Bringing Canadian fish into U.S. ports ?

Posted by: yoadrian

Bringing Canadian fish into U.S. ports ? - 11/30/02 05:57 PM

I have a delima I want to go fishing in Canadian Waters (Tumbo channel) when the blackmouth season is closed here in the U.S.
The only problem is I am not leagally allowed to bring these fish into port even though I catch them in CAN water. I have come up with the idea of video taping where we fish and where the fish are caught to provide evidence that they were caught in Canadian Waters.

Does anybody else have any suggestions.
Posted by: havnfun

Re: Bringing Canadian fish into U.S. ports ? - 11/30/02 09:39 PM

hear of this problem all the time out of neah bay,heard of tickets written....they go to court(if they make it that far)...but never of any fines being paid.brothers up north love sportsman and i do'nt belive this state really wants to upset that applecart. i have done it and have no problems with doing it. just my 2cents flog
Posted by: spawnout

Re: Bringing Canadian fish into U.S. ports ? - 11/30/02 10:06 PM

Read the Canadian regs:

http://www-comm.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/pages/sfg/default_e.htm

You have to land Canadian fish in a Canadian port - period. You can then process them according to the guidelines in the regulations and bring them back in your vehicle, but not in your vessel. Both our wardens and theirs are very serious about enforcing this, as otherwise too many fish would be mis-allocated, screwing up harvest reporting and ultimately shares between tribal/non-tribal. Don't do it - if you get caught it's bad for you, yes, but it's also bad for the rest of us when fish managers have to factor in mis-reporting.
Posted by: jcw

Re: Bringing Canadian fish into U.S. ports ? - 11/30/02 11:00 PM

Posted by: spawnout

Re: Bringing Canadian fish into U.S. ports ? - 12/01/02 01:10 AM

Possibly what they are doing is landing fish for which the season is open in Washington, and the anglers they are guiding have purchased licenses in both countries. For example, blackmouth season is open most of the year in Canada for two fish, but only a few months in Washington for one. If you land one fish in Washington on the right day, and have licenses to fish in both places, then what can they do? But if blackmouth fishing is closed in WA but open in Canada and you land one here, you have broken the law. But not if you drove your boat over the border, launched it there and fished with a Canadian license, landed the fish over there and processed it so that it complied with Canada rules, put it in your rig, and drove home, that's legal. Anyway, read the regs, they are always clear and make perfect sense rolleyes confused