Community Articles (listed by posting date)
General News · 1st February 2007
Barry Saxifrage
Starting today, all recreational fishing is prohibited along Cortes Island from Coulter Bay, through Carrington Bay, and up to the mouth of Von Donop.
To address the rapid decline in rockfish on the west coast, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has created a number of Rockfish Conservation Areas.
Because rockfish usually die when caught and then released, this strategy has failed to work in saving rockfish. As a result these conservation areas have been declared off-limits to all recreational fishing using hook and line. Some commercial fishing is still allowed, though not for rockfish.
Recreational "fishing" is limited only to:
* invertebrates by hand picking or dive
* crab by trap
* prawn by trap
* smelt by gillnet
There are other areas that are closed around Cortes, including Teakerne Arm, Pendrell Sound, much of Desolation Sound, the Copeland Islands, Mittlenatch and Dinner Rock. See the map below or view the DFO maps on the web.
Rockfish are also known locally as rockcod, quillback and snapper. They can live over 150 years and are slow to come into breeding age. There are 34 species of rockfish in BC.
For more info, visit the DFO website.
To address the rapid decline in rockfish on the west coast, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has created a number of Rockfish Conservation Areas.
Because rockfish usually die when caught and then released, this strategy has failed to work in saving rockfish. As a result these conservation areas have been declared off-limits to all recreational fishing using hook and line. Some commercial fishing is still allowed, though not for rockfish.
Recreational "fishing" is limited only to:
* invertebrates by hand picking or dive
* crab by trap
* prawn by trap
* smelt by gillnet
There are other areas that are closed around Cortes, including Teakerne Arm, Pendrell Sound, much of Desolation Sound, the Copeland Islands, Mittlenatch and Dinner Rock. See the map below or view the DFO maps on the web.
Rockfish are also known locally as rockcod, quillback and snapper. They can live over 150 years and are slow to come into breeding age. There are 34 species of rockfish in BC.
For more info, visit the DFO website.
Other Rockfish Conservation areas near Cortes
Cover art by Ray Troll of the excellent reference work: "Rockfish of the Northeast Pacific"
Legend of how the snapper got red...
From the man who brought you "No nookie like chinookie" t-shirts...Ray Troll, of course.
RCA's too small?
Comment by David Shipway on 4th February 2007
Alas, going out to catch a snapper for dinner isn't an option around here anymore. The crash has already happened, and DFO is just starting to catch up with that reality. If the RCA in Calm Channel was extended to include the Penn Islands where rockfishing used to be excellent, nutrient flow is high, and the seabottom topography provides lots of rockfish dens, there might be a chance of some significant rockfish recovery in a decade or two.
Alas, going out to catch a snapper for dinner isn't an option around here anymore. The crash has already happened, and DFO is just starting to catch up with that reality. If the RCA in Calm Channel was extended to include the Penn Islands where rockfishing used to be excellent, nutrient flow is high, and the seabottom topography provides lots of rockfish dens, there might be a chance of some significant rockfish recovery in a decade or two.