Haida Gwaii-2019 Commercial Sports Fishery Full Swing

[SpringVelocity]

Actually I think the South is the Canary in the Coal mine for The Northern Fishery. Once the ENGO’s get their way in one area, they generally move on to the next. It’ll be no surprise to hear the argument being used by these same ENGO’s that the results of the closure warrant further closures. This will be made regardless of success, failure or the more than likely lack of info from the current closure

Next year it will be hard to argue with FN against a closure until all their needs are met now a precedent has been set. The closing of the fishery in the south that isn’t even part of the Fraser run should be concerning to people wherever they Fish. Clearly DFO believes the closure should encompass all stocks even another countries, so how do you argue that the North should be exempt?

I’m not wishing closure on anyone, just stating that it’s pretty clear where this is all headed. If you’re not subject to closure now, it’s coming. Any pressure on those impacted in the south to be quiet and accept their fate so as not to jeopardize other areas is IMO a very poor tactic. The weak reasons DFO is throwing out need to be challenged and exposed and that won’t happen if a large number of fishers are muzzled for fear of causing other fishers problems. Divide and Conquer, being quiet is akin to being conquered.

Really. Divide and conquer? I seem to remember being shut out with Cowichan restrictions while the south in Victoria and Sooke was wide open for years. Not one of our anglers around cow bay brought it up. We did that because we wanted the option to take our boats down there if we couldn't fish here. Even though your data indicates you do intercept them from time to time. None cared about cowichan because that was past malahat sign. Now you want a violin to play for you because your closed. Well guess what we all are closed all the way to hardy. All in same boat.

There is no way in hell any of our reps are going to push for more restrictions on other areas over something that is political. I personally want an option to fish other areas and not a closed down fishery. Just my view.

 

[ziggy]

Not sure about your argument but my position is just because south coast got thrown under the bus we should not vote for north coast to come join us.

Yeah, you’ve totally missed my points.

 

[ziggy]

Really. Divide and conquer? I seem to remember being shut out with Cowichan restrictions while the south in Victoria and Sooke was wide open for years. Not one of our anglers around cow bay brought it up. We did that because we wanted the option to take our boats down there if we couldn't fish here. Even though your data indicates you do intercept them from time to time. None cared about cowichan because that was past malahat sign. Now you want a violin to play for you because your closed. Well guess what we all are closed all the way to hardy. All in same boat.

There is no way in hell any of our reps are going to push for more restrictions on other areas over something that is political. I personally want an option to fish other areas and not a closed down fishery. Just my view.

Not sure who the We is you are speaking for? Are you representing and speaking for some organization? All I can say is things sure worked out awesome, I fish out of Sidney and look where bending over and taking it got us. Hope you aren’t thinking your restraint accomplished anything? And thanks pal but I don’t need a violin when I can listen to you being played like a fiddle.

 

[SpringVelocity]

Awesome I fish out of Sidney and look where bending over and taking it got us. Hope you aren’t thinking your restraint accomplished anything? And thanks pal but I don’t need a violin when I can listen to you being played like a fiddle.

If you think people bent over and took it then you have a lot too learn about what happened.

I saw none of that. We are lucky to even have areas open frankly. So much work went into saving what we have. As the area sfab 17 secretary and co chair I can tell you lots of people fought for your area. Not one bent over and accepted things. We are all disappointed.

Please tell us how you would have done things differently. I am all ears.

I still don't know how closing other areas makes everything right.

 

[wildmanyeah]

I think the cowichan opening would help that area immensely, however there is a large amount of people that don't want to see that happen.

We should be finding ways to expand our fisheries and max our quotas. You don’t see any other sector whining about ways to reduce themselves.

 

[calmsea]

If you think people bent over and took it then you have a lot too learn about what happened.

I saw none of that. We are lucky to even have areas open frankly. So much work went into saving what we have. As the area sfab 17 secretary and co chair I can tell you lots of people fought for your area. Not one bent over and accepted things. We are all disappointed.

Please tell us how you would have done things differently. I am all ears.

I still don't know how closing other areas makes everything right.

It is just as stupid to ask for closures of other fishing areas than last year's calls to ban whale watchers from entering the non-fishing zone past Otter Point in Sooke! As if punishing the whale watchers would have gained us fishermen even an inch! Quite contrary, pissing off whale watchers that also fund a lot of salmon restoration projects is not helpful. Banding together as many allies as possible make good sense though.

 

[SerengetiGuide]

I think the cowichan opening would help that area immensely, however there is a large amount of people that don't want to see that happen.

We should be finding ways to expand our fisheries and max our quotas. You don’t see any other sector whining about ways to reduce themselves.

Nailed it

 

[Ruff]

1. You guys down south seem to forget that the north coast got hit with closures and reductions last year. No one batted an eye last year when the North coast economy took a huge hit due to cancellations both on the salt and freshwater fisheries. Everything is good until the closures hit "my backyard" right?
2.These "rich" folks who are patrons of the lodges are mostly working class guys being treated to a bonus by their company for a good years work. Or course there are exceptions but dont think that these guys going to lodges are all millionaires!
3. Most of the fish targeted by Charlotte fisheries are Columbia and Southern US fish. The reason you guys down south are shut down is to protect Fraser River chinook which are not the fish these anglers are targeting. DFO is also trying (apparently unsuccessfuly) to keep Aboriginal nets out of the water.


If you dont understand, @Dogbreath is right, you havent been paying attention.

 

[scott craven]

1. You guys down south seem to forget that the north coast got hit with closures and reductions last year. No one batted an eye last year when the North coast economy took a huge hit due to cancellations both on the salt and freshwater fisheries. Everything is good until the closures hit "my backyard" right?

Wrong, we have been impacted by closures for over 10 years in the south.
just by your admission that there were closures in the North makes it obvious
that Chinook populations are struggling there also.
Other wise there wouldn't be a closure , right ?

 

[Rockfish]

1. You guys down south seem to forget that the north coast got hit with closures and reductions last year. No one batted an eye last year when the North coast economy took a huge hit due to cancellations both on the salt and freshwater fisheries. Everything is good until the closures hit "my backyard" right?
2.These "rich" folks who are patrons of the lodges are mostly working class guys being treated to a bonus by their company for a good years work. Or course there are exceptions but dont think that these guys going to lodges are all millionaires!
3. Most of the fish targeted by Charlotte fisheries are Columbia and Southern US fish. The reason you guys down south are shut down is to protect Fraser River chinook which are not the fish these anglers are targeting. DFO is also trying (apparently unsuccessfuly) to keep Aboriginal nets out of the water.


If you dont understand, @Dogbreath is right, you havent been paying attention.

I am not one of the few who are advocating for increased ocean sport restrictions up North. That said, do you really think that your post is going to win you support from anglers in the South. You would be far better off just letting those few vent a little and rejoice in how protected your area has been from restrictions over the past decade and continues to be, even with your recent hits.

1. So you got hit with ocean salmon restrictions last year that effected your economy. I empathize, but you need to realize that in the area I fish off South VI we took that huge hit a decade ago with multiple massive slot restriction that at their worst, allowed us to keep only a very small Chinook or a marked clipped Chinook, and every few year or so, have had those restriction expanded and increased. Our six month summer Chinook season where we can actually keep a large Chinook and now any Chinook has been reduced to Aug 1st to Sept 8th after which most large Chinook are past us. We have carried these burdens for years with only a little minor grumbling about fairness related to many other ocean areas. That sacrifice has helped protect your area and we have carried that burden despite a perception (correctly or not) that we did not get a lot of support from distant areas to fight it, because it did not affect you. Keep in mind that many of our restrictions are not conservation but politically appeasement based and yes having those restrictions would not have done a lot for conservation had they been implemented up North. They would, in my view, may have helped decrease the political appeasement based restrictions we faced had they been shared more provincially, so again, you are welcome.

2. I am going to refrain from commenting on this one. I will say that the interests of the large lodge commercial sport sub-sector are not always aligned with those of the resident anglers and even small independent guides, but that we are better off sticking together than squabbling within the extended family.

3. We are now not allowed to keep any Hatchery Chinook through most of our summer season which are often US Hatchery Chinook or even keep our own sport sector funded and raised hatchery Chinook because Ottawa will not let us clip them or they are simply closed. Ottawa's pathetic political rationalizations for this are truly outrageous.

 

[ziggy]

If you think people bent over and took it then you have a lot too learn about what happened.

I saw none of that. We are lucky to even have areas open frankly. So much work went into saving what we have. As the area sfab 17 secretary and co chair I can tell you lots of people fought for your area. Not one bent over and accepted things. We are all disappointed.

Please tell us how you would have done things differently. I am all ears.

I still don't know how closing other areas makes everything right.

You seem to be taking this all very personally? I am well aware that the mandate of the SFAB is to Advise and provide feedback. As has been stated on here numerous times by members of these boards, they are there to advise, not lobby, so your group probably is doing an effective job for DFO and for that I congratulate you.

So back to your question I don’t believe SFAB could really have impacted the decision if what I’m hearing is true, so no, you couldn’t really do anything to change an already foregone conclusion .DFO was simply passing on their decision to you and perhaps leaving you to swing in the wind. I assume you were never asked which areas you preferred open or closed or offering any choice of modification. Once again not your fault.

How would I do things differently? Like I am currently! I am going to the source and questioning the logic of some of the closures. I am questioning how American fish are covered by the Canadian Constitution. I am questioning how an outboard trolling at 2.5 kts is creating a sound barrier to whales echo location when much noisier vessels are permitted to transit or occupy the “Whale Sanctuaries”. I am questioning how they measure the success or failure of the closures because one of the basics principles of science requires you prove your theory. I am questioning why some areas were hit with more stringent regulations than others ,if indeed they are on the same migration route of the salmon. I could go on but I’m sure you get the point

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Wrong, we have been impacted by closures for over 10 years in the south.
just by your admission that there were closures in the North makes it obvious
that Chinook populations are struggling there also.
Other wise there wouldn't be a closure , right ?

Brutal posts Scott. I don’t think you get it... and don’t think you understand the catch data of up north either. Posts like yours (although in the extreme minority) are fuel for dfo

 

[scott craven]

Brutal posts Scott. I don’t think you get it... and don’t think you understand the catch data of up north either. Posts like yours (although in the extreme minority) are fuel for dfo

how so ?
they read my post and create additional closures ?
Lol !

 

[SerengetiGuide]

More so they can say see, some rec fishermen support additional closures /extension. Just pure dumb. They don’t need help ****ing us over.

And the Original poster is clearly trying to stir the pot and divide us. It’s a joke to anyone who thinks it is unfair. The data shows they catch virtually no Fraser River stock of concern. Nothing to do with “rich people”.

 

[scott craven]

I hate the facking closures and surely don't support them but have had to live with them for a long time.
Then dude starts beaking off about south island getting a taste of it,
as if it's the first time we've seen it.
My whole point is that politics and money outweigh conservation issues.

 

[SerengetiGuide]

I hate the facking closures and surely don't support them but have had to live with them for a long time.
Then dude starts beaking off about south island getting a taste of it,
as if it's the first time we've seen it.
My whole point is that politics and money outweigh conservation issues.

Politics definitely do but doesn’t mean should start a North vs South war.