The commercial roe herring fishery occurs in five stock areas determined by major herring stocks; Prince Rupert District, Central Coast, Haida Gwaii, West Coast of Vancouver Island, and Strait of Georgia. Roe herring fisheries are only planned for stock areas that are forecast to be above the commercial fishery cut-off, and depend on available abundance. The roe herring fishery takes place as the herring gather to spawn during late February to mid or late March in southern BC, and mid- March to mid-April in northern BC. Opening dates and times for the commercial fishery are announced on the fishing grounds once the roe has matured to optimum quality. Specific fishing locations are determined by major concentrations of fish and the potential for the highest roe yield.
This contract is to conduct catch sampling of all roe (commercial) herring fisheries in British Columbia. These samples are a critical part of the annual stock assessment for BC herring.
