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Shellfish harvesting information

General reminders

Eating contaminated shellfish can be life threatening!

Always check marine biotoxin and sanitary contamination closures for the area where you are harvesting. Closures change frequently throughout the year. It is illegal to harvest shellfish from closed or contaminated areas.

Planned bivalve shellfish harvesting closures

Notes on specific shellfish

Maa-nulth Treaty Lands

In 2006, the governments of Canada and British Columbia signed an historic agreement with the Maa-nulth First Nations. In accordance with that agreement, intertidal bivalve harvest areas in Area 23 and Area 26 are set aside for the use of Maa-nulth First Nations members only.

Fishing gear

Bait

  • Only fish offal, herring, mackerel, northern anchovy and Pacific sardine may be used as bait. No other finfish may be used as bait

Lines, buoys and floats

marked buoy
  • NEW! – In effect April 1, 2023: The primary float attached to prawn and shrimp traps must be spherical in shape and a minimum of 27cm in diameter; an optional secondary float may be used of any shape or size other than cylindrical
  • NEW! – In effect April 1, 2023: Floats must be made of a durable material and suitable for operation in marine waters; floats/materials not suitable for use in marine waters are prohibited
  • All prawn and shrimp traps must be marked with a floating spherical float that has your name on it
  • Use highly visible floats, large enough (minimum 27 cm diameter) to stay afloat in tides and currents in your fishing area. Only one person’s name can appear on the float attached to your trap(s). Printing on floats must be legible and visible (at least 7.5 cm high) and written in any consistent orientation on the float
  • Do not use: gear marked with another fisher’s name
  • Navigation channels must be kept clear of lines and floats. Use sinking line and/or weights, or coil excess line to keep it below the surface during all tide levels without sinking the float. Any fishing gear that interferes with safe navigation can be removed under the Navigation Protection Act
  • Be aware of hook and line, downrigger and trap gear entanglement risks in the vicinity of Ocean Networks Canada research equipment in various tidal water locations around BC. For more information, visit: Notice for Mariners (oceannetworks.ca)
  • You may use mechanical devices to recover your traps
  • You may set multiple traps on a single ground line following the line and marking requirements outlined in the table below:
Weighted line

Prevent gear entanglement

Make sure your buoy line doesn’t float and become tangled in boaters’ props. Either use sinking line or, if you use floating line, attach a weight to keep the extra line under the water at all tide levels (without sinking the buoy).

Line and marking requirements for combining traps
Single trap 1 floating tag or buoy that has your name on it.
Two traps Single ground line marked with 1 floating tag or buoy that has your name on it.
Three traps or more
Note: Max. 2 traps for crab harvesting
Single ground line. Both ends of the ground line require a floating tag or buoy that has your name on it.
  • Planned change for April 1, 2023: Floats attached to prawn and shrimp traps must be round (spherical) in shape and a minimum of 27cm in diameter. Typically these are 'Scotchman' style floats which can be found at most tackle retailers

Notes on specific shellfish

Clam

  • It is illegal to use any mechanical apparatus or dredge for harvesting clams
  • Clam harvesters are encouraged to fill in holes to reduce predation on exposed juvenile clams

Crab

Octopus

  • You are not allowed to use sharp-pointed instruments, snares, hand pumps or chemicals to harvest octopus

Shrimp and prawn

Prawns spawn
Prawn Trap
  • When you set your traps remember that your daily catch limit is not a fishing target and prawns are seasonally variable and short-lived. Take only what you need
  • You may harvest shrimp only by means of traps, ring nets, or spear while diving
  • The maximum number of shrimp and prawn traps you can fish is 4 (4 traps or 4 ring nets, or a combination of these).
  • A maxiumum of 4 traps is allowed on a single ground line with a floating tag or buoy required at both ends
  • 2 cm (3/4 in) mesh, or 2.5 cm (1 in.) from knot to knot, will catch a good size range of prawns and allow smaller prawns to easily escape
  • You should use rot cord on all prawn traps (this recommendation may soon become a requirement). Create an opening in the top or side wall of your trap that can be sewn shut with a single strand of untreated cotton twine no greater than #120. The opening should be large enough so that if the trap is lost and the twine rots, captive prawns are able to escape
  • Hauling your gear slowly allows smaller prawns and bycatch to exit before traps are brought on board
Catch handling

Check all your gear carefully and remove and release all bycatch. You must release incidental catch alive, to the place where you caught it, in a way that causes the least harm to the fish.

Bivalve shellfish

  • Never hang your shellfish catch off a dock or over the side of a boat when travelling as the water could contaminate your catch.

Crab

Prawn

  • For conservation purposes, fishers must release prawns carrying eggs under their tail (egg-bearing females).
  • Fishers are asked to voluntarily release smaller prawns
  • Many rockfish populations are depressed and must be released from prawn traps
Packaging and transporting

Warning

Do not hang your bivalve shellfish off docks, or off the side of a vessel where travelling, as the waters you are in could be contaminated.

Bivalve shellfish

  • Bivalve shellfish that you harvest may be shucked or cooked while you’re in the field (e.g., on a beach). However, they must stay in a condition that makes them easy to count and identify until they arrive at your ordinary residence

Crab

  • So that the size of your crab can be checked, the shell of any sport-caught crab must stay attached to the body until the crab is eaten or arrives at your ordinary residence

Labelling your container or cooler

  • When individuals are transporting or shipping catch they must package their catch separately and only have one name per package. However, they may share a container. It is recommended that the contents (number of fish, species, and number of packages) be listed on the outside of the container to facilitate inspection
  • It is recommended that you store and transport your catch in containers and packages intended for food
Seasonal prawn closures

Seasonal closures for prawn and shrimp

This information is provided for reference only

Always check the area you intend to fish for regulations and restrictions before you head out. Forecast closure dates are subject to change and may not reflect current regulations.

Decisions are made in season. In the spring and fall we take samples to make sure there are enough spawning females in the water. Decisions about fishing closures are made based on the results of this sampling. Reminder: fishers must always release prawns carrying eggs under their tail (egg-bearing females).

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Map of Stuart Channel

Stuart Channel

Subareas 17-5, 17-6, 17-9

Map of Saanich Inlet

Saanich Inlet

Subareas 19-7 to 19-12

Map of Alberni Inlet

Alberni Inlet

Subareas 23-1 to 23-3

Winter closures

Winter closures protect large, mature egg-bearing females as their eggs prepare to hatch. The following areas are closed to the harvest of prawn and shrimp by trap, ring net or spear while diving from January 1 to March 31, 2023:

Subareas 17-6, 17-9 (Stuart Channel) will continue "pulse fishing" (closed in the first half of the month and open in the second half of the month):

  • January 1 to January 15
  • February 1 to February 15
  • March 1 to March 15

FN1356

Spring closures

Recreational prawn and shrimp fishing is typically closed in the following areas for 1 week in spring to do spawner index testing.

FN0429

Read our Q&A on prawn and shrimp pulse fishing for more information.

Fall closures and pulse fishing

In Saanich Inlet, Stuart Channel and Alberni Inlet, “pulse” fishing may be implemented in the following areas after Labour Day weekend to increase prawn escapement and prawn abundance.

Subareas 17-5, 17-6, 17-9 (Stuart Channel), 19-7 to 19-12 (Saanich Inlet), and 23-1 to 23-3 (Alberni Inlet) may close:

  • The first day after Labour Day
  • October 1 to October 15
  • November 1 to November 15
  • December 1 to December 15
  • January 1 until further notice

Read our Q&A on prawn and shrimp pulse fishing for more information.

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