The island

Denman herring run draws fishing fleet to island waters

A large fleet was reported off Fillongley and Cokley Cove during the herring run.

The Denman Firestarter · reporting 2019-03-21 · compiled 2026-10-01

Back issue. The Denman Firestarter did not exist on 2019-03-21. This edition was compiled on 2026-10-01 from the public record as it stood on 2019-03-21, and contains nothing dated after that day — no outcomes, no hindsight. It is a reconstruction of what was on the record at the time, not a document from the time. This edition.

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A Denman Island writer described a large fishing fleet working the waters near Fillongley and Cokley Cove during the herring run. The writer said the water at Cokley Cove had turned milky white and that boats were still fishing that night.^[1]

The account said the writer lost count at 120 boats and saw seabirds, sea lions and orcas in the area. It also described nets being set and hauled, and herring washing up on shore.^[1]

The writer argued that the commercial roe fishery was unsustainable and linked herring to salmon food supplies. Those are the writer’s claims; the account does not include a response from fishery officials.^[1]

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