Fishery Notice

For 2026, the West Coast of Vancouver Island (WCVI) wild Coho returns are expected to be "low", which will allow only limited wild retention opportunities in the inshore areas of the WCVI. Offshore WCVI non-retention measures remain in place to protect wild Interior Fraser River Coho stocks.  

Unless otherwise specified below, the daily limit for Coho is two (2) per day, hatchery-marked only, from 00:01 hours June 1, 2026, to 23:59 hours December 31, 2026, in Areas 21 to 27, 121, and 123 to 127. 

The measures listed below exclude finfish closed areas, Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCAs), and areas closed to salmon fishing to protect Southern Resident Killer Whales. Please check the DFO website referenced at the bottom of this notice for more information.

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Area 22 - Nitinat Lake 

Effective 00:01 hours June 1, 2026, until 23:59 hours July 31, 2026, you may retain two (2) Coho per day, of which only one (1) may be unmarked.

Effective 00:01 hours August 1, 2026, until 23:59 hours December 31, 2026, you may retain four (4) Coho per day, of which only one (1) may be unmarked.

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Area 23 - Barkley Sound

Effective 00:01 hours June 1, 2026, until 23:59 hours December 31, 2026, you may retain two (2) Coho per day, of which only one (1) may be unmarked except for;

Subareas 23-1 to 23-3 (Alberni Inlet):

Effective 00:01 hours August 1, 2026, until 23:59 hours December 31, 2026, you may retain four (4) Coho per day, of which only one (1) may be unmarked.

Reminder - Gear Restriction - Tidal Portion of Somass River and portion of Alberni Harbour:

That portion of Subarea 23-1 from the tidal boundary signs at the top of the rapids at Paper Mill Dam on the Somass River downstream to a line commencing in upper Alberni Harbour at 49°14.184'N and 124°50.302'W then through the southernmost point of Hoik Island then to the flashing green light at the mouth of the Somass River, then due east to the opposite shore at 49°14.279'N and 124°48.912'W, [square boundary signs may be present to delineate these boundary locations on the east and west shoreline in the Alberni Harbour]:

Effective year-round, you may only use a hook that is 15 mm (or less) from point to shank when fishing for salmon.

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Area 24 - Clayoquot Sound 

Effective 00:01 hours June 1, 2026, until 23:59 hours December 31, 2026, you may retain two (2) Coho per day, of which only one (1) may be unmarked except for;

That portion of Subarea 24-8 seaward of a line drawn from Cox Point to the Lennard Island Light, then to Echachis Island, then to Wickaninnish Island, and then to Moser Point:

Effective 00:01 hours June 1, 2026, until 23:59 hours December 31, 2026, you may only retain two (2) Coho per day, hatchery-marked only.

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Area 25 - Nootka Sound and Esperanza Inlet

Effective 00:01 hours June 1, 2026, until 23:59 hours December 31, 2026, you may retain two (2) Coho per day, only one (1) of which may be unmarked except for the following;

Subareas 25-4 and 25-5 (Tlupana Inlet):

Effective 00:01 hours July 15, 20266, until 23:59 hours December 31, 2026, you may retain four (4) Coho per day, of which only one (1) may be unmarked.

Reminder - Gear Restriction - Conuma River estuary:

That portion of Subarea 25-5 located westerly of a line drawn from the Vancouver Island shoreline located at 49 degrees 47.383'N 126 degrees 27.104'W then southerly to a point located at 49 degrees 47.085'N 126 degrees 26.797'W:

Effective 00:01 hours August 15, 2026, until 23:59 hours December 31, 2026, you may only use a hook that is 15 mm (or less) from point to shank when fishing for salmon.

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Area 26 - Kyuquot Sound

Effective 00:01 hours June 1, 2026, until 23:59 hours December 31, 2026, you may retain two (2) Coho per day, of which only one (1) may be unmarked except for; 

Brooks Salmon Non-Retention Area:

Those portions of Subareas 26-11 and 126-4 shoreward of a line drawn from Clerke Point on Vancouver Island located at 50°04.870'N and 127°48.856'W, then to a point along the Checleset Bay RCA boundary approximately 1 nautical mile from shore located at 50°04.059'N and 127°49.949'W, then to a point approximately 5.4 nautical miles to the northwest located at 50°06.079'N and 127°57.696'W, then to Solander Island light at 50°06.662'N and 127°56.434'W, then north-easterly approximately 0.8 nautical miles to a point on Vancouver Island (Brooks Peninsula) located at 50°06.840'N and 127°54.980'W:

Effective 00:01 hours July 15, 2026, until 23:59 hours October 15, 2026, there is no salmon retention permitted. 

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Area 27 - Quatsino Sound

Effective 00:01 hours June 1, 2026, until 23:59 hours December 31, 2026, you may retain two (2) Coho per day, of which only one (1) may be unmarked except for;

Subarea 27-4 (Brooks Bay): 

Effective 00:01 hours June 1, 2026, until 23:59 hours December 31, 2026, you may retain two (2) Coho per day, hatchery-marked only; and

That portion of 27-3 in Winter Harbour north of a line drawn from Hazard Point at 50 degrees 30.055'N and 128 degrees 01.866'W west to the opposite shore at 50 degrees 30.060'N and 128 degrees 02.510'W; and

That portion of Subarea 27-11 west of the Holberg Inlet RCA; and

That portion of 27-8 southeast of a line drawn from a point located at 50 degrees 24.201'N and 127 degrees 29.979'W to a point on the opposite shore of Neroutsos Inlet located at 50 degrees 24.477'N and 127 degrees 29.138'W:

Effective 00:01 hours July 15, 2026, to 23:59 hours September 30, 2026, there is no salmon retention permitted.

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Variation Orders: 2026-RFQ-242; 2026-RFQ-168; 2026-RFQ-224; 2026-RFQ-239; 2026-RFQ-074; 2026-GMB-126.

Fishers are reminded the minimum size for Coho is 30 cm.

NOTES AND REMINDERS:

Barbless hooks are required when fishing for salmon in tidal and non-tidal waters of British Columbia.

The term "marked", "hatchery marked", or "adipose fin clipped" means a fish that has a healed scar in place of the adipose fin.

All anglers must have a licence to fish in tidal waters in BC. Apply for your BC tidal waters recreational fishing licence and salmon conservation stamp at: https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/licence-permis/index-eng.html.

Anglers are advised to check: http://bcsportfishguide.ca for fishing closures and other recreational fishing information.

Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCAs) are currently in effect and are closed to all fin-fishing.  Descriptions of RCAs and other closures such as finfish closed areas, salmon non-retention areas, and other recreational fishing information, can be found on the internet at: 
https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/index-eng.html

Fishers are encouraged to participate in the Salmon Sport Head Recovery program by labelling and submitting heads from hatchery marked Chinook and Coho Salmon to head depots. The head-off measurement can be used by enforcement officers to assess compliance on size limits if you remove the head from Chinook or Coho. Recovery of microscopic coded-wire tags found inside hatchery marked Chinook and Coho heads provide critical information for coast-wide Salmon stock assessment programs. Contact the Salmon Sport Head Recovery Program toll free at 1-866-483-9994 for further information.

Sport fishers are reminded of the importance of catch monitoring programs for recreational fisheries. As a condition of their BC Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence, fishers are required to provide complete and accurate information regarding their catch and fishing activities upon request of DFO creel surveyors stationed at marinas and boat launches. DFO Creel surveyors are designated authorities of Fisheries and Oceans Canada under s.61(5) of the Fisheries Act; please be respectful when asked to report catch and allow biological sampling. Refusal to report catch and/or harassment of creel surveyors will not be tolerated and may result in charges laid.

Internet Recreational Effort and Catch Reporting program (iREC): Sport Fishers are reminded that it is a condition of their BC Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence to complete their iREC report online before their reporting deadline. The assigned reporting period, the web address of the iREC reporting program, a unique access ID and the reporting deadline is printed on each adult licence. A report must be completed even if you did not fish during your reporting period, and also if you fished, even if you caught nothing. iREC reports are used to estimate recreational effort and kept and released catches of finfish and shellfish. For further information see FN0330 or contact the Sport Fishing Report Team at DFO.SportFishingReport-RapportPecheSportive.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

The Government of Canada recognizes that Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW) face imminent threats to their survival and recovery. Management measures have been implemented to help address the key threats of reduced prey availability (primarily Chinook Salmon), and acoustic and physical disturbance. These measures include salmon fishery closures, Interim Sanctuary Zones that restrict vessels from entering (including fishing), Speed Restricted Zones that restrict vessels to a maximum of 10 knots in designated areas (including fishing), minimum approach distances and a number of voluntary measures including to stop fishing (do not haul gear) and reduce speed to less than 7 knots when within 1,000 metres of killer whales and let them pass, and a voluntary speed reduction zone in Tumbo Channel.

For more information about the current SRKW management measures, please visit https://www.canada.ca/southern-resident-killer-whales or contact the Marine Mammal Team at DFO.SRKW-ERS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca. For more information on the best ways to help whales while on the water, please visit: bewhalewise.org.

If a marine mammal becomes entangled in fishing gear, fishers should immediately call the Observe, Record, Report (ORR) line at 1-800-465-4336. Fishers are advised not to attempt to free the animal of the fishing gear as this can pose a serious threat to the safety of the fisher and the animal. If your vessel strikes a whale, or if you observe a sick, injured, distressed, or dead marine mammal in B.C. waters, please contact the hotline immediately: 1-800-465-4336 or VHF Channel 16.

If you see a sea turtle, please call this toll-free phone number: 1-866-I SAW ONE (1-866-472-9663). Please include information such as the species of sea turtle seen (i.e. leatherback), the location and time of sighting.

Report suspicious activity or violations by email at DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or by calling the 24-hour, toll-free Observe, Record, and Report line at 1-800-465-4336 or 604-607-4186 in greater Vancouver.

The 24-hour, toll-free information line for fishery notices regarding openings and closures is 1-866-431-3474 or 604-666-2828 in greater Vancouver.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Please contact the nearest Fisheries and Oceans Canada office or visit our website at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0523
Sent May 27, 2026 at 1436

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Printed from the Pacific Region web site on September 21, 2026 at 0614