Action Required - Potential Fin FIsh Closure from Long Beach to Swiftsure for SRKW
- Thread starter cohochinook
- Start date
High Time
Crew Member
Check out how well the "quiet foraging zone" is working off of Pender Bluffs in Area 18 this afternoon. A dozen whale watching boats surrounding a pod of Orcas and coming and leaving from all directions while a tug and barge travel right through them and a couple freighters pass by. What a sham,what a disgrace....
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cohochinook
Well-Known Member
Check out how well the "quiet foraging zone" is working off of Pender Bluffs in Area 18 this afternoon. A dozen whale watching boats surrounding a pod of Orcas and coming and leaving from all directions while a tug and barge travel right through them and a couple freighters pass by. What a sham,what a disgrace....
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It's a total BS job! Someone here was collecting photos on this? Send it to them.
casper5280
Crew Member
I believe that we are coming to the uncomfortable part of the date, where we all bend over and take it up the butt again.
Aces
Well-Known Member
This has been the way DFO has operated for years. They pretend to consult with us and then just ran it.
They have already made up their minds. Short of a full scale revolt this is a done deal
cohochinook
Well-Known Member
Well then let's organize a revolt!
OldBlackDog
Well-Known Member
Don’t put your pens and papers away yet.
This, https://www.sportfishingbc.com/foru...on’t-forget-they-are-still-coming-here.70039/
Is being done in back rooms and yes you have no input.
Do not be naive, this will effect you.
This, https://www.sportfishingbc.com/foru...on’t-forget-they-are-still-coming-here.70039/
Is being done in back rooms and yes you have no input.
Do not be naive, this will effect you.
searun
Well-Known Member
Sad state of affairs, but the green ENGO's want rec and commercial fishers off the water. That is their stated objective.
Absolutely - despite the lack of solid science to back declaring these areas as critical habitat, DFO has already decided these areas WILL be designated under SARA. The upshot being you can expect to see management measures in place within the 2019 IMFP - review the timeline...its a done deal. No economic assessment! Imagine if the Mayors of impacted small coastal communities actually understood what was being planned for their communities and the chaos it will bring! I chatted with a Lodge owner this week, who said it would devastate his business. The Green ENGO's care not about the harm this inflicts, and needlessly because as some of us know all too well, Resident Killer Whales are RARELY using this habitat. DFO is pressing ahead with no actual hard scientific evidence to support this designation and the Legal protection that must be implemented within 180 days of being designated.
Absolutely - despite the lack of solid science to back declaring these areas as critical habitat, DFO has already decided these areas WILL be designated under SARA. The upshot being you can expect to see management measures in place within the 2019 IMFP - review the timeline...its a done deal. No economic assessment! Imagine if the Mayors of impacted small coastal communities actually understood what was being planned for their communities and the chaos it will bring! I chatted with a Lodge owner this week, who said it would devastate his business. The Green ENGO's care not about the harm this inflicts, and needlessly because as some of us know all too well, Resident Killer Whales are RARELY using this habitat. DFO is pressing ahead with no actual hard scientific evidence to support this designation and the Legal protection that must be implemented within 180 days of being designated.
SpringVelocity
Crew Member
Fact remains the areas that they have designated are Northern Killer Whale Habitat. I think we all agree that whales have challenges in the South. We need to push back and ask DFO why have we lumped the southern killer whale issue with the northern whales. A group that the population is increasing? A historical level in the 100's and now 3 times that. It make no sense to me at all. Personally they shouldn't even be listed on SARA. They aren't endangered and the NGO's know it.
Then look out there is the offshore Killer whale which is another one that is going to come up. The offshore feeds on sharks and guess what halibut, so you know where this is going. If we allow the government and the NGO's to push us around they will come after the offshore orcas as well. Then what is next transients, humpback, grey whales? This government is out of its mind. Trudeau doesn't understand he cant just keep giving it will go on and on....
Then look out there is the offshore Killer whale which is another one that is going to come up. The offshore feeds on sharks and guess what halibut, so you know where this is going. If we allow the government and the NGO's to push us around they will come after the offshore orcas as well. Then what is next transients, humpback, grey whales? This government is out of its mind. Trudeau doesn't understand he cant just keep giving it will go on and on....
IronNoggin
Well-Known Member
Some have been wondering just how long this would take you Pat.
No surprise it finally has.
Welcome to a rather long-standing club...
Notice the feigned surprise being indignantly touted by DFO.
Guess their overseer drama teacher is at least good for something...
Deadline for Comments is TOMORROW!
Spread the word folks!
Nog
Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
Just sent mine in - if you haven't already please do so!
wildmanyeah
Crew Member
Just sent mine in, With the Closure in Pender, Sooke and the Fraser I see no added benefit to closing this area. Not that there was any with the other closures
Sent mine in. Just watched CTV Van Isl news, good story on this and the SRKW, lots on the negative impact on sport fishing communities, they stated that DFO has no intention of closing more area this year and future years, would have been nice to then show the announcement, think someone if full of BS. (DFO)
HM
HM
SpringVelocity
Crew Member
Awesome Christopher thanks.
Thunder21
Well-Known Member
Has anybody thought to contact the FN bands that would be negatively affected by this and tried to get them on board? I know in Bamfield in particular the huu-ay-aht band owns businesses and they are developing some properties out there. Many of which would probably be hurt financially if something like this was implemented . If you look at Port Renfrew the natives own a large area of land on the main beach and also a marina up the river that would definitely see a huge financial loss if fisherman didn't show up . Secret beach out in Toquart also comes to mind. I'm sure there are many others in the Ucluelet area that would also feel the pain. The FN have a lot of power these days and the last thing the government wants is to put them out of work and disrupt the reconciliation program. Just a thought ...
searun
Well-Known Member
Yes, just in a meeting with FN's, Commercial Trollers, Rec, a Regional District elected representative, and MP Gord Johns along with DFO. We heard about the SARA process, timelines and how the SARA process was distinctly disconnected from the IMFP process which sets fishing plans (and restrictions). There will be NO management measures put in place in 2018.
The current 30 day consultation process is to alert impacted stakeholders of the SARA process and invite an external review to provide input into the proposal that would be initiated formally under SARA. Once they gather in the input from this 30 day review, it will form the basis for the formal SARA public input process which is an across Canada process for 60 days (online only) where the public can comment. That would start in August or September timeframe depending on when they can summarize the input received. The input from this formal SARA 60 day process once closed is then formally summarized and within 30 days they make a determination as to including the new proposed areas under the SARA Recovery Plan....then comes the fun bit. They have 180 days under the SARA process to put in legally binding recovery plans. That's where we would see things added to the IMFP and management measures (whatever they will be). That can be anything from nothing, to what we have seen for example in Area 20 (Fin Fish closures).
I was impressed at the level of traditional and local knowledge each of the groups who participated in the call today brought to the table. Some of the commercial trollers for example had over 50 years experience fishing LaPerouse, and commented that they rarely encounter Resident Killer Whales (maybe 2 times/season). FN's also commented that they did not see any reference to inclusion of traditional knowledge added to the CSAS scientific paper being used to designate these areas as Critical Habitat. Rec observations were very similar to the commercial trollers.
The common thread was everyone questioned the poorly documented science DFO is using to designate this area as critical habitat. Asked if there was any possible way the process could be slowed down and more public meetings planned - the answer was there are currently no plans for that - perhaps they will reconsider - to be fair, there was a lot of push back today that DFO will need to ponder, perhaps they may change their current thinking on this. Lets hope. It appears however based on the responses that DFO is not applying weight to the traditional or local knowledge shared in our meeting, instead relying on a science paper that is completely full of assumptions and no documented acoustic monitoring for LaPerouse and other areas under consideration. In other words, they have nothing to scientifically support their conclusions, and yet still shared with us they heard nothing in the meeting or feedback received thus far that would cause them to shift their view or perhaps step back to conduct further scientific study or review prior to entering into the formal SARA process.
Hopefully there will be meaningful consideration of traditional and local knowledge, and willingness to step back for a moment considering the significant socio-economic ramifications this SARA designation brings to small coastal communities and their economies. This is a big deal. What happened in Area 20 is a big deal, and based on our experience we must be cautious given the last go around.
OldBlackDog
Well-Known Member
. It appears however based on the responses that DFO is not applying weight to the traditional or local knowledge shared in ourmeeting, instead relying on a science paper that is completely full of assumptions and no documented acousticmonitoring for LaPerouse and other areas under consideration. In other words, they have nothing to scientificallysupport their conclusions, and yet still shared with us they heard nothing in the meeting or feedback received thus far that would cause them to shift their view or perhaps step back to conduct further scientific study or review prior toentering into the formal SARA process.
I see that the Greens were not in your meeting?
As noted in other meetings presently being held for example the MPA’s , they are in meetings that are at a much higher level than this one.
They the Greens hold the high ground and appear to be controlling DFO on this file and a couple of more being moved through the system.
As you note the Mayors and all the regional politicians need to be brought into the discussions.
The SFI should contact all of them and bring them up to date with the facts.
Presently they do not know anything and anything they do know is provided by the press/Greens.
This is a political war, not scientific and we need to get the politicians involved at the level that will get hurt.
There needs to be a paper written by science that shows how the Greens science is crap and what really needs to happen to save the whales.
I see that the Greens were not in your meeting?
As noted in other meetings presently being held for example the MPA’s , they are in meetings that are at a much higher level than this one.
They the Greens hold the high ground and appear to be controlling DFO on this file and a couple of more being moved through the system.
As you note the Mayors and all the regional politicians need to be brought into the discussions.
The SFI should contact all of them and bring them up to date with the facts.
Presently they do not know anything and anything they do know is provided by the press/Greens.
This is a political war, not scientific and we need to get the politicians involved at the level that will get hurt.
There needs to be a paper written by science that shows how the Greens science is crap and what really needs to happen to save the whales.
Tsquared
Well-Known Member
This is a letter I sent to the TC which is now on their website, I don’t know if it made it to print or not.
T2
Island towns fearful over fishing closure,” July 8.
I want to address the phrase: “Scientists have identified La Perouse and Swiftsure banks as critical areas for killer whales.” In a recent radio interview regarding the underwater listening stations targeting killer whales, a Department of Fisheries and Oceans official admitted they don’t really know where these pods spend the bulk of their time, and that the department’s time on the water in these areas has been limited.
They want to put these listening stations in the water to get a better idea of what actually happens there. The inference is: They are guessing that La Perouse and Swiftsure are critical to these whales.
I spent almost 10 years as a commercial salmon troller fishing those banks during the 1980s, working, sleeping at anchor and observing the ocean around our vessel. Our season was almost six months long, and we would go out for 10-day trips, returning to Ucluelet or Tofino or Bamfield or Victoria to sell our catch.
I honestly don’t recall seeing killer whales on La Perouse at all, and I’m not sure about Swiftsure. To close these areas based on a guess, without asking the people who have spent the most time out there about their observations, is wrong.
The need to address the decline of chinook stocks is critical, but regulation alone will not get it done. The federal government needs to spend real money to achieve real results in terms of hatchery fish production, as opposed to cheap closures that cost nothing and achieve nothing.
Tom Thorson
Victoria
T2
Island towns fearful over fishing closure,” July 8.
I want to address the phrase: “Scientists have identified La Perouse and Swiftsure banks as critical areas for killer whales.” In a recent radio interview regarding the underwater listening stations targeting killer whales, a Department of Fisheries and Oceans official admitted they don’t really know where these pods spend the bulk of their time, and that the department’s time on the water in these areas has been limited.
They want to put these listening stations in the water to get a better idea of what actually happens there. The inference is: They are guessing that La Perouse and Swiftsure are critical to these whales.
I spent almost 10 years as a commercial salmon troller fishing those banks during the 1980s, working, sleeping at anchor and observing the ocean around our vessel. Our season was almost six months long, and we would go out for 10-day trips, returning to Ucluelet or Tofino or Bamfield or Victoria to sell our catch.
I honestly don’t recall seeing killer whales on La Perouse at all, and I’m not sure about Swiftsure. To close these areas based on a guess, without asking the people who have spent the most time out there about their observations, is wrong.
The need to address the decline of chinook stocks is critical, but regulation alone will not get it done. The federal government needs to spend real money to achieve real results in terms of hatchery fish production, as opposed to cheap closures that cost nothing and achieve nothing.
Tom Thorson
Victoria
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