The Government of B.C. is suspending angling in Salmon Arm Bay, at the confluence of the Salmon River and Shuswap Lake, due to conservation concerns and low flows.
Effective Sept. 11 through Dec. 31, 2015, all angling in Salmon Arm Bay, west of a line between Engineer’s Point and Sunnybrae Point is prohibited.
The closure has been put in place to protect fish stocks, at a time when they are vulnerable due to low flows. The low water and aggregation of fish in the area has led to conservation and compliance issues, particularly for migrating chinook and coho populations.
Ron Pederson, president of the Salmon Arm Fish & Game Club, told the Observer he was made aware that tourists have been catching salmon from boats near Sandy Point. He has raised the concern with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. He points out there is no salmon season there, so anyone doing so would be fishing illegally.
The total ban on angling will now ensure protection of the salmon who have gathered in the bay prior to moving up the Salmon River to spawn.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has also closed the same area and the two closures will support one another.
