Biology and Management of Surf Smelt in Burrard Inlet, Vancouver, B.C.

J.V. Rahilly was an engineering librarian in Ontario.

The surf smelt that spawn along the beaches of Burrard Inlet serve as an urban resource for both commercial and recreational fishermen of Vancouver. Management of the fishery relies primarily on seasonal fishing closures, which serve to restrict the fishing effort and thus conserve the resource.

This current research project was undertaken to describe the population biology of surf smelt and to evaluate the management practices. Different strategies are suggested for extending the fishing opportunities and for protecting spawning fish for conservation purposes. The eleven recommendations made are listed at the end of this highly technical but certainly useful study.