Shellfish - Species and Limits Table

This table is a guideline only. During the year, a number of important regulation changes may have to be made in specific waters. These management changes are indicated on this page. Also check the list of Management Changes and Updates on the Shellfish Opportunities page or check the Area you will be fishing, immediately prior to fishing, for closures and updates that effect limits. EXPECT IN-SEASON CHANGES!

You may also check with your local DFO office for possible regulation changes. For PSP closures, phone the Openings and Closures 24 Hour Toll Free Line : 1-866-431-FISH (1-866-431-3474) or (604) 666-2828 in the Lower Mainland. View this table on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Website.

Note: The same management measures apply to offshore waters as the corresponding inshore waters (eg: limits in 23 apply to 123) unless otherwise stated.

*Note: All of the Lower Mainland is closed to the harvest of bivalve molluscs.* Go to the following website for Shellfish closures due to PSP and ASP.
Species	Area	Min. Size Limit	Daily Limit	Poss. Limit	Season	Gear Permitted	Comments
Abalone	1 to 29	N/A	0	0	Closed	N/A	Closed all year for conservation purposes.

Barnacles, Giant	1 to 29	N/A	6	12	All Year	Hand picking

Barnacles, Goose	1 to 29	N/A	2kg	4kg	All Year	Hand picking

All Clam Species	1 to 11	N/A	0	0	Closed	N/A	Closed all year due to paralytic shellfish poisoning red tide (PSP) concerns.

Razor Clam	Subarea 1-5 only	N/A	50	100	All Year	Hand digging only.	Subarea 1-5: the waters of McIntyre Bay on Queen Charlotte Islands.
Razor Clam	12 to 29	N/A	12	24	All Year	Hand digging only	Lower Mainland area is closed to clam harvest. Clam harvesters are encouraged to fill in holes to reduce predation on exposed juvenile clams. Check for closures due to PSP. Aggregate daily limit of clams (all species) = 75. Aggregate possession limit is 150 per day. Pacific Rim National Park aggregate daily limit: 8 razor clams, 3 geoducks; 12 horse clams; 24 littleneck or Manila clams; 0 butter clams; maximum aggregate of all clam species = 24 clams

Butter Clam	12 to 29	N/A	25	50	All Year	Hand digging only

Littleneck Clam	12 to 29	N/A	75	150	All Year	Hand digging only

Manila Clam	12 to 29	N/A	75	150	All Year	Hand digging only

Horse Clam	12 to 29	N/A	6	12	All Year	Hand picking & digging

Softshell Clam	12 to 29	N/A	25	50	All Year	Hand digging

Varnish Clam	12 to 29	N/A	75	150	All Year	Hand picking

Cockles	12 to 29	N/A	25	50	All Year	Hand picking & digging

Geoduck	1 to 11	N/A	0	0	Closed	N/A	Closed due to PSP-red tide concerns. Check local DFO office for possible openings.
Geoduck	12 to 29	N/A	3	6	All Year	Hand picking & digging

Mussels - Blue	1 to 11	N/A	0	0	Closed	N/A	Closed due to PSP-red tide concerns. Check local office for possible openings.
Mussels - Blue	12 to 29	N/A	75	150	All Year	Hand Picking	Pacific Rim National Park (Areas 23 and 24)-:12. Combined aggregate daily limit of mussels (all species) = 75

Mussels- California	1 to 11	N/A	0	0	Closed	N/A	Closed due to PSP-red tide concerns. Check local office for possible openings.
Mussels- California	12 to 29	N/A	25	50	All Year	Hand picking	Pacific Rim National Park (Areas 23 and 24)-:12. Combined aggregate daily limit of mussels (all species) = 75

Crab- Alaska King	1 to 10, 21 to 27	N/A	2	4	All Year	Maximum of two rings, dip nets, or traps or combination of these per fisher. Hand picking while diving is permitted. No sharp pointed instruments permitted for use in harvesting crab.	Closed for conservation purposes.
Crab- Alaska King	11 to 20, 28,29	N/A	0	0	Closed

Crab- Dungeness	1 to 10, 21 to 27	165mm	6	12	All Year		Aggregate daily limit of Dungeness, Red Rock, Alaska King in Areas 1 to 10, 21 to 27 is 6; in Areas 11 to 20, 28 and 29,it is 4. It is prohibited to possess female crabs. In Areas 28 and 29, the daily limit for shore crabs is 0. The non-retention is due to concerns about stocks adjacent to highly populated areas. In Area 16 east of a line between Henry Point and Francis Peninsula and in Area 18 in Fulford Harbour, inside a line from Eleanor Point to Isabella Point, it is prohibited to use any gear other than ring nets or dip nets in Pender Harbour. Effective January 15, 2008, until further notice, it is prohibited to fish for crabs from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise each day in Subareas 28-6, 28-7, 28-9, 28-11 and a portion of Subarea 28-12 FN0018 Closure map
Crab- Dungeness	11 to 20, 28,29	165mm	4	8	All Year

Crab- Red Rock	1 to 10, 21 to 27	115mm	6	12	All Year
Crab- Red Rock	11 to 20, 28,29	115mm	4	8	All Year
Crab-Box (includes Puget Sound King crab)	1 to 29	N/A	1	2	All Year

Crab- Shore	1 to 27	N/A	75	150	All Year
Crab- Shore	28 and 29	N/A	0	0	Closed

Crab, other	1 to 29	N/A	4	8	All Year

Octopus	1 to 29	N/A	1	2	All Year		The use of sharp pointed instruments and chemicals is prohibited.

Oysters , Olympia	1 to 29	N/A	0	0	Closed	N/A	To avoid inadvertently harvesting Olympia Oysters while you are harvesting Pacific Oysters, do not harvest any oyster less than 5 cm in diameter.

Oysters, Pacific	1 to 11	N/A	0	0	Closed	N/A	Closed to PSP-red tide concerns. Check local DFO office for possible openings.
Oysters, Pacific	12 to 29	N/A	15	30	All Year	Hand Picking	Daily limit for oysters can be either shelled or shucked (unshelled), but not both. Lower Mainland area is closed to oyster harvest. Harvesters are encouraged to shuck oysters on the beach and leave the shells there, or return oyster shells to the beach from where you collected them whenever possible. You will need permission to harvest oysters from marked oyster farms.

Scallops- Rock	1 to 11	N/A	0	0	Closed	N/A	Closed due to PSP - red tide concerns. Check local DFO office for possible openings.
Scallops- Rock	12 to 29	N/A	6	12	All Year	Hand Picking

Scallops- Pink & Spiny	1 to 11	N/A	0	0	Closed	N/A	Closed due to PSP - red tide concerns. Check local DFO office for possible openings.
Scallops- Pink & Spiny	12 to 29	N/A	75	150	All Year	Hand Picking

Scallops- Weather- vane	1 to 11	N/A	0	0	Closed	N/A	Closed due to PSP - red tide concerns. Check local DFO office for possible openings.
	Subarea 1-5	N/A	100	200	All Year	Hand picking	Waters of McIntyre Bay, Queen Charlotte Islands.
	12 to 29	N/A	6	12	All Year	Hand Picking	Aggregate daily limit of rock and weathervane scallops = 6

Sea Cucumber	1 to 29	N/A	12	24	All Year	Hand picking

Sea Urchins	1 to 29	N/A	12	24	All Year	Hand picking

Shrimp & Prawns	1 to 29	N/A	200	400	All Year	Spear, ring net or trap. Max. 4 traps or ring nets or combination of these	Spear by dive only. The release of prawns carrying eggs is recommended for conservation purposes. Effective May 1 to May 7, 2008, a one week closure will be in place for Stuart Channel (Subareas 17-5, 17-6, and 17-9), Saanich Inlet (Subareas 19-7 to 19-12), and Alberni Inlet (Subareas 23-1 to 23-3). FN0213

Ghost Shrimp (Sand Shrimp)	1 to 29	N/A	50	100	All Year	Hand digging & hand pump

Limpets/Whelks	1 to 29	N/A	75	150	All Year	Hand picking

Sand Dollars	1 to 29	N/A	6	12	All Year	Hand picking

Star Fish	1 to 29	N/A	6	12	All Year	Hand picking

Snails - Moon	1 to 29	N/A	2	4	All Year	Hand picking	Moon snails may be subject to PSP, check for closures.

Squid, Opal	1 to 29	N/A	200	400	All Year	Cast net, jigging

Squid, all other species	1 to 29	N/A	20	40	All Year	Cast net, jigging	This includes Humbolt Squid and Neon Flying Squid in theaggregate.

All other species of shellfish	1 to 29	N/A	20	40	All Year	Various	The daily limit is per species.