Crabbing begins next week, Canadian fishing licenses now available to non-residents

Crab season opens next Thursday in Marine Area 7 North which includes Point Roberts, the Strait of Georgia to the Canadian border. It will be open Thursdays through Mondays through September 30.

The limit for Dungeness crab is five males with a minimum carapace size of 6.25 inches while red rock crab can be harvested at five inches across and can be of either sex. Six red rock crabs can be retained. A catch record card is required for Dungeness.

Now that the Canadian border has been opened for non-essential travel, Canadian non-resident fishing licenses are now available as well. License sales were shut down back in March 2020 when the U.S./Canada border was closed. U.S. boaters are not required to check in with Canada Border Services as long as they do not anchor, enter port or make contact with another boat north of the border. The Canadian policy regarding boating is as follows:

“If a boat does not land in Canada, doesn’t make contact with another boat, doesn’t moor or anchor while in Canadian waters, other than anchoring in accordance with the right of innocent passage under international law, the travelers will not be required to submit a pre-arrival test or their mandatory information via ArriveCAN.”

The U.S. policy regarding fishing north of the border reads as follows:

“Any small pleasure craft leaving a United States port into international or foreign waters, without a call at a foreign port, does not satisfy the foreign departure requirement. Therefore, certain fishing vessels, cruises to nowhere, or any vessel that leaves from a United States port and returns without calling a foreign port or place, has not departed the United States.”

As always, it is recommended to check with authorities for current policy before setting off towards distant shores.