Delayed Opening of Halibut

[yammy5]

Category(s):
RECREATIONAL - Fin Fish (Other than Salmon)

Fishery Notice - Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Subject: FN0044-Halibut: All Tidal Waters - Delayed Opening of Recreational Fishery

Fishing for halibut will remain closed effective 00:01 February 1 to 29, 2008.
The fishery will open March 1, 2008.

The assessment for Pacific halibut is conducted annually by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) which is provided at the January 2008 IPHC annual general meeting. Results from this meeting indicated that the biomass of older halibut or the exploitable biomass was continuing to decline. They concluded that a reduction in harvest rate was necessary to provide the optimal combination of harvest and to ensure viable spawning biomass for the future.

Therefore, the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for Canada will be reduced from 11.4 million lbs in 2007 to 9 million lbs for 2008.

This situation will require changes to the recreational fishery in order to stay within domestic allocations.

DFO has been working in consultation with the SFAB to develop management options for 2008. Consultations and decisions are still underway. In order to complete the necessary consultation requirements and avoid in season changes to the recreational fishery, the opening date will be delayed.

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Does anybody fish for hali's in February anyway? Either way, good call.

 

[Mr. Dean]

quote:Originally posted by SerengetiGuide

Does anybody fish for hali's in February anyway? Either way, good call.

Disagree....

Any/all adjustments should be made to the commercal quota's, not ours.

 

[Rum Buddies]

its a ridiculous move - how many halis really come into sport boats in February anyway? Not enough to matter IMO, I'm with Mr. Dean - the commercial sector has a much bigger portion of the catch and thus are better suited to absorb any reductions.

 

[Sitkaspruce]

IMO if we say it is OK to change anything, we also agree to allow it to be opened at anytime. We should not be happy about, whether we catch halibut at that time or not. The old give an inch, take a mile analogy come to mind.

SS

 

[SerengetiGuide]

quote:Originally posted by Mr. Dean

quote:Originally posted by SerengetiGuide

Does anybody fish for hali's in February anyway? Either way, good call.

Disagree....

Any/all adjustments should be made to the commercal quota's, not ours.

I meant in the sense that it doesn't need to be open in February anyway....not that the recreational sector is being attacked. And good point SS! Most definitely should be the commercial sector.

 

[drmadcow]

I don't think taking it from the commercial quota is that practical, what they need to do is put in place a quota system for charters, and a yearly license limit for sports fishers. I'd be all for them reintroduce something similar to the old salmon tags that could only be used once, then giving halibut charters a certain number a year of them.

Right now anyone and their dog can be a charter, theres very little regulation, and some of these boats will come back with 20+ fish per trip. Not only that but American charters if they buy the licenses can also fish in our water, several will make the run all the way to Swiftsure bank.

Anyone who has fished in Uclulet has seen these charter boats come in, and the average fish size is now under 20 pounds!

As some one who does this as a food fishery if I can only catch 1 fish per trip, and have that fish be under 3 feet long (under 30 pounds) I might as well buy the fish in the store with the price of gas.

 

[Mr. Dean]

As enthusiests, we need to be VERY careful in which way we stick our noses into the wind. If there's a TRUE concern about age populations, then lets focus on the reasons why and not just roll over on our rites.

Frankly I'm tired of being used as a band-Aid for ensuring a commercial catch.

FYI.
There's an excellent, multi page article in the recent Outdoor Edge, by the Pres. of the BCWF, discussing OUR rights to the fishery WITH government examles of this AND examples of them ignoring these RITES.

 

[Mr. Dean]

quote:As some one who does this as a food fishery if I can only catch 1 fish per trip, and have that fish be under 3 feet long (under 30 pounds) I might as well buy the fish in the store with the price of gas.

And if thats how it goes, you just lost out on your rite.

I'm all for restricting non-resi's, but not on fellow Canadians rites to access it (guy's from back east...). They Charter too!

 

[drmadcow]

quote:
I'm all for restricting non-resi's, but not on fellow Canadians rites to access it (guy's from back east...). They Charter too!

I have nothing against Charters, but in all honest they are not Sports fishers. Their industry should have regulations and quotes as their a commercial fishery as well, just in a different manner.

Daryl Quenet

 

[Mr. Dean]

quote:I have nothing against Charters, but in all honest they are not Sports fishers. Their industry should have regulations and quotes as their a commercial fishery as well, just in a different manner.

Daryl Quenet

Not a good road to go down IMO...

All Canadians share the same rites.
Putting restrictions on non-resi licenses would ensure that Joe Fish from Kelowna, wouldn't be discriminated by being forced to work under a different system as the rest of us, because he needs</u> to hire a charter.

Joe Fish is no different than you or I...
He just doesn't own a boat.

 

[Always Learnin]

So - is it official that the season is not going to open till March 1? Is it official that it will open then? Also - I read in this thread that there will be a size limit - I saw something about 90 cm. is there any truth to that?

Also - have you all voiced your solutions and concerns? Is there a valid platform for that where you are really being heard? Or is some non-fisherman behind a desk making an arbitrary decision on this???

 

[chris73]

I hear you Mr. Dean and I agree...

 

[porcupine]

Does anybody fish halibut In February? YES THEY DO!

Here is the February 2007 leaderboard from Island Outfitters in victoria




Island Outfitters Leader Board – 2007

Halibut



1) 85.3 lbs. – Bruce Lowden – Constance Bank – Herring - February 11 th

2) 70.9 lbs. – Al Zaalberg – Oak Bay – Herring - February 26th

3) 61.4 lbs. – Bob Quenet – Constance Bank – Herring - February 10th

4) 64.7 lbs. – Daryl Quenet – Constance Bank – Herring - February 10th

5) 54.0 lbs. – Leo Fries - Constance Bank – Herring - February 13th

 

[Gypseas]

Daaaammmn!!!
I was really looking forward to Friday off

Bummer

Guess I'm going salmon fishing.
cheers

 

[salmon9]

Sport fishers have money invested in this halibut fishery, Charter boat operators have more money invested in halibut fishery, and commercial fleet (and fish processors and distributors) have many many times more money investigated. Fortunately, I don't state my life earnings on this any longer and I don't mind reducing my catch to improve the state of the fishery (even if someone else is killing more than my share). Commercial, charter boat operators and sport fisherman all need to treat the resource responsibly and stop pointing fingers or we will see even more closures. I would rather see smaller catch limits, size limits, and annual limits than closures. Sport fishing isn't all about the amount of fish you kill.

 

[walleyes]

quote:Sport fishing isn't all about the amount of fish you kill.

X2 salmon9,, I would gladly take home a couple a year for myself if I still had the chance to enjoy fishing and catching a few...

 

[Kildonan]

quote:Originally posted by salmon9


Sport fishing isn't all about the amount of fish you kill.

Exactly, kill what you</u> will eat, not what you give away and/or use as crab bait after it's freezer burned. Nothing wrong with killing, just kill responsibly. How much can you eat in a year? Just common sense.

 

[porcupine]

Remember, this is NOT a conservation issue for the species, just a battle for control and share of the catch.

 

[Tailspin]

Looks like the calm before the storm to me. What will next year bring? Less alocation again to the rec boyz i tend to think. A bit of a patern developing here by IPHC's nunbers of who eats of of the plate and how much.[xx(]