River): until further notice: the daily limit for Chum salmon is four (4) per day. Listed 01/11/2011 FN1081

Coho

• There is no retention of wild coho in Area 29.
  
• From June 1 to December 31, you may retain two hatchery coho per day in Area 29, except for in the following areas:
   
  1. In that portion of Subarea 29-3 easterly of a line drawn from Gower Point to the Tango 10 Light Buoy, then to the northern tip of Lulu Island, you may retain two hatchery coho from Apr 1-Mar 31.
  2. In the tidal waters of the Fraser River coho retention is not permitted until mid-October. 
     
• A hatchery coho means a coho salmon that has a healed scar in place of the adipose fin.

*** Sockeye

• Sockeye: Further to FN0712, effective 00:01 hours, Tuesday, September 6, 2011 until further notice, in Area 29, including 29-11 to 29-17 (the tidal waters of the Fraser River) retention of sockeye is not permitted. Listed on 02/09/2011 FN0838

****Pink

• Pink Salmon: Aug 18 - Dec. 31, 2011: daily limit of four (4) per day. Listed 18/08/2011 FN0752

All Finfish, Including Salmon Closures and Special Measures

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

Barbless hooks are required when fishing for ALL finfish in the tidal waters of  the Fraser River.

Reminder: Further to FN0752, recreational fishers are reminded that no angling is permitted within any of the Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCAs). In the RCAs, the only permitted fishing activities are: invertebrates by hand picking or dive, crab by trap, shrimp/prawn by trap and smelt by gill net. No fishing for salmon or other finfish may take place. RCAs in Area 28 RCAs in Area 29 Listed 24/08/2011 FN0781

Rockfish Conservation Areas
McCall Bank	Halibut Bank
Valdes Island East	Galiano Island North
Mayne Island North

Finfish (Other than Salmon)

Rockfish and Lingcod: Subareas 29-1 to 29-4 and 29-6 to 17 are closed to the retention of Rockfish and Lingcod

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

Lingcod: Closing Time Reminder: Fishing for lingcod will close October 1, 2011 until further notice. Listed on 20/09/2011 FN0918

Rockfish: Closing Time Reminder: Fishing for rockfish will close October 1, 2011 until further notice. Listed on 20/09/2011 FN0918

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.

Crab: Feb. 1, 2011 until further notice: Crab fishing is prohibited in the areas surrounding the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal and Deltaport. Area: From a line that starts at 49° 1.56667' N, 123° 8.78667' W then to 49°01.464 N  123° 08.633 W [Yellow Marker labeled TB] then to 49°01.214 N  123° 08.578 W [Red marker labeled T8] then to 49°00.887 N  123° 08.644 W  [Red marker labeled T6] then to 49°00.696 N  123° 08.922 W [Red marker labeled T4] then to 49°00.489 N  123° 09.201 W [Red marker labeled T2] then to 49°00.323 N  123° 08.189 W [BC Ferry Western docking pylon] then to 49° 0.6' N, 123° 7.75' W following the BC Ferry property coastline to  49° 0.47' N, 123° 7.58167' W then to 49°00.230 N  123° 07.440 W [NE point of Tsawwassen Breakwater] then to 49°00.134 N  123° 07.725 W [SW Point of Tsawwassen Breakwater] then to 49° 0.13333' N, 123° 11.27' W then to 49° 0.91333' N, 123° 11.27' W then to 49°00.666 N  123° 10.082 W [W end of Delta Port Dock] then following along Delta Port causeway to 49° 0.81667' N, 123° 9.53333' W continuing along the Deltaport property coastline. Closure map Listed on 25/01/2011 FN0056

Subareas 29-6 to 29-11 (Boundary Bay and the mouth of the Fraser River) are closed to the harvest of bivalve molluscs, all year.

Shellfish Contamination
Chaster Creek to Gower Point; Boundary, Mud and Semiahmoo Bays;
Sand Heads to U.S. Boundary by Tsawwassen; Sergeant Bay; and Whaler Bay.

Tidal boundaries on rivers in Areas 28 and 29

Brunette River: Burlington Northern Railway Bridge
Campbell River: Burlington Northern Railway Bridge
Capilano River: BCR Bridge
Coquitlam River: Mary Hill Bypass Bridge
Fraser River: CPR Bridge at Mission
Kanaka Creek: CPR Bridge
Nathan Creek: CNR Bridge
Nicomekl River: Burlington Northern Railway Bridge
Pitt River: CPR Bridge
Serpentine River: Burlington Northern Railway Bridge
Seymour River: CNR Bridge
Squamish River: A line drawn true west from the tip of the Squamish Dyke
(Windsurfer Spit).
Stave River: CPR Bridge
West Creek: CN Railway Bridge
Whonnock Creek: CP Rail line
York Creek: CP Rail line

Fraser River-Pitt River Tidal Waters

The tidal portion of the Fraser River includes the Fraser River downstream of the CPR bridge at Mission to a line drawn from a fishing boundary sign near the entrance to Canoe Passage, thence to a fishing boundary sign on Westham Island, thence following the westerly shoreline of Westham Island and Reifel Island to Pelly Point on Reifel Island, thence to Garry Point on Lulu Island, thence following the westerly shoreline of that island to the most northwesterly point of Lulu Island, thence to the most southwesterly point of Sea Island; thence following the westerly shoreline of that island to the Iona Island Road Causeway, thence following that causeway and continuing in a straight line in a northerly direction to a fishing boundary sign on the north shore of Iona Island, thence in a straight line in a northerly direction to a fishing boundary sign on the mainland. It also includes those waters of the Pitt River downstream of the CPR Bridge.

It is prohibited to use more than one line when sport fishing in the tidal waters of the Fraser River. While only one line per angler may be used, gear designed to catch a maximum of two fish at one time (bar rig) is permitted in this area, provided that two single barbless hooks are being used.