DFO puts out limited fishing opportunities for Alouette River this season

Fisheries and Oceans Canada has updated recreational salmon fishing limits on the Alouette for this season, severely limiting fishing opportunities.

In a social media post from the Alouette River Management Society (ARMS), Alex Holmes said, “It’s salmon fishing season again! And while it is exciting to be out honing our skills and maybe catch something for dinner, please remember to follow the regulations for each river you fish on,” and listed the fishing limits for the river and its tributaries.

Detailed list of all closures and limits can be found on the DFO website here: https://bit.ly/3oF0bDN

As per the website, there will no fishing for salmon in region 2, i.e. the Lower Mainland, with a few exceptions.

For Alouette River and its tributaries, people will be allowed to fish for Chinook above 216th Street, including the North Alouette River and tributaries from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30 with a daily limit of one fish.

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People will also be able to fish for Coho and Chum from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, downstream of a line between two fishing boundary signs in Allco Park. This will have a limit of one hatchery marked per day.

Holmes told The News that so far this year, the fish fence has only seen five sockeye salmon, but a plenty of Pink, Coho, Chum and Chinook.

”Chum and Pink have been the most prolific so far this year. We hope for a strong return as predicted this year. We have seen a few Coho, not sure the exact number currently,” she said.

“So far, each time we have had a rain event we have seen an increase in the numbers coming up to the fence. However this is the typical timing for the salmon to be returning. September through to December is when you see the pacific salmon species returning typically. The heat may have only impacted the Sockeye because they return in the summer months, not the fall,” added Holmes.

The society is still seeing garbage in a few places through the watershed, however the issue with the rock disturbances seems to have calmed down. Holmes however said, it would be difficult to determine the watershed health until the society starts their hands-on work on the fish and analyse the data.

“And as always no fishing past the boundary in Allco Park,” she reminded.

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