Fishing

Check your saltwater sport fishing regulations for specific size limits and openings

Are you thinking of catching or harvesting finfish, shellfish or other marine creatures? Remember Pacific Rim is a national park reserve established to protect the diversity of life in this area for present and future generations. Help Parks Canada protect both the marine and the terrestrial environment.

Harvest limits are reduced within Pacific Rim. If you are harvesting you must:

• Carry the appropriate licenses (Tidal Waters Sports Fishing Licence).
• Follow the Department of Fisheries and Oceans regulations and closures.
• Please remember: the coast wide total annual limit for Chinook Salmon is 10 from all tidal waters that are open to chinook retention.
• Permanently record all retained catch on your Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence.
• Stop fishing if you are within 1,000 metres of a killer whale and let them pass.
  
   

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) permanently closed a large section of the Broken Group Islands (BGI) to fin-fishing. View DFO information for details of this closure.

This closure was implemented to aid in the protection of inshore rockfish. Some fish are non-migratory, spending the majority of their adult lives in specific home territories. These fish tend to live on or near, the ocean bottom and are called 'bottom fish' or 'groundfish'. Lingcod, kelp greenling and rockfish are all examples of groundfish. Preliminary results from surveys of rockfish indicate that their abundance, species diversity, and sizes, are lower than expected, given the amount of suitable habitat available in the BGI. Due to incidental rockfish catch when fishing for other fish, such as salmon, the closure is for all fin-fish.

2023 management measures to protect Southern Resident Killer Whales

Fishery closures will be in place for commercial and recreational salmon in the following areas:

• A portion of Swiftsure Bank following Chinook non-retention measures to October 31, 2023, and;
• In the Strait of Juan de Fuca following Chinook non-retention measures to October 31, 2023. 

Speed Restricted Areasare in place around Swiftsure Bank between June 1 to November 30, 2023. All vessels transiting through these areas are required to slow down to no more than 10 knots. 

These actions will help protect the whales’ access to Chinook salmon with minimal disturbance in key foraging areas. Please take these actions to protect the killer whales. Your participation is essential.

Additional Resources:

• 2023 management measures to protect Southern Resident Killer Whales

Be Whale Wise:

• If a killer whale appears near you, turn your engine to neutral and let the whale pass
• Stop fishing (do not haul gear) when within 1000 m of killer whales
• Go Slow! Reduce your speed to less than 7 knots when you’re within 1000 m of the nearest marine mammal
• Turn off echo sounders and fish finders when safe to do so

For more information on the best ways to help whales while on the water, please visit visit Be Whale Wise and See a Blow? Go Slow! 

Reporting violations:

When you are in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve please call Parks Canada Emergency Dispatch (1-877-852-3100) to report any violations or incidents involving marine mammals to Park Wardens or the appropriate Parks Canada team member.

Otherwise, please report any violations or incidents involving marine mammals (that you overserved or were involved in) to Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s 24/7 Observe, Record, Report Line: 1-800-465-4336

Additional Resources:

• 2022 management measures to protect Southern Resident Killer Whales