1st Area 3 Nass Sockeye Opening

Here is the announcement of the first Nass opening for 2011. Nothing new here....one issue of interest is the 'request' to release any chinook encountered alive by the gillnetters. Of course, since a large chinook is worth alot of money the likelihood of any being released is slim. Nevermind, the likelihood of any being alive after encountering a gillnet that generally kills 6 or 7 out of 10 fish it encounters.

Fishery Notice - Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Subject: FN0472-COMMERCIAL - Salmon: Gill Net - Area C - Area 3 - Opening
         
Gill nets open 16 hours from 06:00 hours to 22:00 hours Sunday June 19 in a
portion of the following areas:

-Subarea 3-3 north and east of a line that begins at Elliott Pt on Somerville
Island, thence to 54 degrees 39 minutes north latitude and 130 degrees 37
minutes west longitude, thence true north to the International Boundary.

-portion of 3-7 north of a line running from Elliot Pt on Somerville Island
south to John Pt on Hogan Island, and thence southwest along the shore of Hogan
Island to Father Pt to Maskelyne Pt on Maskelyne Island (Emma Pass closure).. 
And the portion of 3-7 southeast of one nautical mile off the shore of Wales
Island and southeast of 0.5 nautical mile off the shore of Pearse Island (this
is a one mile ribbon boundary off Wales and Pearse Islands). 

-Subarea 3-12 southeast of 0.5 nautical miles of the shore of Pearse Island
(this is a one mile ribbon boundary off Pearse Island).

Max mesh 137 mm. Max depth 60 meshes, Max hang ratio 3:1, Corkline to web
distance min 0 cm max 45 cm; or, max depth 90 meshes, max hang ratio 3:1,
corkline to web distance min 1.2 m to a max 1.5 m.

The target species in Area 3 is Nass sockeye.

Note new non-possession rules:
All gill net fisheries in Area 3 are being conducted with non-retention, non-
possession of chum, coho & steelhead. None of these species may be aboard a
vessel that is engaged in fishing unless they are being revived in the revival
tank immediately prior to release.

There are a number of weak Chinook stocks in Area 3 that are currently in the
rebuilding phase. Fishers are requested to release all live Chinook to the
water with the least possible harm. Operating revival tanks are mandatory and
may be used to revive fish prior to release.