Tag «sfac»

Victoria Fall 2023 SFAC Meeting

You are invited to the Greater Victoria Sport Fishing Advisory Committee meeting that will be held November 1, 2023, at the Esquimalt Anglers Association club house at 1101 Munro St, Esquimalt BC V9A 5P2.

  • The meeting will begin at 7:30 pm
  • To join the meeting online, please use the link provided in the agenda document, below.
  • Reminder that this is an election cycle and an election for the chair position will be held at this meeting.
  • Please see the documents below which include the agenda, past meeting minutes, and the 2023 regional recreational updates.
  • If you have questions please do not hesitate to reach out.

Minutes and Notes from Nov. 8 Local SFA Committee Meeting

Here are the minutes of the Victoria Sport Fishing Advisory Committee meeting, held November 8th, 2022 at the Esquimalt Anglers lounge and virtually using MS Teams. Should you read the minutes, the oft seen “M/S/C” stands for “moved, seconded, carried”.

So what’s worth noting? A few items:

  • Re: Becher Bay SRKW no fishing (area size change) – An extensive area has been closed without scientific evidence of substantial SRKW presence. Action item – DFO to provide relevant information supporting this extensive area closure prior to the November 25-26 SFAB South Coast meeting.
  • Re: Mark Selective Fishery (MSF) for Chinook in Areas 19-20 in 2023. Action item – DFO to engage consultations by early January 2023 with SFAB Chinook/Coho Working Group regarding a MSF for Areas 19-20 in April- June of 2023.

There are several other important topics that were discussed at this meeting. You are encouraged to review the minutes.

One other interesting statement: “Hooks trailing past lure or bait tails an undetermined distance are apparently illegal.” Presumably that distance has been published somewhere in DFO’s many rules, regulations and/or notices, and someone at DFO can shed light on this?

Possibly, this is a judgement call based on these statements: “In tidal waters, it is illegal to angle with a fishing line that has more than one hook, artificial lure or artificial fly attached, with the following exceptions: (1) When bait fishing, you may attach multiple hooks to hold a single piece of bait as long as the hooks are not arranged to catch more than one fish.“, found here for Area 29. So if the trailing hooks have a reasonable potential to catch multiple fish, they may be considered illegal.

SFAC Meeting Nov 9 2021

The fall Sports Fishery Advisory Committee (SFAC) meeting for southern Vancouver Island will be held November 09 at 7pm, on Microsoft Teams.

Elections for the role of Chair and co-chair will take place at the end of the meeting.

You are strongly encouraged to attend this virtual meeting to voice your support for the candidates of your choosing.

Draft Agenda:

  • SRKW
  • Hatchery Updates
  • Conservation and Protection Report
  • Elections

Please email Ryan Chamberland with any other additions to the agenda.

Details to attend the Microsoft Teams meeting:

Join on your computer or mobile app

Click here to join the meeting

Or call in (audio only)

+1 647-484-5913,,360060599#   Canada, Toronto

Phone Conference ID: 360 060 599#

Find a local number | Reset PIN

Learn More | Meeting options

Spring 2021 SFAC Area 19/20 Meeting

WhenWednesday, March 10 @ 7pm
WhereMicrosoft Teams virtual meeting
How to joinJoin on your computer or mobile app
Click here to join the meeting
Or call in (audio only)
+1 647-484-5913,,315269984#   Canada, Toronto
Phone Conference ID: 315 269 984#
Find a local number

Local SFAC chair Ryan Chamberland has invited local sport fishers to the spring SFAC meeting for Area 19 and 20.

Please review in advance the draft agenda and the minutes from the local Fall 2020 SFAC meeting.

It’s always possible to construct a motion on a topic under discussion during the meeting. Should you already have prepared a motion to put forward at the meeting, prior notice of such to Ryan by email would be greatly appreciated.

SFAC Area 19/20 – Meeting to Discuss/Pass Motions Wednesday, Dec 02, 2020

Our local SFAC co-chair Ryan Chamberland has called a virtual meeting for Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 1:30 pm. The purpose is to discuss and then vote on whether two motions under consideration at this meeting should be put forward to the SFAB Chinook/Coho Working Group for their consideration.

If you can attend Wednesday @ 1:30 pm to discuss and vote on the following two motions it would be greatly appreciated by your local chairs Ryan and Chris. To attend, please contact Ryan by email for the Microsoft Teams meeting link or the (audio only) phone conference information.

The motions:

Motion 1 –  Selective marked fishery for Areas 18-19 and 20-1 to 20-6 (April 1st – June 10th)

Whereas the recreational fishery is dependent upon expectation and opportunity and;

Whereas Washington State releases over 70 million marked Chinook per year and;

Whereas for the last 12 years the Sidney anglers derby held in May each year has only shown 2  (two) Fraser Chinook intercepted in that time frame and;

Whereas DFO records indicate that the catch of Fraser Chinook is virtually non-existent in areas 18, 19 and 20-1-to 20-6 until June 10 and;

Whereas it has been shown that the Southern Resident Orcas have changed their foraging areas north of the entrance to Juan de Fuca in 2019 and 2020,

Therefore the regulations for the Juan de Fuca 2021 fishery should be changed to read “Chinook retention shall be limited to two hatchery marked Chinook in areas 18 and 19 and areas 20-1 to 20-6 from April 1 to June 10, 2021”

Motion 2 – Selective marked fishery for Areas 18-19 and 20-1 to 20-6 (June 11th – July 31st)

Whereas Washington state continues to release over 70 million hatchery marked Chinook and has stated that there is enough Chinook for all and;

Whereas these hatchery Chinook are for retention of all fisheries and;

Whereas the Southern Resident Orcas in the past 2 (two) years have been late in returning to BC waters and according to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans have changed their foraging areas further north of the entrance to Juan De Fuca Strait,

Therefore there should be a retention of one hatchery marked Chinook in areas 18 and 19 and 20-1 to 20-6 from June 11 to July 31, 2021. Possession limits to remain unchanged.

Local SFAC Meeting: Nov 3, 7 pm

The local SFAC meeting is planned for Nov. 3 at 7 pm. This link will allow you to join the MS Teams virtual meeting at that time. This document may help you join the meeting successfully.

The local SFAC chair was provided much information in advance of this meeting by South Coast SFAC chairs Mike Kelly and Erika Watkins. Some of this information is shared here.

This document is DFO’s “Regional recreational Updates – Fall 2020”. This document provides a lot of information and updates on a variety of species management issues and policy initiatives that DFO currently has underway in a regional context. It is intended as an information document. Note that the first 6 items in the document highlight issues that will be included in SFAB consultation during the upocoming cycle.

This document is the “SFAB Regional Priorities and Requests for Consideration 2020\2021”. This is a list of priority issues that the SFAB species specific working group chairs and the SFAB executive have identified as regional priorities for the upcoming consultation cycle. Please note that these regional priorities may not capture priorities at your local committee level, and it is anticipated  that both motions and action items that offer advice to address both regional and local issues may flow from your local meetings.

The SFAB motions tracking spreadsheet may help you understand the status of SFAB motions that have already been submitted to DFO as advice. This may help you understand how advice provided  by either your committee or the Regional and Main Board has been considered by DFO and what the outcome of that consideration has been. It also will assist in identifying outstanding items that require clarification.

Pat Ahern of the SFI has provided a slide deck to explain the status of the SFAB modernization process.

Under normal circumstances, in 2020/2021, elections would be held to either reconfirm the mandate of existing local, regional and Main Board chairs; or to replace them through a fair, transparent, anonymous and democratic process. Elections are being deferred until such time as they may occur in face to face meetings.

Area 19/20 Spring SFAC Meeting March 16: Venue Change to Conference Call!

Due to the COVID-19 related health concerns, this meeting will now take place as a conference call. With no simultaneous online presentation, please ensure you have access to any documents relevant to the agenda, which is:

  • Fraser River Chinook 
  • Big Bar Slide
  • SRKW
  • Halibut hybrid model
  • Prawns
  • Best Practices 

Local chairs Ryan Chamberland and Chris Bos will update the public fishing community on the difficult issues at hand on March 16 at the Area 19 & 20 SFAC spring meeting.

DateMarch 16, 2020
Time7:00 pm
Dial-in InformationPhone: 1-877-413-4782

Select "1" for English.

Meeting ID: 1830175, followed by "#" (the "pound" or number-sign key)

Once connected, please mute your line until such time as the host invites callers to speak.


The DFO Fraser River management letter sent recently solicits feedback.

The Department is seeking feedback from First Nations and established advisory groups on potential adjustments to 2019 management measures or alternative approaches that should be considered for the period June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021.

Your SFAC chairs will want your feedback and to document motions to carry forward to the South Coast Main board meeting, March 28-29 in Nanaimo

Ryan has been engaged in SRKW-related talks over the last month and a half, resulting in recommendations for DFO regarding

  • a science based approach to providing more access to fishing areas
  • a perspective regarding mobile avoidance zones/mobile sanctuaries
  • a 1 nautical mile corridor from Sheringham Point to East Point in Port Renfrew

which today gained much support within the technical working group. For reference, see the measures put in place by DFO for 2019.

Subsequent communications are expected to both inform and collect feedback on proposed and/or draft plans.

October 8: Fall (SFAC) Sport Fishing Advisory Meeting Victoria and Areas (19-20)

Ryan Chamberland, Area 19/20 SFAB Chair, invites you to attend the Fall SFAC Meeting for Area’s 19/20 on October 08, 2019 at 6pm.

Location:  Esquimalt Anglers Association, 1101 Munro St, Victoria.

Topics of discussion include:

  1. Priority messages on regulations for Chinook and Coho Salmon fishing to carry forward to the department.
  2. Halibut – Update on Season. How did this years regulations work for you?  Priorities requests for 2020 season?  What are possible changes you could accept?
  3. Prawn/Crab Update.
  4. Southern Resident Killer Whale Update. How are closures and restrictions effecting you?  Changes to be made, live with? 
  5. Enforcement Issues – Conservation and Protection Representative.
  6. BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund

Your SFAB chair needs motions to carry forward for a few of these topics. Please write down your proposed motion and bring it forward at the meeting. It will help to keep the meeting going, stay within the scheduled times, and be effective.  Once brought forward for discussion, we can edit as a group as and if needed.

Please check out and “like” the Facebook page Ryan has started for area 19 here https://www.facebook.com/SFACVictoria/ .