Enhancing MyCatch to Support Rockfish Research on BC’s Coast

British Columbia’s ocean waters are home to more than 30 species of Rockfishes. These fish are slow growing and are considered a priority stock as several species have seen recent population declines. To help rockfishes recover, we will be helping anglers to better understand the rules around rockfish, including Rockfish Conservation Areas and the use of descender devices, as well as recruit anglers to collect valuable data on rockfish releases across the coast. This is part of a larger research project, that includes fisheries researchers at University of Victoria, Ball State University and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

The first stage of this project involved upgrading the MyCatch app to include map overlays of RCA (Rockfish Conservation Area) boundaries to help anglers know when they are within these closed waters. Figure 1. illustrates what this looks like on the app.

Also included in the app update are detailed information on the use of descending devices and rockfish identification tools so anglers will have this information even when they offshore and out of cell range. Figure 2 illustrates the descending device information.

Also included in this app update are access to real-time Fisheries and Oceans regulations and real-time alerts when anglers approach the boundaries of a RCA.

The second stage of the project – collecting rockfish data from anglers will be featured in a separate post. For more information on this project, please reach out to Sean Simmons by email ([email protected]).