Early Halibut Opening

[Gong Show]

It is a tough one to get unity on. Rec anglers, local guides and big lodges all have different agendas and want what is best for their user group. We love to fight amongst ourselves.
If it were a conservation issue we may be able to agree but this is an allocation issue. We need to focus on that. How can we get back the quota being held by private owners and move it to those who want to fish it? I hate the idea of buying it back but also hate the idea of never ending lease. Experimental Lease Program is not a sustainable solution.

DFO has a very colonial management system.

They design the system so that user groups are all in competition with each other and among themselves.
Area licencing for the commercials was a great step in getting gear types to fight internally.
Somehow DFO can manage to split up the commercial fleet into many geographical areas, but cannot do the same for recreational halibut?

There is no unity in the user groups, since the season is so short, we start fighting for the next season before the current one ends.

 

[SpringVelocity]

View attachment 115338 let the herding of cats begin

Yeah its pretty bad. Like watching a Bravehart movie.

 

[wildmanyeah]

DFO has a very colonial management system.

They design the system so that user groups are all in competition with each other and among themselves.
Area licencing for the commercials was a great step in getting gear types to fight internally.
Somehow DFO can manage to split up the commercial fleet into many geographical areas, but cannot do the same for recreational halibut?

There is no unity in the user groups, since the season is so short, we start fighting for the next season before the current one ends.

anything can be done but as Elon says we have a bureaucracy not a democracy

 

[Whole in the Water]

 

[Newf]

View attachment 115347

No posts by anyone since "Whole in the Water " posted this one. I'll go since I've often posted something stupid so I have a question on the following post

It is a tough one to get unity on. Rec anglers, local guides and big lodges all have different agendas and want what is best for their user group. We love to fight amongst ourselves.
If it were a conservation issue we may be able to agree but this is an allocation issue. We need to focus on that. How can we get back the quota being held by private owners and move it to those who want to fish it? I hate the idea of buying it back but also hate the idea of never ending lease. Experimental Lease Program is not a sustainable solution.

From the post above. If it were a conservation issue we may be able to agree but this is an allocation issue.
Isn't the overall cuts in the quota (commercial and Rec) directly related to a conservation issue or in other words, the need to maintain a sustainable fishery? No doubt we can argue if the 15/85 split is fair or not but from what I've read online, according to the data that's used the spawning biomass is at a 40 year low. I'm not knowledgeable enough to comment on the economic benefit of pound for pound with Commercial versus Recreational but my biggest fear is that with the known mismanagement of fisheries in the past by DFO we may not have a fishery at all in a few years if the biomass stays on this trend. Maybe I've misinterpreted what I've read on the matter.

IPHC Cuts Coastwide Commercial Halibut Catch By 18% – Fishermens News

fishermensnews.com

 

[Capt_Ed]

No posts by anyone since "Whole in the Water " posted this one. I'll go since I've often posted something stupid so I have a question on the following post

From the post above. If it were a conservation issue we may be able to agree but this is an allocation issue.
Isn't the overall cuts in the quota (commercial and Rec) directly related to a conservation issue or in other words, the need to maintain a sustainable fishery? No doubt we can argue if the 15/85 split is fair or not but from what I've read online, according to the data that's used the spawning biomass is at a 40 year low. I'm not knowledgeable enough to comment on the economic benefit of pound for pound with Commercial versus Recreational but my biggest fear is that with the known mismanagement of fisheries in the past by DFO we may not have a fishery at all in a few years if the biomass stays on this trend. Maybe I've misinterpreted what I've read on the matter.

IPHC Cuts Coastwide Commercial Halibut Catch By 18% – Fishermens News

fishermensnews.com

You are correct, finally someone gets it

 

[ziggy]

From my perspective the real problem is the quota held by non fishing, former fishermen. Where else do you get to lease out something that belongs to all of us. People have been profiting off this since the 70’s, so 50 years of free money is enough. This makes things tough on actual commercial fishermen who have to lease the quota as well as public fishers who can’t fish it. We and the commercial fishers should agree that this leased quota need to be returned for reallocation.

 

[Old Blue]

From my perspective the real problem is the quota held by non fishing, former fishermen. Where else do you get to lease out something that belongs to all of us. People have been profiting off this since the 70’s, so 50 years of free money is enough. This makes things tough on actual commercial fishermen who have to lease the quota as well as public fishers who can’t fish it. We and the commercial fishers should agree that this leased quota need to be returned for reallocation.

Pretty much it's a 1 man problem and we all know that mans name. Hopefully when he dies which at his age can't be too far off the corporation/trust sells off the assets or better yet he gifts it back to the people but I wouldn't hold my breathe on that scenario.

 

[ziggy]

Pretty much it's a 1 man problem and we all know that mans name. Hopefully when he dies which at his age can't be too far off the corporation/trust sells off the assets or better yet he gifts it back to the people but I wouldn't hold my breathe on that scenario.

I think his quota is all fished, but I could be wrong? My concern is for all the individuals that lease out their quota and haven’t fished it for decades!
This article says 15% is owned by active fishers

Fight over West Coast fishing licences and quota resurfaces at federal committee

Commons committee told West Coast fisheries increasing corporate controlled, while policies prevent that on the East Coast

vancouversun.com

 

[Salmonslayer1992]

Pretty much it's a 1 man problem and we all know that mans name. Hopefully when he dies which at his age can't be too far off the corporation/trust sells off the assets or better yet he gifts it back to the people but I wouldn't hold my breathe on that scenario.

Pattinson?

 

[Salmonslayer1992]

Pattinson?

Right figured, read the above article. I was on a Gillnet boat 25 years ago and pink salmon was 15 cents a lb. My skipper was pissed, you can’t buy peanuts for that. All the boats were on the radio all day hating on Pattinson, saying he owned the fleet and the buyers, so he set the prices, owned everything. It’s pretty sad what’s happened to all the commercial fishing community’s, used to be good money and good opportunities for all involved to prosper, has now gone to complete *hit!

 

[Capt_Ed]

From my perspective the real problem is the quota held by non fishing, former fishermen. Where else do you get to lease out something that belongs to all of us. People have been profiting off this since the 70’s, so 50 years of free money is enough. This makes things tough on actual commercial fishermen who have to lease the quota as well as public fishers who can’t fish it. We and the commercial fishers should agree that this leased quota need to be returned for reallocation.

Commercial quotas came out in the very late 80's.

 

[Cookie's Cutter]

From my perspective the real problem is the quota held by non fishing, former fishermen. Where else do you get to lease out something that belongs to all of us. People have been profiting off this since the 70’s, so 50 years of free money is enough. This makes things tough on actual commercial fishermen who have to lease the quota as well as public fishers who can’t fish it. We and the commercial fishers should agree that this leased quota need to be returned for reallocation.

Who is forcing people to buy quotas?

 

[ziggy]

Who is forcing people to buy quotas?

Better to ask who is selling quota and how do they happen to own it and why?

 

[ziggy]

Commercial quotas came out in the very late 80's.

I stand corrected I assumed the quotas were based on the 1979 intro of L licenses to determine future quota.

The separate halibut limited ‘L’ licence was established in 1979, based on catch history in 1977 and 1978, with 435 ‘L’ licences created.

 

[Gong Show]

Selling quota is not the big issue.

It is the slipper skippers who are leasing the quota, that are the issue.

If quota had to be fished by the owner, there would be no slipper skippers.

 

[IronNoggin]

If quota had to be fished by the owner, there would be no slipper skippers.

Interestingly enough, DFO forces East Coast Commercial fishermen to use it or lose it (they MUST fish their quota or it is taken from them).

They have the exact opposite stance out here in the west...

 

[Cookie's Cutter]

Better to ask who is selling quota and how do they happen to own it and why

You guys are so off topic it is incredible. Commercial fisherman leasing their quotas has no effect on how much fish recreational anglers can catch.

 

[Whole in the Water]

Other than the fact the the Canadian Halibut TAC needs to move from 85/15% commercial/recreational sector split to 75/25% to get much more money into the BC economy than the current allocation does (i.e. the rec sector generates much more $ per pound to the economy then the commercial sector).

In addition, if the commercial sector does not fish their whole quota then can roll it over into the next, but the recreational sector cannot - another factor why we need to change this illogical and unfair halibut allocation.

Time for DFO to wake up on this issue and start better supporting the recreational/public fishery for the benefit of all Canadians and our local economies!!

 

[ziggy]

Interestingly enough, DFO forces East Coast Commercial fishermen to use it or lose it (they MUST fish their quota or it is taken from them).

They have the exact opposite stance out here in the west...

That’s the way it should be and I think that was intended, but instead leasing and selling became the norm.