CURRENT STATUS AND POTENTIAL OF WCVI FISHERIES

SPECIES	COMMENTS	POTENTIAL
SEA CUCUMBER	Nuu-chah-nulth dive for sea cucumber for food, social and ceremonial purposes. There is little commercial activity with only 25% of the coast open to harvest	Landings only since sea cucumbers are processed on-board. BC Fish has rated this fishery as fully subscribed. May be limited new opportunities with good science.
NEON FLYING SQUID	The North American market for food grade squid is saturated with product from California. However there is interest and potential in the Japanese market. A test market is being developed by DFO-BC Shellfish Development Committee	Landings and shipping. Careful market research and good trading partners are essential components of success. An excellent combination fishery
PRAWNS	The deepwater prawn fishery became one of WCVI's most valuable fishreies after the 1995 introduction of product to Japanese specifications. The landed value jumped from $3-$9/lb, followed by dramatic increase in license value (up to 350K). Stacked licenses has put tremendous pressure on stocks.There are unreconciled differences between the sport, aboriginal and commercial fisheries. Discussions are underway to restructure the way this fishery is managed and monitored.	Prawns are frozen at sea and air shipped to Japan after processing.If small boat access is secured, this could be a very good long-term fishery for WCVI communities. Work to reconcile fishery users would be required.f
SHRIMP TRAWL	This fishery was restructured in 1997 with the establishment of management areas, catch ceilings and quotas and seasonal closures. Nuu-chah-nulth have concerns about habitat damage and bi-catch from the drag fishery.	Shimp landings are down East and West coast. Markets are volatile. A handpeeling/freezing facility would substantially increase value of the fishery to local communities
OCTOPUS	This fishery has been restructured. Divers are no longer licensees. The harvesting of octopus has been limited to bycatch for prawn trap licensees. This has had some impact on incomes for octopus divers.	Loss of value in 1999 due to loss of access for dive licensees. Participating in stock assessment and putting forward a new strategy for fisheries management may open future opportunities.
SARDINE / PILCHARD	The sardine fishery moved from an experimental fishery to a commercial fishery in 2002. There remains some hesitancy about growth potential for this fishery and hence its' development over the next three years will be incremental and risk-adverse. For 2003, 25 licenses for individuals and 25 communal licenses will be issued. Participants will be allowed to harvest 180 MT per license.	There is potential for this fishery to expand. The next three years will be critical to the long term viability of this fishery. Processing activity may accompany in the region once licenses have been established.
TUNA	The Canada-US Tuna Treaty allows Canadian fishermen with a C license to fish US waters and land fish in different countries. This fishery offers security for combination fishing. There is pressure to favor limited licensing to the large boat fleet but DFO has not yet ceded to this direction.	Landings, shipping, FAS in some larger vessels, onshore processing and freezing. Tuna brings extra value to the WCVU troll fleet under the current licensing regime.
HERRING ROE	Declining stocks in Barkley have been a concern to NTC. Opportunities for food gathering have been impacted. This is a fishery that could significantly benefit local communities if there was a policy shift to limit access to large non-resident seine vessels. Herring roe is exported to Asia as a food product. Carcasses go to reduction for fish food. Large markets have not been developed. The fishery is a staple for First Nations use.	Landings, shipping, spawn-on-kelp ponds. This fishery would benefit from more local management to ensure long term sustainability.
HERRING	Herring, alongside salmon was traditionally the largest fishery on the coast.The WCVI fishery produces foodgrade herring and bait. In recent years the volume of the fishery, the value of the fish and the structure of the licensing system has seriously impacted the viability of this fishery.	Landings, incomes for fishermen. This fish is processed in Port Hardy.
INSHORE ROCKFISH	The inshore rockfish fishery is very important to WCVI communities because it supports a fleet of smaller boats that are locally based. The inshore fishery has been cut back due to concern about mixed stock bycatch and a general decline in stocks. DFO has expressed concern that long-lived, slow recruiting species could collapse very quickly.	Income to hook and line fishers. Important fishery for the small boat fleet. Landings are generally local.
OFFSHORE GROUNDFISH	The offshore groundfish fishery is comprised of trawlers who drag for Dover and Petrale sole and over 50 species of rockfish. Their catch is managed through the Groundfish Development Authority. The approach is to designate part of every ITQ to meet community and crew objectives. There has been preference for landing and processing on WCVI. There is some concern about stock depletion (already signalled by the collapse in US westcoast waters)	Trawled groundfish are sold in large quantities to wholesalers who truck them fresh or frozen to the Lower Mainland for processing and export to the US, Europe and Asia. The fishery presents opportunities for enforced local landings, fleet and crew income and processing in Ucluelet.
SABLEFISH / BLACK COD	This is a high value fishery -- the first fish to be brought in live and sold as live product. It is primarily a large boat fishery with limited entry. The sablefishery is pressured by the same bycatch and access concerns as the inshore rockfisheries.	Two BC companies began farming sablefish in 2000. Processing in Ucluelet and smoking in Tofino are two possible enterprises associated with this fishery. It is also a fishery that could be used for the purpose of establishing a community development quota.
HAKE	Hake is a significant fishery for the WCVI but it is a complex fishery relative to others because of its long commercial history. This fishery is allocated through a joint venture agreement between Poland and Canada. The 'split' is determined annually prior to the opening of the season. Fishermen can deliver to either the joint venture vessel freezer fleet or to the onshore processors. Ucluelet is now the largest port for hake processing in Canada.	Income to fishermen, onshore employment. The Wholey plant, Port Fish Co and Canadian Seafood Processors rely on this fishery as a mainstay of their annual activity.
HALIBUT	Halibut fishing is one of the few fisheries that continues to provide a good living to licensees. It is managed by individual quota so fishermen can access fish according to market demands and around other fishing opportunities. Work needs to be done to reconcile the halibut fishery with the inshore rockfish fishery (often taken as bycatch)	BC halibut is shipped all over the world. Prices are steady and the structure of the fishery allows fishermen to maximize market opportunities. Fishermen and crew incomes and onshore processing jobs are the key benefits.
SPINY DOGFISH	This is one of the oldest commercial fisheries in BC. Fishing for food began only after 1976 when European markets were identified. Belly flaps are exported to Germany for smoking as a delicacy; fins are frozen for Japanese and Chinese markets. Backs are wrapped and frozen and sold to Great Britain for fish and chips. Industry groups are currently competing for increased access.	Processing in Ucluelet. There is an opportunity to increase value-added services for this fishery. Some licenses have been retained in the region.