Prawn Fishery – Pacific Region

Fall is egg season! Protect egg- bearing femaile prawns. Expect & respect seasonal closures.

Photo: a prawn

Prawn

Species Information

Integrated Fisheries Management Plans

Prawn and Shrimp by Trap Integrated Fisheries Management Plan

Overview of the Fishery

Prawns spawn! Expect a variety of prawn life stages every season!
Recreational prawn fishing. What to expect?
Prawn and Shrimp by Trap Consultations
Recreational Shellfish Harvesting Opportunities in Saltwater
Recreational Prawn and Shrimp Closures
Commercial Prawn and Shrimp Openings and Closures can be found in the Fishery Notice system. Note: the commercial prawn fishery opens annually no earlier than May 1 and generally runs to the end of June
Research documents and stock status reports – Scientific papers and short resource status papers, available through the Department’s Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) site

Contacts

Laurie Convey

250-756-7233

Lead Resource Manager, Prawn and shrimp by trap

Ken Fong

250-756-7368

Science
PBS Marine Ecosystems and Aquaculture Division

Leslie Barton

250-756-7306

Logbook Program, Shellfish Data Co-ordinator

For other prawn and shrimp by trap fishery departmental contacts, please consult the Shellfish Contacts page.

Prawn and Shrimp Closures

Fishery Notice

Category(s):

RECREATIONAL – Shellfish AREA 17- 2020

Species regulations

Always check for restrictions.

Species	Areas	Gear	Limits (d/p/a)	Status
Abalone	17		0/0/0	Closed
Ghost Shrimp	17	Hand Digging, Hand Pump	50/100/-	Open (See Restrictions)
Giant Barnacles	17	Hand Picking	6/12/-	Open (See Restrictions)
Goose Barnacles	17	Hand Picking	2kg/4kg/-	Open (See Restrictions)
Limpet	17	Hand Picking	75/150/-	Open (See Restrictions)
Octopus	17	Diving, Hand Picking, Hook and Line, Traps (Crab)	1/2/-	Open (See Restrictions)
Opal Squid	17	Cast Net, Jigging	200/400/-	Open (See Restrictions)
Other Shellfish species	17		20/40/-	Open (See Restrictions)
Sand Dollar	17	Hand Picking	6/12/-	Open (See Restrictions)
Sea Cucumber	17	Diving, Hand Picking	12/24/-	Open (See Restrictions)
Sea Urchin	17	Diving, Hand Picking	12/24/-	Open (See Restrictions)
Shrimp/Prawn	17-1 to 17-4,17-7,17-8,17-14,17-17,17-19 to 17-21	Ring Net, Spear Fishing while diving, Trap (Other species of Shellfish)	200/400/-	Open (See Restrictions)
	17-5,17-15,17-16		-/-/-	Closed until Apr 01
	17-6,17-9 to 17-13,17-18	Ring Net, Spear, Trap (Other species of Shellfish)	-/-/-	Closed until Feb 16
Squid, All other species	17	Cast Net, Jigging	20/40/-	Open (See Restrictions)
Starfish Sea Star	17	Hand Picking	6/12/-	Open (See Restrictions)

2020-02-01 00:15:02

Restrictions

Always check for protected areas.

Species	Areas	Measure Type	Measure Value
Other Invertebrates	North of Winchelsea Islands	Gear Restriction	No anchorage and no trap or bottom contact fishing area: Anchoring and bottom contact fishing is prohibited. Fishing in this area is restricted to gear that does not contact the bottom and is extended to trap fishing and bottom jigging. Trolling in the area is permitted
Shrimp/Prawn	Coastwide	Gear Restriction	Floats – Traps must be marked with floating tag or buoy that has your name on it. This includes traps tied to a boat or dock or fished from shore. If two traps are attached to one ground-line, it is sufficient to attach a tag, float or buoy that bears the operators name to one end of the ground-line.
		Reminder	Combined daily limit for all shrimp species, including prawn, is 200 (aggregate limit)
Shrimp/Prawn	Coastwide	Gear Restriction	Maximum 4 traps or ring nets or combination of these per fisher.
	Coastwide	Reminder	Prawns with eggs: No person shall retain prawns carrying eggs, or remove eggs from the underside of prawns carrying eggs. All prawns carrying eggs externally on the underside of the tail shall be returned to the water immediately and in the manner that causes the least harm.

Area Descriptions

Area	Map	Area Description
North of Winchelsea Islands		North of Winchelsea Islands, bounded by 49°18.76’N, 124° 06.260′ W and 49°17.213′ N, 124° 02.135′ W and 49° 17.457′ N, 124° 04.577′ W and 49° 17.730 N, 124° 05.217′ W

Recreational prawn and shrimp by trap harvesters are reminded that all coastal 
areas open 00:01 hours April 1, 2017 to the harvest of prawns and shrimp by 
trap, ring net, or spear while diving until further notice, with the exception 
of the following which are closed year round: Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound 
sponge reef areas, Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area, Hecate 
Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Marine Protected Area, Race 
Rocks Ecological Reserve, Whytecliffe Park, Porteau Cove, Point Atkinson, and 
Vancouver Harbour between Lions Gate Bridge and Ironworkers Memorial Bridge 
(also known as Second Narrows Bridge).

Recreational prawn and shrimp by trap harvesters are also advised that the 
harvest of prawns and shrimp by trap, ring net, or spear while diving, will 
close from 00:01 hours May 10, 2017 to 23:59 hours May 16, 2017, in Stuart 
Channel (Subareas 17-5, 17-6, and 17-9), Saanich Inlet (Subarea 19-7 to 19-12 
inclusive), and Alberni Inlet (Subareas 23-1 to 23-3 inclusive). This action is 
to allow for the completion of comprehensive spawner index sampling at the 
start of the commercial fishery. 

Variation Order Number 2017-209. Variation Order 2017-174 is revoked.

 
Refer to the following website for maps and information about the Strait of 
Georgia and Howe Sound sponge reef closures 
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/ceccsr-cerceef/closures-fermetures-eng.html 

Refer to Fishery Notice FN0133 for coordinates and information about the new 
Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Marine Protected 
Area which is located offshore in Pacific Fishery Management Areas 105, 106, 
and 107 
http://notices.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm?
pg=view_notice&DOC_ID=194216&ID=all  

The daily bag, possession and trap limits continue to be in effect coastwide. 
Refer to the B.C. Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Guide for further information.  
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/index-eng.html
 
These actions are in accordance with the Recreational Harvest Plan, Appendix 2 
of the 2017/18 Prawn and Shrimp by Trap Integrated Fisheries Management Plan.


FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Laurie Convey 250-756-7233 [email protected]
Mike Kattilakoski 250-756-7315 [email protected]
David Fogtmann 250-339-3799 [email protected]
Brad Beaith 250-756-7190 [email protected]

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center – FN0321
Sent April 3, 2017 at 1025

Informational posters for Recreational Prawn Fishers

	What you can expect to see	What’s important this season
Spring (Apr-June) New Season	Larval stage 1- & 2-year-old males prominent Gender transitions 3-year-old females	New lifecycle begins. New larvae may not be visible but they live in the upper water column for up to 3 months as they settle to the ocean floor. Once settled, they mature as males for the first two years of life. Larvae distribution is dependent upon tides and currents, which means that each local area will have different adult prawn abundance from year to year
Summer (July-Sept) Breeding Season	1- & 2-year-old males prominent 3-year-old females	After an 8-month male-to-female gender transition period, newly transitioned 3-year-old females will breed with younger, 1- and 2-year-old males.
Fall (Oct-Dec) Spawning Season	1- & 2-year-old males 3-year-old females with eggs prominent	Spawning starts in October. Large, mature, egg-bearing females increase in prominence and seasonal closures will be in effect to protect them.
Winter (Jan-Mar) Egg Season	1- & 2-year-old males 3-year-old females with eggs prominent Gender transitions	Winter closures will be in effect to protect large, mature, egg-bearing females as their eggs prepare to hatch before the 4-year lifecycle ends.

Areas 13, 15, 16, 17, 19, 23, 25, 28, prawn and shrimp closures

Jan 1 – March 31, 2017: The following waters will be closed to the harvest of prawns and shrimp by trap, ring net, or spear while diving:

Subareas 13-1, 13-13, 13-16 (Quadra Island area);
Subareas 15-2, (Powell River, Lund);
Subareas 16-5, 16-9 (Sechelt Inlet), 16-10, 16-16, 16-17 (Malaspina Strait, Agamemnon Channel);
Subareas 17-5, 17-6, 17-9 (Stuart Channel);
Subareas 17-12, 17-13, 17-15, 17-16 (Nanaimo);
Subareas 19-7 to 19-12 (Saanich Inlet);
Subareas 23-1 to 23-4 (Alberni Inlet, Barkley Sound);
Subareas 25-1 to 25-5, 25-16 (Nootka Sound, Muchalaht Inlet, Tahsis Inlet)
Subarea 28-5 (Howe Sound)

FN1330 2016-12-02

Areas 14, 17, 18, 28 and 29, Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound, prawn, shrimp, crab and groundfish (including halibut) closures

Until further notice, the following waters will be closed to the harvest of prawn, shrimp, crab and groundfish (including halibut) to protect glass sponge reefs in the Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound:

Howe Sound – Defence Islands Closure Subarea 28-4
Howe Sound – Queen Charlotte Channel Closures Subareas 28-2 and 29-3
Foreslope Hills Closure Subarea 29-3
Outer Gulf Islands Closure Subareas 18-1 and 29-4
Gabriola Island Closure Subarea 17-11
Parksville Closure Subareas 14-2 and 14-3
East of Hornby Island Closure Subarea 14-6
Sechelt Closure Subarea 29-2
Halibut Bank Closure Subarea 29-2

FN0415 2016-05-17

Areas 17 (Stuart Channel), 19 (Saanich Inlet), 23 (Alberni Inlet), prawn and shrimp

The following waters will be closed to the harvest of prawns and shrimp by trap, ring net, or spear while diving:

Stuart Channel (Subareas 17-5, 17-6, and 17-9) See map
Saanich Inlet (Subarea 19-7 to 19-12 inclusive) See map
Alberni Inlet (Subareas 23-1 to 23-3 inclusive) See map

These areas will be closed for the following periods:

Sept. 6 – Sept. 15, 2016;
Oct. 1 – Oct. 15, 2016;
Nov. 1 – Nov. 15, 2016;
Dec. 1 – Dec. 15, 2016;
Jan. 1 2017, until further notice based on spawner index testing.

All other coastal areas remain open until further notice, with the exception of the following which are closed year round: Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area, Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, Whytecliffe Park, Porteau Cove, Point Atkinson, and Vancouver Harbour between Lions Gate Bridge and Ironworkers Memorial Bridge (also known as Second Narrows Bridge).

FN0923 2016-08-30