Commercial fisheries licensing rules and policies reference document Pacific region
Commercial salmon - Taku and Stikine River
Transboundary commercial salmon (category ATBR)
- Full fee
- Reduced fee
Transboundary aboriginal commercial salmon (category ATBRF)
Transboundary communal commercial salmon (category FATBR)
Licence category
The authority for this licence and category is found in the Pacific Fishery Regulations, 1993. Transboundary commercial and communal commercial salmon licence eligibilities are limited entry party based licences for specified licenced areas.
An Fisher Registration Card (FRC) is required to harvest with a Salmon Taku and Stikine River licence eligibility (categories ATBR and ATBRF). An FRC is not required to harvest under a category FATBR licence
Licence category background
There are currently 17 limited entry party based commercial Salmon (category ATBR) licence eligibilities allocated for commercial fishing on the Stikine River.
There are currently 8 limited entry party based commercial salmon (category ATBR) licences allocated for commercial fishing on the Taku River.
There are 3 communal commercial (category FATBR) licence eligibilities allocated to the Taku River Tlingit First Nation (TRTFN) pursuant to the Aboriginal Communal Fishing Licences Regulations for participation in the general commercial fishery. These licence eligibilities must be designated to a fisher.
There are 6 Aboriginal commercial salmon (category ATBRF) licence eligibilities allocated to the Taku River Tlingit First Nation (TRTFN). 7 category ATBRF licence eligibilities are allocated to the Tahltan Indian Band. These licence eligibilities must be designated to a fisher.
Fishing areas
- Taku River
- Stikine River – upper and lower
Licence renewal fees
Annual Salmon Taku and Stikine River licence (categories ATBR and ATBRF) renewal fees are available at full and reduced fee rates.
Reduced fee licence eligibilities must be held by Aboriginal individuals who have status under the Indian Act and who elect to pay a reduced fee for the Salmon licence eligibility.
| Category | Renewal fee | |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial salmon - full fee | ATBR | $200.00 |
| Commercial salmon - reduced fee | ATBR | $20.00 |
| Communal commercial salmon | ATBRF | $20.00 |
There is no annual renewal fee for a communal commercial (category FATBR) licenses.
Designation
Commercial and communal commercial Salmon Taku and Stikine River (category ATBRF and FATBR) licence eligibility holders are required to annually designate a Fisher to hold the licence. This must be done by navigating to the ‘Submit a Request’ menu selection within the National Online Licensing System (NOLS). Full instructions are available.
Licence issuance
A commercial Salmon Taku and Stikine River (category ATBR) licence may be renewed, and the renewal fee paid, every year by December 31st.
Prior to licence issue, licence eligibility holder must ensure that:
- any ministerial conditions placed on licence eligibility have been met; and
- any conditions of the previous year’s licence have been met.
Licence documents
Salmon Taku and Stikine River licence documents are valid from the date of issuance until December 31st annually for the specified year of issuance.
Licence eligibility holders may reprint any lost or destroyed licence documents using the National Online Licensing System (NOLS).
Nomination
Commercial Salmon Taku and Stikine River (category ATBR) licence eligibilities may be nominated from one party to another. To do so, licence eligibility holders must indicate their intention to no longer apply for the licence eligibility and name the nominated individual using the Nomination for Taku and Stikine River Salmon Licence Eligibility Application form. When such intent is stated, the Minister may consider issuance of the licence eligibility to the nominated party.
Effective as of August 2004, the following is the current policy with respect to commercial Salmon fishing licences for the Taku and Stikine River.
This Policy is not intended to require any person who presently holds a commercial salmon fishing licence to relinquish the licence nor can it fetter the Minister’s absolute discretion with respect to the issuance of fishing licences. It has no force of law.
1. Definitions
In this policy,
“direct family members”, in respect of a person, means a spouse, child, brother, sister or parent of the person;
“spouse” includes a common law spouse and a same-sex partner;
“First Nation” refers to the Taku River Tlingit First Nation, the Iskut First Nation and/or the Tahltan First Nation; and
“Minister” means the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans or an appropriate departmental official.
2. Discretion of Minister
Subsection 7(1) of the Fisheries Act provides that the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has absolute discretion to issue fishing licences. The Minister may decide to issue a licence to the party nominated by the licence holder or to someone else either before the 60 day period or after the 90 day period has elapsed.
3. Nomination of another party
This Policy sets out the process where the holder of a commercial salmon fishing licence for the Taku River or the Stikine River wishes to relinquish his privilege to fish under a licence he holds and nominates another party to be issued such a licence.
4. Direct family member
Where the party nominated is a direct family member of the licence holder, the Minister would consider issuing a commercial salmon fishing licence for the Taku River or the Stikine River to that direct family member.
5. Not direct family member
Where a direct family member of the licence holder is not nominated, the Minister, would send a registered letter to the Taku River Tlingit First Nation (if the licence is for the Taku River) and to the Iskut First Nation and Tahltan First Nation (if the licence is for the Stikine River). The letter would advise the First Nation that a commercial salmon fishing licence for the river in question has or will be relinquished.
If, within 60 days of the date that the registered letter was mailed, the First Nation provides written notice that it wishes to be considered for the issuance of a commercial salmon fishing licence for the Taku River or the Stikine River and within 90 days of the date that the registered letter was mailed, the licence holder provides written notice nominating the First Nation to be issued such a licence, the Minister would consider issuing a commercial salmon fishing licence for the Taku River or the Stikine River to the First Nation.
If, within 60 days of the date that the registered letter was mailed, the First Nation does not provide written notice that it wishes to be considered for the issuance of a commercial salmon fishing licence for the Taku River or the Stikine River, or if the licence holder does not provide written notice nominating the First Nation within 90 days of the date that the registered letter was mailed, the Minister could consider issuing a commercial salmon fishing licence for the Taku River or the Stikine River to a third party nominated by the licence holder.
6. Licensing
Where a request to issue a commercial salmon fishing licence to another party is approved by the Minister, subject to the Minister’s absolute discretion in these matters, an appropriate licence will be issued through the Yukon/Transboundary Rivers Area of the Pacific Region to that party.
The Yukon/Transboundary Rivers Area will maintain an inventory of these licences.
7. General
Requests to relinquish a licence and nominate another party to be issued a licence should be sent to the following address:
Area Director
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
100 – 419 Range Road
Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 3V1
Persons who wish to relinquish their licence and nominate another party for licence issuance should take into account that the process may take up to 130 days from the date that written notification is provided to the Area Director of Yukon/Transboundary Rivers Area of their intent to relinquish their licence.
A copy of the Nomination for Taku and Stikine River Salmon Licence Eligibility Application form may be obtained from the Pacific Fishery Licence Unit (PFLU). This may be done by navigating to the ‘Submit a Request’ menu selection within the National Online Licensing System (NOLS). Full instructions are available.
Logbooks
All catch must be reported every 24 hours, via fish slips to Fisheries and Oceans, when participating in the fishery.
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