Why is it that people are encouraged to release berried/egged prawns and they are not just told to release them? You look at some people’s hull of prawns and there are lots of these berried/egged prawns in the bucket and it doesn’t even faze them when you ask them why they would be keeping them. I think it’s time to change the wording in the next tidal guide that comes out next year to say they MUST be released.

The first thing I do is release them when I am out there. I will even go as far to leave the next trap in the water till after the berried/egged prawns in my first trap are released.

I called my local DFO office this morning. They agreed with me that it should be changed but they didn’t know how to go about doing it. They also mentioned to me that I was not the first person asking for this change.

Cheers All,

GREAT POST fish assassin!!

I have a food grade tote on the boat and I spill them into the tote which is 1/2 full of water. The tote is white and I can quickly discern which prawns are berried and they go overboard along with the undersized. The others are put into the cooler for the trip home.

The berried prawns are our future fishing opportunities. Unless we ensure they go back we are only harming our future. It doesn't take long to ensure that we will have prawns for generations to come.

Commercial Prawners never release anything and they take ten of thousands of times more then even the most active sport Prawner.

If I released every gravid Prawn I ever caught/ate it wouldn't equal one set by one rapacious Commercial Prawner.

Here is a post by Lazoman SFBC:

Here is the para from the commercial Management Plan:

4.3. Berried Females
Fisheries and Oceans Canada requires that all berried female prawns be released from the date of season opening to June 30. Catch must be sorted as it comes on board and the females released on a trap by trap basis. Waiting until the entire string is pulled before sorting is considered to be illegal. It is recommended that fish harvesters relocate to other grounds if they find that they are catching large numbers of berried females. High proportions of berried females may result in closure.

I guess the Humpbacks I bought on the dock @ Fisherman's Wharf next to Granville Island were taken after June 30 because they'd been frozen with eggs intact.

Or... the fellow was fishing illegally?

Nog

It still doesnt help to add to the problem. Just because some people decide to abuse our resources doesnt mean you should do the same. Anyone that can afford to go out and prawn isnt starving so it shouldnt be a big deal to let the berried ones go.

^agree'd

If he was he's the dumbest commercial fisherman in BC, selling to the public from his boat @ Fisherman's Wharf in downtown Vancouver.

Good Post TL !

You would think that woud be common sense