Canada opens a two-boat Area H chum troll demo through Oct. 11

A small Canadian chum troll opening started at midnight. Fisheries and Oceans Canada fishery notice FN1082, posted Oct. 2, 2026, opens an Area H demonstration troll for chum salmon in listed portions of Area 13 from 00:01 hours Oct. 5 through 23:59 hours Oct. 11. The notice calls it part of the Commercial Salmon Allocation Framework and the 2026/2027 integrated fisheries management plan. Variation order number is 2026-SAL-130.

It is limited entry. The Area H Harvest Committee picked three vessels: Hungri Eye (VRN 22071), Windrift II (VRN 25536), and Carte Blanche (VRN 24444). Only two may fish at a time, on a set schedule. The opening closes on short notice if any other vessel tries to fish. Each boat needs a valid 2026/27 Area H troll licence, an electronic-monitoring video system running before it starts, and an at-sea observer for the whole trip. Effort is counted in individual vessel boat days. The fleet’s transferable-effort cap in the notice is 180 boat days, with 9 days assigned to each licence. This demonstration itself has a combined allocation of 12 boat days, and it can close before Oct. 11 if those 12 days are used up.

The target is chum. Incidental pink salmon may be kept in the open areas. Sockeye, coho, Chinook, and steelhead are non-retention. Participants agree to stop fishing if a steelhead is encountered, and to take hooks off the top three marks of the lines to cut steelhead contact. The open water is portions of Subarea 13-6, Subarea 13-7 except Deepwater Bay, Subareas 13-8 to 13-10, part of 13-11 west of a line from Bodega Point, Subareas 13-27 to 13-29, Subarea 13-30 except a 337-metre circle at the mouth of Amor de Cosmos Creek, Subareas 13-31, 13-32, and 13-35, and part of 13-40 west of a line between West Thurlow Island and Hardwicke Island. Coordinates are in the notice.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Fisheries and Oceans Canada — FN1082, Area H chum troll demonstration, Area 13, opening Oct. 5, 2026 (posted Oct. 2, 2026).