The Vancouver Sun today has a report on poaching of lingcod and rockfish from Howe Sound waters. I think most of the poachers are probably not from Bowen Island - there are very few here that actually fish, and most of those that do are after salmon, prawns and crab - but it bears repeating that the fish resources of the inlet are pretty delicate to start with without having people haul them out illegally.

The good news, as the article points out, is that the lingcod population which is endangered around here, seems to be coming back. Lingcod are very tasty fish, which makes them susceptible to poaching, and like rockfish, they require several years to reach maturity before they can spawn. This summer, I plan on doing some snorkelling around the rocky parts of the island where the rockfish conservation areas are, and just checking out what I can see from the surface.

So if you're out on the water fishing, just remember that you can't use a hook and line anywhere from Miller's Landing north to Hood Point, and we'll work at keeping these magnificent local fish stocks healthy.