How to transport your saltwater catch back to Alberta?

[Robins36]

Hey All! Some family members and I are heading out to Vancouver Island to do some fishing in June and I'm hoping some of you can help me out with keeping our catch legal in case of a DFO inspection. It's a self guided trip taking my brother, BIL and my dad. My dad turns 65 on our first day fishing out there.

First question is Dungeness crab have to be kept whole with the carapace attached. What is the best way to get a few home? Websites say to boil them first and freeze whole. Is there any way to clean the guts out of them before freezing or would doing this remove evidence of the sex? Is the crab meat any good after thawing this way?

Second question, halibut in the area we are fishing have some size restrictions. Only 1 can be over 83cm, and a max of 133cm. To keep the halibut legal for transport, do we have to leave the head on or can they be filleted as long as they are nowhere near the max 133cm? I'd rather not keep a larger fish if I will have to transported whole as it will all be frozen.

I already have some experience with processing Chinook salmon so that shouldn't be an issue with the minimum size limits. As for Lingcod, it looks like zero retention in our area.

Thanks for all your help!

[coachman]

We always bring the crab home live. Ice on the bottom of the cooler, crab in top down ,ice, more crab, ice. The people up here that eat mud bugs have no complaints'.

[RavYak]

Transportation requirements can be found on DFO's website.

Finfish(Halibut, Lingcod etc)

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/r...peche-eng.html

Packaging Halibut

Filleting
Size limits are in effect. Recreational harvesters are required to measure any halibut they decide to retain prior to keeping it
Any halibut that you catch may be left whole, may have the head removed, or may be filleted as noted below
Halibut may be packaged by a registered fish processing establishment. Some lodges are registered and provide this service and most coastal communities have certified establishments that also offer this service
Filleting

Halibut that are too large for your cooler may be filleted for transport however some care must be taken to ensure that the fish you possess can be readily measured if inspected by a fishery officer
In order to comply with minimum or maximum length regulations you must either leave your halibut with the head and tail attached, or you may fillet it so that one fillet has the tail and the pectoral fin attached. This will allow the length from the end of the tail to the most forward anterior point where the pectoral fin is attached to be measured
Once filleted you should have no more than seven pieces from each halibut including the one whole fillet with the tail and pectoral fin attached
To remove the fillets so that you can comply with the maximum length requirement remove the top (dorsal) fillets first
Remove the bottom (ventral) fillet from one side. This leaves you the last remaining fillet still attached, the backbone, tail, and the pectoral fin on the side opposite to where the first ventral fillet was removed
You must retain the pectoral fin and the tail attached to the last fillet. Beginning at the pectoral fin, start to remove the fillet towards the tail as you normally would
Once near the end of the fillet, cut through the spine above the tail being careful to leave the skin facing you at the tail attached
When you have cut through the spine you can cut through the flesh at the end of the fillet down to the skin without cutting it through which then will act like a hinge allowing the tail to be folded under the fillet for transport. If this last halibut fillet is still too long to fit your cooler, you may make a cut through the flesh of the fillet down to the skin without cutting through into two pieces. This fillet can then be folded at the cuts to permit storage in your cooler and allow the length of your catch to be readily measured
The dorsal fillets and the fillet without the tail and pectoral fin may each be cut into two pieces for ease of storage until you arrive at your ordinary residence
Keep the pieces of each fillet together in its own bag
The ventral fillet that has the tail and pectoral fin attached must remain in one piece. Should you make a mistake during this procedure on removal of this last fillet, retain the pieces from it and keep them together in a separate bag so that they may be inspected if required
Fillet pieces that are frozen must be frozen separately so that each piece may be measured if required
Avoid cutting fish into smaller pieces. The regulation states that the fish you possess must be readily measureable to determine that it is in compliance where size limits apply. You are responsible to comply with this requirement
Labelling your container or cooler

When individuals are transporting or shipping catch they must package their catch separately and only have one name per package. However, they may share a container. It is recommended that the contents (number of fish, species, and number of packages) be listed on the outside of the container to facilitate inspection
It is recommended that you store and transport your catch in containers and packages intended for food

Regarding your crab question precooking is all that I can think of since you have to cook from live. You cook with guts inside so I wouldn't worry about cleaning them, just take them out before eating.

[Robins36]

Originally Posted by coachman

We always bring the crab home live. Ice on the bottom of the cooler, crab in top down ,ice, more crab, ice. The people up here that eat mud bugs have no complaints'.

Hey Coachman, thanks for the quick reply! I'd love to bring them home live, but we won't be able to cook and consume them right away. Also, we are flying westjet (comox to Edmonton) and the cooler can't contain any ice. I'd like to cook and freeze them but I was worried the meat wouldn't be very good after thawing.

Daryl

[Blastoff]

When I flew WestJet the times I went all my fish was done at the dock by a business that does this for the charter guy had set it up. Took the fish that was frozen and packaged in about 2 pound packages, so maybe contact your guy and ask him. I never had any issues with WestJet, never had ice just frozen in those boxes they give you and the fish held up with out any thawing at all.

[Robins36]

RavYak, thanks! That was exactly what I was looking for with processing halibut. I wasn't able to find that exact info. Pretty sure I will be the only one getting my hands dirty at the cleaning tables and want to make sure that everything is done right.

Thanks again!

Daryl

[Robins36]

Originally Posted by Blastoff

When I flew WestJet the times I went all my fish was done at the dock by a business that does this for the charter guy had set it up. Took the fish that was frozen and packaged in about 2 pound packages, so maybe contact your guy and ask him. I never had any issues with WestJet, never had ice just frozen in those boxes they give you and the fish held up with out any thawing at all.

Hey Blastoff,

We are going on our own without guides as we have access to some boats out there. I fished the same area last year and hired a guide and landed a 24lb Chinook. Fishing out of Telegraph Cove, there are no processing facilities dockside there. Closest facilities are Port Hardy (1hr drive) and Campbell River (2hr drive).

Thanks,

Daryl

[RavYak]

Why wouldnt frozen crab be good? What do you think you get at supermarkets and most restaurants lol.

[32-40win]

Pretty sure the guides in that area would have an access to a flash freeze and shipping for their clients. Ask around there, they will charge you for it no doubt, but, it surely seems to be something that should be readily available there.
If you can afford doing it in the first place, it isn't that much more to insure the result is properly handled.

[338 Rules]

I bring back around 300 lbs of Salmon, Halibut, Cod, Red Snapper, Black Sea Bass and other species from BC every year.

My Guide cleans and fillets the catch on board, then I vacuum seal it with a food savor and freeze it and bring it back in coolers, so when I get home all I have to do is put it in my freezer. It makes for a long day but it's worth it, so I don't drink, made that mistake the first trip haha.

When I vacuum seal my catch I mark on the bag what it is and the date I caught it.

Gotta love Sea Food from BC that you catch yourself, I especially love Cod with Beer Batter and deep fired, yum!

Happy Fishing

[Robins36]

Originally Posted by 32-40win

Pretty sure the guides in that area would have an access to a flash freeze and shipping for their clients. Ask around there, they will charge you for it no doubt, but, it surely seems to be something that should be readily available there.
If you can afford doing it in the first place, it isn't that much more to insure the result is properly handled.

Telegraph Cove has a large walk in freezer that we can flash freeze stuff in. When I was there last year, the guide cut up my Chinook salmon for me and told me that there was no registered fish processing shops in the area. We have no problems paying for the service, but it's the time out of our fishing to get from our accommodations to Telegraph Cove, then drive either 2 or 4 hours round trip to get the catch to a processing shop. The only reason I'm doing the processing myself is because of this.

Thanks for the reply though.

Daryl

[thumper]

If it was me, I'd super-cool the live crabs in ice before-hand. Then bag them and put them in the cooler right before boarding the plane, along-side your frozen fish. Make sure that there's no empty space in the cooler - fill the voids & insulate with rolled up newspaper, or even clothing if you have to. Your crabs should still be live and fresh when you arrive in Edmonton. They're pretty hardy if kept cool and in the dark.
Those dungeness crabs have lots of sharp points that will poke right through plastic bags, so don't attempt to ship them with water in the bags!

If prawn season is open when you're there, be sure to set a few traps for them. We prefer a bucket of them to crabs!

[KegRiver]

We've been going to Rupert for years.
Two family members have ocean boats.

We have brought Crab home live, on ice, frozen and cooked and frozen.
My wife is a crab fanatic, she prefers them live so she can cook them her way but she sure won't turn them down if they are frozen or already cooked.

Long before I ever tasted Crab she was singing the praises of Maryland Blue Crab. Now she talks as much about Dunginess as she does about her beloved Blue Crab.

All fish we get are brought home, whole, gutted, on ice or filleted with tail and skin on, on ice or frozen.

The hotel we stay at knows us well enough they let us use one of their freezers while we are there. But we could take a freezer and plug it in while there.

It's a 16 hour drive for us. We do it in two days.

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

We've been going to Rupert for years.
Two family members have ocean boats.

We have brought Crab home live, on ice, frozen and cooked and frozen.
My wife is a crab fanatic, she prefers them live so she can cook them her way but she sure won't turn them down if they are frozen or already cooked.

Long before I ever tasted Crab she was singing the praises of Maryland Blue Crab. Now she talks as much about Dunginess as she does about her beloved Blue Crab.

All fish we get are brought home, whole, gutted, on ice or filleted with tail and skin on, on ice or frozen.

The hotel we stay at knows us well enough they let us use one of their freezers while we are there. But we could take a freezer and plug it in while there.

It's a 16 hour drive for us. We do it in two days.

Next time you go to Rupert, please phone me. I am going June 1 and July 1, maybe August 10 or so.

I am trying to get 30 days fishing Rupert this year.

20 hours 1 way for me.

[Big Bull]

Originally Posted by Robins36

Hey Blastoff,

We are going on our own without guides as we have access to some boats out there. I fished the same area last year and hired a guide and landed a 24lb Chinook. Fishing out of Telegraph Cove, there are no processing facilities dockside there. Closest facilities are Port Hardy (1hr drive) and Campbell River (2hr drive).

Thanks,

Daryl

Hardy Boys in Port Hardy could process your catch for you. We always stock up on salted ice there before the drive home. The service we've had from them has been great. We've stopped at the processor in Campbell River a couple of times, and they've been too busy to talk to us to even see what we wanted - ain't nobody got time for that. We always bring our crab back alive, packed on ice for 36 hours, and then boil it as soon as we get home.

[Marty S]

I went last year and my processor cleaned and cooked the crabs and flash froze them. They were quite good, but I don't eat crab enough to know the difference. They cracked them in half, boiled them, and froze. However, the way I read the law they aren't allowed to do that, but they are the processor that deals with th law probably very regularly, that if thet were doing it wrong, would get told not too?

One good way to get fish home if you're driving is to have them flash froze and wrapped tight in several layers of newspaper and fill a cooler full, ZERO AIR SPACE. No ice because ice melts and water thaws the fish in the bottom of your cooler. I'm sure you can't beat an inverter and a freezer tho.

[6tmile]

In the past when flying, we have had our catch cleaned, flash frozen then wrapped in newspaper(lots and lots) then put in coolers then thrown on the Greyhound and have a family pick it up as soon as it gets home. Never had any thaw out, lost or tainted.

[Tofinoguy]

As per Rav Yak's link it is unlawful to portion your Halibut before transport. It must me kept full fillets with one of them with the tail still attached so DFO can determine the fish's size.
The only way around that is to have it processed at a government licensed facility.
The officers told me they are going to enforce this law. You have been warned.

[fish99]

we would take a small deep freeze and just clean the Chinooks leaving them hole and frozen . plug the freezer in over night at first stop, never had them thaw before we got back one or 2 days later,

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette

Next time you go to Rupert, please phone me. I am going June 1 and July 1, maybe August 10 or so.

I am trying to get 30 days fishing Rupert this year.

20 hours 1 way for me.

Will do. I'm not sure if we are going this year.
So far the only plan is for fishing Great Slave again this year.

[Drewski Canuck]

If you are flying out of Campbell River, and have the fish in Coolers for taking back by WestJet, go the night before you fly and buy some DRY ICE at the fish processor. It was $2 a pound last time I bought in Campbell, but it is - 70 C!!!


You will need about 10 pounds for the average cooler, and simply put it on the top of the frozen fish in the cooler, and duct tape around the lid for a good seal. IF you can get the chips as opposed to the blocks, it works better for getting in and around the fish.

The Dry ice all vapourizes, and the fish are very, very cold thereafter, with no melt water.

I used to take salmon and moose meat to San Antonio, Texas this way, and 24 hours later it was still very frozen, in 115 F heat.

Drewski

[Robins36]

Thanks Tofinoguy! My research is paying off as it just won't be convenient enough to get everything to a licensed processing facility. The countdown is on, 37 days to go!

Daryl