HALIBUT REGULATION UPDATE

[Mr. Dean]

quote:Originally posted by Tuffcity

Whole in the Water:

The new hali (& lingcod & rockfish) closure is in addition to the existing Swiftsure closure. Basically it's a closure from the 12 mile limit out, but only in area 121. Clear as mud?

And to play devils advocate for a moment...

quote:the commercial sector didnt get touched

the commercial guys got cut back a little over 2 million pounds. If the rec sector does not catch their "quota" it isn't given to the commercial boats to catch. It's carried over and can be sold by the SFAB to the commercial guys- just like it was for 2 consecutive years a couple of years ago.

RC

Tuff's,
You're correct. sorta...

DFO's mandate is</u> to achieve TAC. How the transfer would be made is mute. Gone IS gone.

The rec-sector saw the same reduction as the comercials. The ruduction of TAC is felt proportionally by ALL user groups evenly. We took the same % hit as the 'Big Boys' did. Breaking down the percentage into poundage is also mute; the reduction was fairly distributed.

Yes. Guota was sold to the commercials several years back. IMO this was a LEASE and not an out right purchase. One act of benevolence should be just that; a kind thing to do. Now that we're in need of more, we shouldn't be fined.

- Just because a person pays rent and 'buys' privliges to a home, does he have say when the owner wants him out, in order for he to move in?

Us commoners we're protected by law to have access to resources that are property of the citizens. These rights were never sold off; that would be illegal also and is also protected.

The guotas should be adjusted to reflect the need of the citizens. NOT the need for corporations.

Canadian Government HAS conceded to the fact that the fishery DOES belong to the citizens 1st (read: 100% of the TAC). DFO is just confused, thinking that overly restricting us to the resource IS granting us reasonable access to it. Sniff around within the BCWF. LOTS of interesting shtuff there...

But if my fellow brethrens keep believing in the erosion of thier rights, as acceptable, then none of this will matter.

All I'm advocating here is that it SHOULD be an individuals decision on HOW he/she CHOOSES to feed their family. Restrictions should only be placed for conservational reasons, not economical ones.

 

[chris73]

Well said Mr. Dean. Amen. But welcome to reality, unfortunately.

 

[wolf]

Very well said thank you mr Dean!!!!

 

[El Pescador]

Since most of the large halibut (100 lbs and over) are breeding females, and overfishing is clearly a problem, I would like to see mandatory release of large fish for both commercial and recreational fishermen, as well as an annual limit on the sports fishing licence.

That's my story, (and I'm sticking to it).

 

[SerengetiGuide]

quote:Originally posted by El Pescador

Since most of the large halibut (100 lbs and over) are breeding females, and overfishing is clearly a problem, I would like to see mandatory release of large fish for both commercial and recreational fishermen, as well as an annual limit on the sports fishing licence.

That's my story, (and I'm sticking to it).

But won't the overfishing of the smaller ones make it so that there are less large breeding females in the future? It's kinda the chicken-egg argument.

 

[new generation]

Not going to happen El pescador,commercial boats nowadays fish multiple liscences.I used to long line myself,setting 2000 circle hooks a day.The system is based on ivg,meaning individual quota.So if a 42 foot longliner has an ivq of 20,000lbs he wants to get that as fast as he can and move on to the next liscence.Any hali over 32 inches goes in the hold for processing.We love when we hit a nest of big fish,get to go home sooner.I have heard stories of longliners in the bering sea bringing in 50,000lbs at an average of 100lbs each.

 

[richmake]

You guy's all wait...next is a slot limit....
The one really bad thing this year is the poor management of the coho fishery...
we should at least be able to keep one wild coho a day in most areas all through the summer...

 

[Nimo]

Wolf: I think I now know what it's like to put a 180 pd hali in the boat fresh, friggin thing would beat me for an hour. Apparently I'm stepping in while things are a bit hot.

All I'm saying is that I think a 5 per annual would be enough - that's my take on it. I have a family of 4 and with 5 / year my family could potentially take 20 halibut or about 400 pounds.

I would also be happy with 10 annual if that satisfies a significantly larger number of families. That would allow my family of 4 a total of 40 halibut or perhaps 800 pounds for the year. This seems like it would be enough.

My family would not take or need more than 2 - 3 if they were large enough. I'm not for a second suggesting 2-3 is a benchmark that any others should follow, some families need more.

The whole idea for me behind the annual is to stop the unnecessary abuse by guys that are out there all the time. The whole guide topic comes up because I've heard over and over here and from many guys that have been guided in Renfrew (and I'm sure many other places, sorry to pick on Renfrew) say that many guides make a regular habit of giving their daily quota to the guests.

I can only imagine that what they are doing is giving the guests their license number for the trip home with both their own limit and the guides'. This I find offensive. If my assumption about this is wrong, please fill me in. The guide bringing in an extra fish for himself while chartering I "personally", and that's only my opinion, don't mind. It's a perk to the guide related to "his" recreational license.

As for the quota of 12%, that's BS and should be lobbied for again.

These are my opinions and I have a right to them.

Sorry for throwing gas on the fire.

 

[El Pescador]

quote:Originally posted by SerengetiGuide

quote:Originally posted by El Pescador

Since most of the large halibut (100 lbs and over) are breeding females, and overfishing is clearly a problem, I would like to see mandatory release of large fish for both commercial and recreational fishermen, as well as an annual limit on the sports fishing licence.

That's my story, (and I'm sticking to it).

But won't the overfishing of the smaller ones make it so that there are less large breeding females in the future? It's kinda the chicken-egg argument.

Possibly. But if a 50 lbs female hali reportedly lays 500,000 eggs per year and a 250 lbs female lays around 4,000,000 eggs, it seems to me that it makes more sense to let the large ones go anyway and try to catch a small one instead. Hopefully, many of the smaller ones will eventually become big.

Another question is: would the average person who catches and keeps a 100 - 250 lb hali stop fishing for halis for the year? (wait a minute, let me guess....[}])


http://www-comm.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/pages/release/bckgrnd/2000/bg0013_e.htm

 

[El Pescador]

quote:Originally posted by new generation

Not going to happen El pescador,commercial boats nowadays fish multiple liscences.I used to long line myself,setting 2000 circle hooks a day.The system is based on ivg,meaning individual quota.So if a 42 foot longliner has an ivq of 20,000lbs he wants to get that as fast as he can and move on to the next liscence.Any hali over 32 inches goes in the hold for processing.We love when we hit a nest of big fish,get to go home sooner.I have heard stories of longliners in the bering sea bringing in 50,000lbs at an average of 100lbs each.

I know I may be a dreamer, but I think it is worth trying.

 

[Tailspin]

I am a bit confused as to why you guys want an annual Limit imposed of say 5 or 10 Hali? That is fine, however after reading through numerous pages and reports on Hali stocks in the past weeks it would appear, as though the stocks are doing just fine in the majority of the mentioned areas. As mentioned before by Mr Dean and others, this is not about consevation, it's allocation and our pie slice is being whittled away.

If the stocks were in trouble and each party was required to reduce there limits for conservational purposes of our future fishery than it would be great to contribute to the worthy cause. However, by me doing a Charter or fishing with friends, as is often the case i can now just keep one a person? Fair enough, I'm not greedy but, the other one that i left for consevation in good faith, goes not to grow larger and reproduce, but rather to the longline to be shiped overseas to Japan???

The average full day Victoria area hali trip expense in a 22 foot boat is say 100 min.-150$ or more, Fuel, bait, wear@tear and gear loss[xx(]

 

[Nimo]

quote:Originally posted by Tailspin

I am a bit confused as to why you guys want an annual Limit imposed of say 5 or 10 Hali? That is fine,

My personal motive is to extend the current 12% sports TAC to as many fishers as possible. I can see DFO bringing in more and more restrictions on springs and the resulting increased pressure on halis will shorten an already shortening season.

I'm convinced (as synical as I am) that this whole issue has come up as a pre-emptive move by DFO who knows that they are planning serious cuts to Spring fishing this year or within the next couple.

I'll be p**sed off if we have exceeded the 12% TAC 2/3rds through the year, DFO closes the fishery, and I haven't had a chance to get out there yet.

Although I can take up trout fishing, and my family doesn't depend on the fish for sustenance, shortened seasons will hurt those that depend on the fish for their livelihoods.

 

[chris73]

TS, it seems hopeless, some apparently are unable to understand that it does not matter if you throw back one or two of the few halis you catch - the total quota (TAC) is gonna be taken and then your nice gesture throwing back your hard earned fish looks ridiculous. Especially if you happened to see a long liner hauling in right adjacent to your boat. Then you WILL wonder: WTF...

 

[Nimo]

quote:Originally posted by chris73

TS, it seems hopeless, some apparently are unable to understand that it does not matter if you throw back one or two of the few halis you catch - the total quota (TAC) is gonna be taken

Chris: I understand this, I understand that 100 % will be taken whether we are there or not. I have also accepted that this is not a stock conservation issue because the more we conserve the more the commercials take (this is a whole topic unto itself and is at least part of the reason for the East Coast cod issues.)

I also believe that DFO will stop us entirely once the sports have taken 12% - maybe not in a season but they will tighten the noose every year as they are doing now to keep us as close to the 12% as possible.

I guess I'd better get out there in April-May to ensure that I get my 2-3 fish and I'm not caught up in any further restrictions - in season or otherwise.

If there's more to it than that I guess I don't get it.

That's all I have to say on this topic.

Nimo

 

[chris73]

Nimo, please go and get all you are allowed and entitled to because I much rather see you take it than the commercials because I know you have fun with it, put it to good use, enjoy the outdoors while doing it and support our angling community and local economy. Fishing is not just taking fish but studying, understanding, and caring for nature and sharing the precious experience with others. But without the target there will be no fishing and hence a lot less of the good things mentioned before. And therefore I see much more (and therefore much more than just for economic reasons) value in fish for us than in fish for the slaughterhouse...

 

[ChromeSweetChrome]

There is no doubt that there should be an annual limit. Nobody needs 5+ hali's a year, I dont care how much you eat.

 

[new generation]

you can be guarenteed that a yearly limit for hali is comming.With the current cutbacks on salmon more charters will be targeting bottomfish.Watch those lingcod numbers drop?Red snappers have already dissapeared from swiftsure.Fair amount of grey cod and dogfish left.

 

[Mr. Dean]

quote:Originally posted by El Pescador

Since most of the large halibut (100 lbs and over) are breeding females, and overfishing is clearly a problem, I would like to see mandatory release of large fish for both commercial and recreational fishermen, as well as an annual limit on the sports fishing licence.

That's my story, (and I'm sticking to it).

This was addressed... Hence the reduction of TAC.

On another note; comercials DON'T want them but are 'forced' to take them. They'd like to fish 20 pounders, but can't.

 

[wolf]

Some of you are missing the point THIS is not a conservation issue. Ok ill put it to you another way we all like to salmon fish all summer and winter long right???? now how about a 5 limit yearly quota on salmon along with halibut?????bet you wouldnt like that you would be done in 3 days then what do you do with all the gear boat etc???

If you only want to take 2,5 or 10 thats is your right if you choose to take less to "conserve" good on you but remember once we loose our rights WE NEVER !!!!!!!will get it back

Another scenerio so hopefully you guys will understand totally off of fishing say you want to invest money say 5 grand what would you rather put it in a 12% stock or a 88% stock of return.

Are you getting it yet???

Good luck Wolf

 

[Tailspin]

There was some exposure on the news last night showing a few unhappy folks at the outdoor show speaking there thoughts on this matter.