How to package salmon for US border crossing?

[_DH_]

I will be going to Canada for a chartered fishing trip this weekend and I cannot find much information on how to properly package the salmon to make crossing back into the US as smooth as possible. The fishing regs say it is legal to have Canadian-orgin fish if you have a Canadian license and salmon conservation stamp (which we will have), but I would imagine the salmon must processed in a way that they can still be identified...

Does anyone know of any resources that provide details on what US Border Patrol Wants?

Cheers,
-Dan

[Larry3215]

Your guide should have all the details on that.

If searching their website doesnt work, you can always call the border patrol and just ask them.

[stryker17]

We use to bring them back, filleted with the 2 halvs to gather and the tail on one of them,,,,had no problems. But the tail must be on one......

[Larry3215]

Actually, if you're not crossing back on a boat, I dont see what difference it makes. For all they know you bought it at a store.

For sure you didnt fish illegally in Wa waters, then cross over into Canada just to drive back.....

[_DH_]

Thanks Stryker, I will make sure to leave the tail on one side of each fillet. We might need a long cooler fit those Chinook, especially with the tail on. Here's hoping we catch some!

I've been fishing in the San Juans with no luck this year hopefully the pros can get a hook-up.

Your guide should have all the details on that.

The email from the guide had information for a nearby company that will package the fish, (@ $2.50 per pound, no thank you), but I'm sure the guide will be able to tell us the details once we're there.

Cheers,
-Dan

[Bodofish]

The whole point of their possession laws is to make sure you use one of the processing companies. I've never paid $2.50 CN but.... They filet them, portion them to your specs and vac pac and freeze them with commercial gear. Its then a slam dunk to have them taken by common carrier in a freezer truck across the border and delivered where you want them.

[Mike Carey]

When we fished Zeballos this year we were told the fish hade to be a certain number of pieces, I believe it was 3 to a side, and one tail fillet with the fin on. In addition the packaging had to indicate whose fish it was, and also allow the fish checker to reconstruct the fish. As noted, your guide or charter should know.

[_DH_]

Unfortunately crossing the boarder with fish was not an issue. We fished the Sand Heads off the south arm of the Fraser River and caught two nice coho (8 to 10 pounds) and one chinook which was 24 inches long... minimum size up there is 24 and 1/2 inches! Had fun, but I am still itching to bring home a salmon

=D

[BARCHASER10]

I've taken my own boat up to Ucluelet 15-16 times starting in 1991and another 4-5 times at fly in guided resorts. Brought back lots and lots of salmon and Hallies. I've never been checked at the border, not even once. There is a bunch of nonsense about transporting your catch in the regs, but, in my experience, nobody pays much attention. Except for the leave a tail on one of the fillets deal, which they do seem to get worked up about. The only place I've ever been checked was around the fish cleaning table, and that was only a couple times.. Their fish cops hang around the fish cleaning table like a bunch of seagulls.

I think BC Fisheries has their regs on line so you can look at the transport rules.

[AJ's Dad]

We asked a game warden in Saskatchewan what the rules were when we went last year. He told us if we took fish back into the US we could only have one days limit of each kind of fish in our possession per person, and each fillet had to have a one inch square of skin left on it for identification purposes. The folks at the border crossing were adamant that they needed to check all of our coolers before we could cross, and asked us if we had left the one square inch of skin on the fish. Fortunately we had. I was surprised the wardens told us we could only have one days limit of each fish per person in our possession. I said are you serious? I bought a season long license and can only take back one days limit? To which he answered "That's correct". maybe that's only a rule in Saskatchewan and not BC. Thank god they let me bring in more than one days limit of beer.

[BARCHASER10]

For BC the one square inch thing is for bottomfish including Halibut. For salmon its leave a fin on one of the fillets. I'm amazed the border folks wanted to check somebodies coolers. At the BC border we've never been checked coming home, nor have I ever seen anyone else with boats get checked. Their border force just doesnt have enuff officers for all that. I think they may do some random checks. I've been across the border many times. I've have had my vehicle checked three times, all going into Canada not going out of Canada. Twice in the 70's crossing from Montana into Canada and once at Blaine in the 80's.