Tanya Laird
Staying compliant with Fishing Regulations
By Steve Fennell
The next time you head on the water to wet a line, be sure your fishing licence is up to date and you’re current on provincial fishing regulations as the BC Conservation Officer Service has enhanced its patrol program for lakes in the Okanagan, the South Coast, the Kootenays and the Thompson-Cariboo regions.
“The objective of this program is to achieve a higher level of education, awareness and compliance for anglers and boaters, whether they are local or non-residents,” says Stacy Webb, Marketing Director for the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC. “The Conservation Officer Service is also tracking compliance rates on priority fisheries across the province, recording how many anglers don’t have a fishing licence, exceed the daily catch limit, and don’t adhere to the regulations.”
According to Webb, the Okanagan has the highest non-compliant rate of 38 percent for the 2016/2017 season – an increase over 2015/2016 – while the Kootenays, the Thompson-Cariboo and the South Coast had a non-compliant rate of just under 17 percent. The additional water patrols, which are funded by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, are taking place during regular and overtime shifts, including extended days, holiday weekends and certain times when the fishing is popular. The program also extends to safety spot checks to ensure boaters have the mandatory safety gear set out by Transport Canada’s Office of Boating Safety.
Tanya Laird
Staying compliant with Fishing Regulations
In the Okanagan alone, many non-compliant offences involved non-residents or residents who were just dropping a line on a whim. Regardless, the cost of an Angling Licence in BC is relatively low (ranging from $36 to $80 annually, with cheaper one-day and eight-day options available). Webb also explained that 100 percent of the proceeds from the fishing licences go directly back to the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC and Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation to support additional conservation programs.
“This means we can put more money back into resources for more research, enhance our stocking programs, improve angler access, and further support outreach programs,” says Webb.
Adhering to catch limits is another regulation the BC Conservation Officer Service is closely monitoring. For instance, on Shuswap Lake, if you wish to keep a rainbow trout or char, you must purchase an additional conservation stamp and adhere to the size limits (50 cm for trout and 60 cm for char) and annual quota limits of five. Yet, regulations do vary from region to region and species to species to provide a variety of fishing experiences and to ensure the long-term sustainability of the resource.
“Exceeding catch limits is certainly one of the ways people are being non-compliant and there’s a lack of awareness of the regulations,” say Webb. “Some people think they are not going to be checked or sometimes it’s a matter of people fishing spur of the moment. If you didn’t plan ahead, you can always purchase licences and find fishing regulations online.”
For more details on fishing BC its licencing and regulations visit www.gofishbc.com or www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/#Synopsis