30 gal Coldwater Tank *Pics*

[Scavenger]

Originally Posted by reef_raf

Also, you may want to investigate whether you are allowed to harvest any/all those creatures without at least a fishing license. I know when we collected in college, we needed permits for some stuff. And since you're posting "evidence" online.......

You can collect locally with only a fishing licence. Here's a copy of an old post of mine after I wrote the DFO.



Post subject: Cold Water Reef and Collecting locally

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I remember a post awhile back about the legalities of collecting from local BC waters for home aquarium purposes. I was toying with the idea of setting up such a tank and am still concidering it. I wrote to the DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) inquiring about if this was legal.

Here is a copy of their response.

Your inquiry regarding the collection of specimens for a home tide pool
aquarium has been brought to my attention.

You have indicated that you have a tidal water sport fishing licence and you
can certainly use it for this purpose. You may have received a sport
fishing guide at present with your licence. If not, I can mail you one. I
refer you to the species list and limits for finfish on pages 48/49, and for
shellfish on pages 60/62. For a tidal pool arrangement, I expect that most
of the finfish you are likely to collect will be species of sculpins or
eelpouts and blennies. As they are not specifically listed in the finfish
table, they come under the designation for all other species, which allows
for the daily catch limit of 20 specimens and a possession limit (in your
tank) of 40 specimens. Similar daily and possession limits apply to
shellfish species, with more generous limits listed individually for some
types of intertidal specimens such as limpets.

One word of caution about collecting bivalves - they may not be collected
from areas closed for bacteriological contamination or red tide
contamination. Check with the local DFO office for the area where you will
be collecting to find out where these restrictions are in effect. A partial
list of closures is also available in the back of the sports fish guide, and
on the web at:
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/ops/fm/...es/default_e.h
tm
<http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/ops/fm/...ures/default_e.
htm>

If you would like me to send you a copy of the sports fish guide, please
return your postal address by e-mail. Thank you,

Jim Morrison
Resource Management Biologist - Invertebrate Biologiste en Gestion des
Pêches, Invertebres
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, South Coast Area Pêches et Océans Canada,
Secteur de la Côte Sud
3225 Stephenson Pt. Rd. 3225 rue Stephenson Pt.
Nanaimo, B.C. V9T 1K3 Nanaimo, (C.-B.) V9T 1K3
Phone: (250) 756-7233 Téléphone (250) 756-7233
Fax: (250) 756-7162 Télécopieur: (250) 756-7162
Email: morrisonj@pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca Courriel:
morrisonj@pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca