The Herring are coming! I can’t wait for spring.
By Neil Horner – Parksville Qualicum Beach News
Published: March 04, 2010 7:00 PM
If you blinked, there’s a good chance you missed this year’s herring season in Oceanside, which is already complete.
Roger Kemble at French Creek Harbour said the local herring season opened on Friday.
“Friday and Saturday were probably the busiest and by Sunday afternoon and evening it was winding down,” It’s over now and while we still have maybe a handful of commercial boats still here in the harbour, most of them have moved on.”
Fisheries and Oceans spokesman Randy Webb said the fishery may have been short, but it was rich.
“The run was actually pretty good. There were between 60,000 and 65,000 tons and the quota for both the seiners and gillnetters was 8,500 tons and they both met their quota.”
Webb said the seine fishery was done in one day, which he said was not unusual. The gillnetters, he added, have been fishing since Feb. 26, but most of the activity took place Saturday.
Although the fishery is over for the year, Webb said he expects to see more herring spawning.