Site Navigation:

Site Search:

Looking for more? Search for Articles on the Nauticapedia Site.

Guide to Fishing Licence Codes Seen on Canadian Vessels

Fishing Licence Stickers

Fishing Licence Stickers (Photo from MacFarlane Collection)

Many Canadian commercial fishing vessels sport stickers with interesting codes. It is clear that they relate to fishing licences carried by the vessel – but what do they mean? Here is a list which will enable the casual observer to ‘decode’ them.

AG Salmon – by Gill Net

AS Salmon – by Seine

AT Salmon – by Troll

C Schedule II Species – by Hook and Line

CA Schedule II – by Hook and Line

D Packing

FAG Salmon by Gill Net – (Aboriginal)

FAS Salmon by Seine – (Aboriginal)

FAT Salmon by Troll – (Aboriginal)

FC Schedule II Species – by Hook and Line (Aboriginal)

FCA Schedule II – by Hook and Line (Special Issue Aboriginal)

FHI Herring Roe – by Gill Net (Aboriginal)

FHS Herring Roe – by Seine (Aboriginal)

FJ Herring Spawn on Kelp – by Purse Seine (Aboriginal)

FK Sablefish – by Longline or Trap (Aboriginal)

FL Halibut – by Hook and Line (Aboriginal)

FR Crab – by Trap (Aboriginal)

FS Shrimp – by Trawl (Aboriginal)

FW Prawn and Shrimp – by Trap (Aboriginal)

FZC Red Sea Urchin – by Dive (Aboriginal)

FZF Euphausiid – by Pelagic Trawl (Aboriginal)

FZN Rockfish – by Hook and Line (Aboriginal)

G Geoduck & Horseclam – by Dive

HG Herring Roe – by Gill Net

HS Herring Roe – by Seine

I Import

J Herring Spawn on Kelp – by Purse Seine

K Sablefish – by Longline or Trap

L Halibut – by Hook and Line

NAG Salmon – by Gill Net (Northern Native Fishing Co.)

P Processing

R Crab – by Trawl

S Shrimp – by Trawl

SEC68 Section 68 High Seas – in International Waters

T Groundfish – by Trawl

USA68 Albacore Tuna – in USA waters

W Prawn and Shrimp – by Trap

YH Export – Herring

YS Export – Salmon

Z2 Clam – by Hand Picking or Hand Digging

Z2ACL Clam – by Hand Picking or Hand Digging (Aboriginal)

Z8 Smelt – by Gill Net or Set Net

ZA Green Sea Urchin – by Dive

ZC Red Sea Urchin – by Dive

ZD Sea Cucumbers – by Dive

ZE Opal Squid – by Hook and Line or Seine

ZF Euphausiid – by Pelagic Trawl

ZK Anchovy – by Seine

ZL Surf & Pile Perch – by Net

ZM Herring Bait – Lottery

ZN Rockfish – by Hook and LIne

ZS Sardine – by Seine

ZU Eulachon – by Gill Net

ZX Herring Bait

ZY1 Herring Bait – Sport

ZY2 Herring Bait – Commercial

ZY3 Herring Bait – Domestic Food

ZY4 Herring Bait – Zoo/Aquarium

ZY5 Herring Bait – Research

ZY6 Herring Bait – Charity

Fishing Licence Stickers

Fishing Licence Stickers (Photo from MacFarlane Collection)


To quote from this article please cite:

MacFarlane, John M. (2014) Guide to Fishing Licence Codes Seen on Canadian Vessels. Nauticapedia.ca 2014. http://nauticapedia.ca/Articles/Codes_Fishing.php

Nauticapedia

Site News: January 14, 2025

The vessel database has been updated and is now holding 94,957 vessel histories (with 16,337 images and 13,935 records of ship wrecks and marine disasters).

The mariner and naval biography database has also been updated and now contains 58,599 entries (with 3998 images).

My thanks to Ray Warren who is beginning a long process of filling gaps in the photo record of the vessel histories in the vessel database. Ray has been documenting the ships of Vancouver Harbour for more than 60 years.

Thanks to contributor Mike Rydqvist McCammon for the hundreds of photos he continues to contribute to illustrate British Columbia’s floating heritage.

My very special thanks to our volunteer IT adviser, John Eyre, who (since 2021) has modernized, simplified and improved the update process for the databases into semi–automated processes. His participation has been vital to keeping the Nauticapedia available to our netizens.

Thanks to John Spivey who is beginning his 4th year of fact checking all of the entries in the vessel database.

© 2002-2023