Notice to Community Members
March 13, 2023
2023 Herring Management – Kitkatla Inlet
- There will be no commercial Herring Roe fishery this year in Kitkatla Inlet.
- Gitxaała Fisheries Management has recommended no commercial no commercial SOK fishery in Kitkalta Inlet. There will likely be no commercial SOK fishery this year.
- There will be no restrictions on Gitxaała harvest of Herring, Spawn on Kelp, Spawn on Boughs, or any other product.
DFO science indicates a small increase in herring stocks in the Prince Rupert District from previous years and anticipates a small opening for the 2023 herring season with a 5% harvest rate resulting in a potential commercial harvest of 1,186 tons. There will be a small Gillnet fishery for herring roe outside of Gitxaała territory.
As per previous years, Gitxaała Fisheries Management has been informing DFO that the herring stocks in Kitkatla Inlet are not at levels where sustainable commercial fisheries can occur. Commercial herring fisheries have been closed for several years now and need many more years of applying a precautionary management approach to recover.
Gitxaała Fisheries technicians will begin monitoring of Kitkatla Inlet shortly and we will be working with DFO conducting the spawn surveys to make sure surveys are carried in the right areas and at the right times.
DFO will be working with Gitxaała Fisheries Program to monitor returning herring stocks. The FV Viking Spirit will be in the area starting around March 15th. As in previous years herring will be provided to community members.
For more information, please contact Gitxaała Fisheries technicians at the Lach
Klan office.
Senior Fisheries Technician – Colin Nelson
Email: senfishtech.gtma@gitxaalanation.com
