Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Dead juvenile coho found in Piercy Creek in 2021. Photo Courtesy of Comox Valley Conservation Partnership

Environmental detectives solve mystery of dead salmon in B.C. creek

How volunteer stewards tracked down the reasons for a salmon die-off in Piercy Creek

  • Mar 22, 2024

 

Marine wildlife of all kinds enjoyed a smorgasbord as the herring run arrives off the shores of Vancouver Island. Mike Yip photo

Satellite imaging helps researchers chart the future of B.C.’s herring

Scientists looking to pinpoint factors contributing to healthy herring populations and otherwise

  • Mar 21, 2024

 

Fish swim amidst pink coral in the Lophelia Reef, located in the Finlayson Channel of the British Columbia coast, about 500 kilometres northwest of Vancouver, in an undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Fisheries and Oceans Canada,

Bottom fishing closed around B.C.’s only live coral reef

Lophelia Reef, in Finlayson Channel is home to the most northerly coral in the Pacific

 

Heiltsuk Nation’s herring spawn-on-kelp fishery explained in a short video produced by the nation. (Video screen capture)

B.C. First Nation suing Canadian government over fishery closure

Heiltsuk Nation says the 2022 closure by Fisheries and Oceans Canada undermined its rights

Heiltsuk Nation’s herring spawn-on-kelp fishery explained in a short video produced by the nation. (Video screen capture)
Calls for a last-minute moratorium are intensifying as the start of Pacific herring season in the Straight of Georgia (SoG) approaches on Nov.24. (Courtesy of Ian McAllister)

Red herring? Facing off over the sustainability of B.C.’s herring fishery

Healthy and well-monitored, or ripe for a total closure? That depends on who you talk to

Calls for a last-minute moratorium are intensifying as the start of Pacific herring season in the Straight of Georgia (SoG) approaches on Nov.24. (Courtesy of Ian McAllister)
Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Jerry DeMarco responds to a question during a news conference, Tuesday, November 7, 2023 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Canada failing to keep proper watch over fish stocks on both coasts: audit

Dependable and timely catch-monitoring information lacking, could lead to overfishing

Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Jerry DeMarco responds to a question during a news conference, Tuesday, November 7, 2023 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Canadian Fishery Officer Jessica Bouwers participated in Operation North Pacific Guard, an annual, multi-national effort to coordinate fisheries enforcement to protect global stocks. Photo contributed

VIDEO: Canadian-led mission enforces international fishing regulations

Fishery officers joined by U.S. Coast Guard personnel in North Pacific action

Canadian Fishery Officer Jessica Bouwers participated in Operation North Pacific Guard, an annual, multi-national effort to coordinate fisheries enforcement to protect global stocks. Photo contributed
The commercial tuna fishing vessel Ocean Provider. (PHOTO COURTESY DFO)

Boat owners fined for illegal tuna fishing off B.C.’s west coast

Crew caught more than 30,000 pounds of albacore tuna in 2022 without a licence

The commercial tuna fishing vessel Ocean Provider. (PHOTO COURTESY DFO)
This bright light on the bottom of this picture was a series of three lights Campbell River resident Dean Berg captured on video May 29. Photo from Dean Berg

VIDEO: B.C. man believes he shot video of UFO off Vancouver Island

Dean Berg made the video of glowing lights off water back in late May

This bright light on the bottom of this picture was a series of three lights Campbell River resident Dean Berg captured on video May 29. Photo from Dean Berg
This undated photo provided by NOAA Fisheries shows a yelloweye rockfish. Fisheries and Oceans Canada says conservation and protection officers are concerned about what they claim is “rampant illegal fishing” of rockfish populations in Metro Vancouver. (NOAA Fisheries via AP)

‘Rampant illegal fishing’ near Vancouver compromising rockfish populations: DFO

Rockfish Conservation Areas are closed to all fishing for finfish

This undated photo provided by NOAA Fisheries shows a yelloweye rockfish. Fisheries and Oceans Canada says conservation and protection officers are concerned about what they claim is “rampant illegal fishing” of rockfish populations in Metro Vancouver. (NOAA Fisheries via AP)
The health and stability of the lake shore are crucial to the survival of kokanee salmon. Photo: Jim Bailey

B.C. hydro companies, feds accused of ignoring kokanee salmon in Kootenays

Groups say BC Hydro and FortisBC have violated Fisheries Act for decades

The health and stability of the lake shore are crucial to the survival of kokanee salmon. Photo: Jim Bailey
Screenshot from video on US Coast Guard Pacific Northwest Twitter video posted on July 1. (@USCGPacificNW)

1 dead after yacht sinks off the coast of Vancouver Island

A Port Angeles, Wash., crew from the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest responded to the incident

  • Jul 5, 2023
Screenshot from video on US Coast Guard Pacific Northwest Twitter video posted on July 1. (@USCGPacificNW)
Noctiluca scintillans, also known as red tide algae blooms, were spotted midway along the Patricia Bay beach walking path in North Saanich. (Photo of Courtesy of Frank Towler)

Poisonous algae bloom sparks ban on shellfish harvesting near Victoria

If the contaminated shellfish are eaten by humans there could be fatal side effects

Noctiluca scintillans, also known as red tide algae blooms, were spotted midway along the Patricia Bay beach walking path in North Saanich. (Photo of Courtesy of Frank Towler)
Dawson McKay (left) and Rob Worrall get a fish ready for the weigh-in durng a Vancouver Island salmon derby. Photo by Mike Chouinard/Campbell River Mirror Dawson McKay (left) and Rob Worrall get a fish ready for the weigh-in at Ostler Park during Saturday’s salmon derby. Photo by Mike Chouinard/Campbell River Mirror

Research finds some Pacific salmon migration out of sync with food supply

SFU research finds changing climate is causing some salmon to migrate out of step with plankton

Dawson McKay (left) and Rob Worrall get a fish ready for the weigh-in durng a Vancouver Island salmon derby. Photo by Mike Chouinard/Campbell River Mirror Dawson McKay (left) and Rob Worrall get a fish ready for the weigh-in at Ostler Park during Saturday’s salmon derby. Photo by Mike Chouinard/Campbell River Mirror
A lone killer whale breaks the water in a Comox, B.C., harbour on Tuesday July 31, 2018.Transport Canada has announced several new measures, ranging from sanctuary zones to fishing closures, as it works to protect critically endangered southern resident killer whales off the British Columbia coast. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jen Osborne

Protected areas, fishing bans to help B.C.’s threatened southern resident orcas

Federal government announces series of measures off B.C. south coast

A lone killer whale breaks the water in a Comox, B.C., harbour on Tuesday July 31, 2018.Transport Canada has announced several new measures, ranging from sanctuary zones to fishing closures, as it works to protect critically endangered southern resident killer whales off the British Columbia coast. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jen Osborne
Black Press file photo

Fisheries and Oceans Canada faces deluge of calls to improve ‘suspect’ science

Report yields 49 recommendations to address concerns about how DFO science presented

  • Mar 17, 2023
Black Press file photo
Kris Dudoward is shown aboard the commercial fishing vessel Irenda earlier this week with catch of sockeye salmon on B.C.���s Skeena River near Prince Rupert. The union representing commercial fisheries, the United Fisherman Allied Workers filed a petition on Feb. 22 requesting the end of foreign ownership of fishing licences and quotas on the BC coast. File - THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Mitch Dudoward **MANDATORY CREDIT**

Union files petition in Ottawa to stop foreign ownership of fishing licences and quotas

UFAW-Unifor seeks a formal ending to all foreign investment, owner operator policy framework

Kris Dudoward is shown aboard the commercial fishing vessel Irenda earlier this week with catch of sockeye salmon on B.C.���s Skeena River near Prince Rupert. The union representing commercial fisheries, the United Fisherman Allied Workers filed a petition on Feb. 22 requesting the end of foreign ownership of fishing licences and quotas on the BC coast. File - THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Mitch Dudoward **MANDATORY CREDIT**
Waves pound the shore in Eastern Passage, N.S. on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022. An “ill-timed” tweet warning it is illegal to take lobsters that have washed up on a beach was approved by no fewer than seven people even after one of them warned it may not be well received in the middle of a hurricane. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Fisheries Department scrambled to claw back ‘ill-timed’ lobster tweet: documents

Controversial post issued five hours after cyclone Fiona slammed into Atlantic Canada

Waves pound the shore in Eastern Passage, N.S. on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022. An “ill-timed” tweet warning it is illegal to take lobsters that have washed up on a beach was approved by no fewer than seven people even after one of them warned it may not be well received in the middle of a hurricane. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
Spawning sockeye salmon, a species of pacific salmon, are seen making their way up the Adams River in Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park near Chase, B.C., Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

First Nations, B.C. groups launch coalition to save Pacific salmon from extinction

New coalition says Pacific salmon populations have declined by more than 90 per cent since the 1970s

Spawning sockeye salmon, a species of pacific salmon, are seen making their way up the Adams River in Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park near Chase, B.C., Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
FILE - Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, which involve moving the fish farm to land as opposed to an open net fish farm, is one possible future for the aquaculture industry in British Columbia. This photo, of a boat and crane situated next to a collapsed “net pen” by Cooke Seafood off the coast of Cypress Island in Washington State in 2017, came when a net failure allowed tens of thousands of nonnative fish to escape. The incident resulted in a nearly $600,000 settlement to the Lummi Indian tribe over the net collapse and damage done to the native salmon population, and prompted the state government to end the practice of fish farming nonnative fish. regarding File Photo David Bergvall Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources via AP

B.C. aquaculture fishing for new answers as it faces its murky future in 2023

All eyes are focused on the DFO’s next move as industry looks at new systems

FILE - Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, which involve moving the fish farm to land as opposed to an open net fish farm, is one possible future for the aquaculture industry in British Columbia. This photo, of a boat and crane situated next to a collapsed “net pen” by Cooke Seafood off the coast of Cypress Island in Washington State in 2017, came when a net failure allowed tens of thousands of nonnative fish to escape. The incident resulted in a nearly $600,000 settlement to the Lummi Indian tribe over the net collapse and damage done to the native salmon population, and prompted the state government to end the practice of fish farming nonnative fish. regarding File Photo David Bergvall Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources via AP