Halibut: Bad News

[IronNoggin]

Fisheries and Oceans Canada




February 17, 2012 15:10 ET
[h=1]Greater Certainty in the Pacific Halibut Fishery[/h]
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Feb. 17, 2012) - The Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, made an announcement today that will provide greater long-term certainty to the Pacific halibut fishery.
"Our government is making good on a commitment to provide greater long-term certainty in the Pacific halibut fishery for First Nations, commercial and recreational harvesters, and, most importantly encouraging jobs and economic growth in British Columbia," said Minister Ashfield.


Based on a thorough review process conducted by Parliamentary Secretary Randy Kamp involving First Nations, commercial and recreational sectors, and the province of British Columbia, the Minister has instructed the Department to make an immediate correction in the allocation formula for the Pacific halibut fishery. Under the new formula, 85% of the resource will be allocated to the commercial sector and 15% to the recreational sector.


"I want to express my appreciation for Randy Kamp's dedication to finding a solution that strikes a fair balance between the sectors and establishes a stable environment for the future," added Minister Ashfield.


The experimental licence introduced last year, which allowed recreational harvesters to lease Pacific halibut quota from commercial harvesters based on market value, will continue to be available. Improvements to the program will be made, reflecting feedback received from 2011 participants. Fisheries and Oceans Canada will move forward with regulatory changes to continue this market-based transfer mechanism for the long term.


The 2012 Pacific halibut recreational fishing season will open March 1[SUP]st[/SUP]. Recreational anglers with a tidal water licence will be able to catch one halibut per day with two in possession. Fisheries and Oceans Canada will continue to work with recreational community representatives to identify monitoring and management measures that will provide greatest flexibility and season length while staying within their allocation.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada will continue to work with First Nations to ensure priority access for Food, Social and Ceremonial purposes, and to engage First Nations in pursuing opportunities for commercial access to halibut through existing aboriginal programs.
All participants and sectors have a shared responsibility for the conservation, stewardship and careful harvest of Pacific halibut and this will continue to be a priority for Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/greater-certainty-in-the-pacific-halibut-fishery-1621493.htm

Seems they simply don't Effing Get It!!!

 

[Jencourt]

And there it is!!!. So the allocation stays horribly skewed and to top it off pressure on the IPHC led to a higher than recommended TAC. I wonder who the winner is here?

If anyone thinks 3 percent makes us winners then I guess I do not get it. Oh and I would ask as to where did the 3 percent come from. Who actually out there in the slipper skipper side is really going to have less quota to lease this year than they would have if it stayed at 88/12?

Smoke and mirrors,funny number play ,whatever. I see that nothing has changed and the fight should grow stronger not DIE.

 

[spring fever]

I must not get it. I realize there is no tracking mechanism, and we are still at 1 and 2 possesion but at least we have moved up to 15%and 85% share allocation. I realize this is not the perfect solution but it does at least show that the old 12/88 is not immovable. I can see with no counting mechanism in place we are still at the mercy of DFO's voodoo math-however all the bitching and representations made-show that we can get the goal posts moved a little. Rome was not built in a day and some progress appears to have been made. I will now go and put on my tin helmet and wait to be shyt on!

 

[Whole in the Water]

Seems they simply don't Effing Get It!!! You can say that again IronNoggin!!!

So they don't increase the possession limits and give rec. sector only a measely 3% - You've got to be freak'n kidding!!!!!!!!!!!! They have yet again caved into the big monied interests who own the halibut quota's.

It time for us sporties, lodges, guides and dependant small businesses & communities to rally and let them know that this is not good enough!!!

 

[Enniberg]

+1 on what spring fever says on this one.

Many of you guys know so much more about this than I do, so I realize I may be wrong, but it does indeed look like the goal posts have at least moved in our favor, proving that change is possible, so I see the glass half full - at least for now.

 

[scott craven]

Maybe i don't get it either, but 15% is better than 12% in my books
did you really expect 20% ??
I 'd say this is a step in the right direction.
At least Ashfield listened which is better than Shea did.

 

[Jencourt]

I appreciate the positive out look .It can definitely be looked at as a small step in the right direction.I know that is how they want us to feel (grateful).

I wish my glass could be "Half full" on this one ,but it is not. It has been way to obvious to me for too long that we would see this kind of thing happen and sadly I am very sure that although on paper a change has been made,there really in actuality has been no change.That is partly why it came as no surprise that a little pressure was applied to get the TAC raised. No problem has been solved. Until they address the most fundamental issue in all of this,any token "looks good on them"change made will do little to nothing and come at a cost to the fish . As long as the sport sector looks at this from only the stand point of how much percent do we get and how many can i keep we will never see security in the resource nor have confidence in its ability to remain sustainable.

 

[Sculpin]

Maybe i don't get it either, but 15% is better than 12% in my books
did you really expect 20% ??
I 'd say this is a step in the right direction.
At least Ashfield listened which is better than Shea did.

What r.s, springtime, and Enniberg have said. It is a step in the right direction and someone sort of listened.

I don't like the continuation of the experimental buy quota program. For the long term........?

 

[scott craven]

I agree, this year it won't make much difference but in times of abundance when the TAC is larger
it should have a positive effect.
I would get used to the 1 per day, 2 possesion.
IMHO we will never to go back to 2 per day 3 possesion.

 

[bananas]

I know it's not a reasonable answer but at least it shows they will bend. My hats off to Rob and Martin for there Endless work on our behalf!!!

 

[Tailspin]

There is still a massive Grey Area on season lengths.

Strikes in the general direction of a fair balance, but not nearly close enough. Bets we still see a early closure based on the 2012 reduction in TAC.

Hard to believe they are keeping the experimental quota going.

Croc of **** but a slight move in the right direction.

 

[Derby]

I guess after not hearing anything on Thursday it wasn't going to be all good...everything out of Ottawa on a Friday usually gives Ottawa the weekend to run and hide.....

 

[hud52]

Yes, I agree that Rome wasn't built in a day, and I view this change as a small victory for us. Let them know they are moving in the right direction, but haven't gone nearly far enough.

 

[Jencourt]

My hats off to Rob and Martin for there Endless work on our behalf!!!

X2 on this. Amongst all my doom and gloom I tend to fail to accnkowlage this as often as I should.

 

[IronNoggin]

From The Coalition:

We acknowledge that the Government has increased the recreational allocation but it is the very model for allocation that is the problem. Clearly they still do not understand the impact of uncertainty on the Recreational Sector or understand the significant contribution that we make to the British Columbia economy.

They titled their press release "Greater Certainty in the Pacific Halibut Fishery" but it is obvious that they do not understand the importance of Certainty and Stability combined with Expectation and Opportunity in the Recreational Fishery in B.C.

Our efforts (over the past 3 years) to inform fisheries on the minimum requirements of the recreational fishery, have fallen on deaf ears.

We clearly informed fisheries that the current "allocation model" itself was unfair and did not address the best use of a common property resource.

They rejected our call for a fixed number solution that would have provided real stability for the recreational sector during periods of low abundance and tremendous benefits to the commercial sector during periods of high abundance.

It does not provide stability for the guides and charter boaters in B.C.'s small communities up and means their season will likely end in mid-August.

They did not address the "No Is-Season Closure Issue" and based on this year's TAC, Recreational halibut fishing will likely shut down in early August…three weeks earlier than it did last year.

While they changed the allocation formula, they remain committed to an unfair model that primarily benefits the 200 or so commercial halibut quota holders who were gifted their quota and do not actually fish for halibut.

The decision simply confirms that in DFO’s eyes, halibut is not a common-property resource owned by Canadians, but a private resource owned by 436 individuals.

Mr. Harper came to the Island days before the last election and made a promise to implement a solution to the halibut issue that was fair to everyone. He did not live up to that promise in our view.

This will create a gold-rush mentality that the quota fishery sought to end and encourage recreational halibut fishers to fish early during dangerous weather rather than waiting for the calm waters of July, August and September.

Not only Unfair, but ILLEGAL as pointed out by our own Supreme Court!
I guess The Dino figures itself to be above all of that?

 

[lorneparker1]

For the peole that "dont get it". the probelm IMO with with the 15% is its a smoke and mirriors show. Our possesion/catch is still the same. Our start time is the same. Whats changed? NOTHING! They could have told us it was 20% and everyone would have been super stoked. Thats until they shut us down right after labour day. the "percentage" IMO means sweet FA until they can properly count what we catch.

 

[scott craven]

We simply had it too good for too long. every user group has hammered the resource and this doesn't pertain only to Halibut.
You only have to look south of the border in Washington where they are lucky to get 2-or 3 weeks of fishing.

 

[Whole in the Water]

"My hats off to Rob and Martin for there Endless work on our behalf!!!"

X3 for me. Thanks guys!

"Not only Unfair, but ILLEGAL as pointed out by our own Supreme Court!
I guess The Dino figures itself to be above all of that?"

I agree with you IronNoggin. IMO The only way this will change is if we take DFO to court, like was just done re. protecting the Orca's. It worked for the environmentalists and it could work for us. We just need to rform some good alliances and raise the $ to do it.

 

[Last Chance]

It is a step in the right direction. There are a lot of people working very hard on this problem, I should add, on their own time with little to no compensation to themselves. It's a step in the right direction.

 

[Jencourt]

from the coalition:


the decision simply confirms that in dfo’s eyes, halibut is not a common-property resource owned by canadians, but a private resource owned by 436 individuals.

fundamental issue!!!!!!!!!!!!!