Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
I am sorry to say Islandgirl, that because this is a public forum, and the idea was publicly dicussed and mentioned on this forum, that it has indeed been "brought forward". Hopefully the decision makers missed it or do as they most often do - NOTHING AT ALL!
I don't believe that reducing the daily/possesion limits will do anything to "extend the season", because DFO at any moment during the season can say that the rec sector has attained their portion of the TAC and close the rec season, and there is,,, or rather will be nothing that we can do about it because we don't have any solid data to dispute how much they say we catch.
In fact reduced daily/possesion limits will do nothing to protect the biomass, as we will still try to fish to the limit of the rec TAC for the season. It will most likely reduce the number of hali clients that the guides will attain because I am sure that fewer clients will spend the extra for Hailbut excursions for less catch potential. It will however increase the openings for client bookings for the guides, but by how much? How much extra season would the DFO extend? (My guess, if they even entertained it at all, would be a month or so,,,,). I agree fully that the 2/2 or the 2/3 limits would definately do more for improving the guides businesses, drawing in more potential clients for them.
This is exactly what the DFO and the commercial sector have been hoping for and designing for several years now.
- Divide and Conquer.
- Keep reducing the rec season each year tightening the screws on us.
- Reduce the rec catch limits, each year increasing the pressure on the rec sector.
To eventually get some of us to cave in and suggest that it would be "alright" to take even futher reductions in daily/possesion limits in order to "extend" the duration of the season.
Once "we" have agreed to reduced limits, the next year the season will most likely be reduced in length again (and yes the previously accepted reduced limits will still remain in play), and the excuse that we will receive is that we "went over again on our TAC". And we will still have no way of disputing or arguing the point, because there are no real, concrete, and factual numbers to show how much Halibut we catch.
We must remain united, and not let short-sighted greed errode the whole process. We just got them to make an adjustment to the Recreational TAC, now we have to keep up the pressure, whether it is politcal or legal pressure or both. Precedent has now been set, the TAC can be adjusted, and still needs to be adjusted further to better represent the needs of the Rec sector.
My two bits.
FH
Good analysis and summary of the key issues FH. I agree with you on this. The idea is extending the season by lowering possession limits is a purely opportunistic move by some guides that will split the rec sector apart and help DFO in its divide and conquer plan to diminish sport fishing sector in the long term