Good points guys. DFO has not and doesn't really seem to give a **** about accurately accounting for the number of recreational anglers that are targeting specific species of fish, and how many of those fish we are catching. Case in point for the Chinook logs currently on our licenses, there is no requirement to report or turn in the completed logs to allow DFO the ability to account for the Chinook caught in BC waters. We need the same for halibut, and the ability to record all of the sport caught species in BC waters if it is necessary in the future.
It has been mentioned on this site before that it would not take a lot of effort for DFO to construct a data base that we all could voluntarily submit our catches (for whatever species that information is requested for).
We could all purchase our tags for the specific species that we would like to fish for.
NOW DFO WILL KNOW HOW MANY ANGLERS ARE TARGETING EACH SPECIES OF FISH! Each of these species tags would come with a log (like the Chinook logs we use now), that log would have to be filled out at the time the specific species of fish was caught, (date, time, location, size, etc,,,).
These logs are only good for fisheries officers to verify the catch that we have on hand when and if they stop us on the water or on the way home, and for us to remember what, how many, when and where we caught our fish, for (this is the part that has to change NOW!) when we enter our catch into the online data base. Make it mandatory that the data has to be entered into the data base within a set amount of time from catching the fish (3days? a week?). We would log in to our account which our license# would be attached to, and update our catch reports on a regular and current basis.
NOW DFO WOULD ACTUALLY KNOW HOW MANY AND WHAT HAS BEEN CAUGHT AND COULD THEN MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON REEEEL 
NUMBERS.
The logs and Data base could be checked and balanced by Fisheries officers in the field, and at the end of the year by DFO by means of a mandatory turn in of the logs (or no license next year). This would also cut down on the possibility of people purchasing multiple licenses (due to "lost licenses") through the year or printing multiple pages of logs (each log would have to have an ident # that would be linked to our license). When you go to get a replacement license, it would automatically fill in the data that was entered into the database previously onto the new logs, so that the replacement license would be up to date (at least within the manadatory time frame that is set, to have the log data transfered to the database). This system could be made so that it would be very dificult for someone to cheat it, and if they get caught, make the penalties steep, to keep the few dishonest people more honest.
For those that do not have a computer, the log data could be transfered to the database at say marinas, tackle stores, libraries, friends, family, hell even from a smartphone. The guides and lodges could facilitate helping or entering the data for their guests.
I am sure a model similar to this could be put into a format that is easy and fast to use.
And here we are, going into another season, and do you think that we are going to have any mechanisim like this in place to accurately account for the fish that we catch??? NOT LIKELY!
One would think that the type of data that a system like this would produce, would really help in making decisions for upcoming seasons catch limits and...wait for it... to make "sensible" resource management decisions - LOL
Thinking out loud.
Jay.
