Halibut.

[OldBlackDog]

Category(s):
RECREATIONAL - Fin Fish (Other than Salmon)

Fishery Notice - Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Subject: FN0917-RECREATIONAL - Fin Fish (Other than Salmon) - Halibut - Reminder of Closure October 18 and Amendment of Variation Order Number

Amendment to FN0891: Variation Order Number amended to 2010-426.

Throughout the 2010 recreational halibut fishing season, the Department in
conjunction with the Sport Fishing Advisory Board (SFAB) Halibut Working Group
have reviewed in-season monthly catch estimates.

Catch information indicates that the recreational share of the Total Allowable
Catch has been reached.

Therefore, recreational fishing for halibut will close effective 23:59 hours
October 18, 2010 for the balance of the year.

2011 management actions will be developed throughout the fall and announcements
will be made in early 2011. </u>

Variation Order 2010-426 is in effect.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Contact: Tamee Mawani 604-666-9033 or Devona Adams 604-666-3271


Fisheries and Oceans Canada Operations Center - FN0917
Sent October 15, 2010 at 10:53
Visit us on the Web at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

You all better think that next may be next June.
looking at the previous threads on this I do not have much hope that you can get it together to fight this.

 

[scott craven]

Wow, that's pretty negative...

 

[SerengetiGuide]

everyone said that last year too..."won't open it until july and august etc etc"...it'll be open for may once again...quite often a few negative posts on here yet never all that realistic i've found.[}] (replies to this will surely entail, it will happen...you wait...just like it was said of last year...[][])

www.serengetifishingcharters.com

 

[wolf]

Its ok the guides will fight for it!!! we always do, along with a few devoted sporties. got to remember Jan 1 is the start of a new year......

Wolf

 

[Gunsmith]

Federal elections are not too far off and a reminder to your MLA that you are not impressed with the Government and the DFO'S direction of focus towards the salmon and halibut issues are causing you to think seriously about who will be getting your vote.[8D][}][}][8D]

 

[totally tyee]

DHA? Are you back?

 

[scott craven]

My guess is that it will remain closed until Feb 01/11,
the usual opening date of the new season.
(unless the TAC is lowerd again)

 

[OldBlackDog]

TAC is probably smaller.
There is no money to purchase quota even if we wanted to.
We are unable to get the Government to even listen to us.
The guides are not involved Wolf. They need to be.
The BCWF is involved and sending letters and trying to make it a concern to anglers.
SFI is involved, but they are a small group and need a lot more members and money.
So, as noted who among you is going to do something or will you wait till DFO tells you that they will not open till June as there is not enough quota and you went over this year and have to pay back?

The SFAB is NOT a POLITICAL machine and this requires one to fight along side them.

 

[profisher]

My gut feeling is that it will open up March 1st for 1 per day again. DFO recognizes that the earlier opening is important to us down here on the lower Island. The early opening doesn't represent a significant number against the overall annual sport quota. In fact the lower Island is really one of only a handful of areas that traditionally sees any SIGNIFICANT halibut pressure before May at the earliest. Opening later doesn't prolong the season, but does hurt this area unfairly.

 

[Derby]

quote:Originally posted by OldBlackDog

TAC is probably smaller.
There is no money to purchase quota even if we wanted to.
We are unable to get the Government to even listen to us.
The guides are not involved Wolf. They need to be.
The BCWF is involved and sending letters and trying to make it a concern to anglers.
SFI is involved, but they are a small group and need a lot more members and money.
So, as noted who among you is going to do something or will you wait till DFO tells you that they will not open till June as there is not enough quota and you went over this year and have to pay back?

The SFAB is NOT a POLITICAL machine and this requires one to fight along side them.

Very well put oldblackdog-

 

[Tailspin]

Agreed OBD, were wasting our breath!

However,

if memory serves me right, there sure have been guides involved. A whole wack of us South Island guys spent the day on a rally in downtown Vic dragging boats all over the place, numerous meetings, letters etc.

It would be nice to see some big groups eg: OBMG and some larger lodges with some financial backing put up some stink.

Yet again it's going to be us on the South Island who suffer with our early season accessability. The sad fact is, that is not a loud enough voice to be heard.

Where are these catch information numbers on rec TAC? And where are they recorded from? Lodge records? I bet it is based on number of boats seen on a bloody flyover on a given day[V] I find it hard to believe we are on an overage at one a day with a reduced season.

www.tailspincharters.com

 

[spring fever]

I am not a halibut fisherman -rather a Salmon fisherman who takes a halbut once in-awhile, but in all my years on the water I have never been asked "how many halibut have you caught" I don't know of anyone else who has been asked either. So the question is-Where do these numbers come from ?? I guess it is to much to ask that DFO might be forth-coming as to their source. Guesstimation-a scientific tool to prove whatever you want to be proved!!!

"So many fish-So little Time"

 

[IronNoggin]

The numbers are a guess</u>. While there were a few creel census folks out in the ares I fish, we were only approached but a couple of times at the beginning of the season, then nothing for the balance. I, and a few others refused to answer any questions from them. Also told them why, and that we wanted that passed along directly to DFO (they did write it down, who knows if the message actually went anywhere after that). This is more or less what I said: "From watching you performing your census, it is more than apparent that you directly target charter and guide boats far</u> more than any locals or non-guided fishers. That, when coupled with fly-over information produces skewed data. The guides that work these areas are extremely capable, and most will limit on nearly every single outing. The same does not hold true for the majority of casual fishers. So, our catches are being used to INFLATE overall catch numbers by applying our catch rate to the observed boat numbers. Until this is taken into account, until DFO applies a correction factor to address this, and until the census people spend as much time interviewing those that are not guided, I will no longer provide you with any further information."

There currently is NO mechanism to track recreational catch figures, whether salmon, halibut or damn near anything else. Relying on fly-overs and scant census figures leaves a LOT of room for "interpretation". Such interpretation by the department has NEVER worked to the recreational sector's benefit, and is employed chiefly to justify shut-downs as we witness now.

A similar case in point, based on "interpreting" spring catch figures from the recreational sector this season: Area G (WCVI Troll) does not realize a September opening except in the case that sufficient TAC remains after September 1 any given year. This year, as was done last, Area G was informed that the recreational sector had actually SURPASSED the TAC, and as such, nothing remained so no fishery would be happening. The related numbers were forwarded to both Area G and Rec Advisers. Upon reviewing these numbers and comparing them to fly-over information, it was quite apparent that pretty well every trip out there had realized catch's far beyond legal daily limits. Appalling!
When both sets of representatives then insisted there must be an enforcement issue here, DFO quietly and quickly changed the numbers, reducing them to something almost, but not quite realistic. The new numbers did allow for an opening. But the shenanigans stalled the process just long enough that the fishery simply was not allowed sufficient time for it to be prosecuted. DFO got their agenda though.

Given observations on the water, and one hell of a lot of discussions with many who witnessed the same (lack of effort on halibut this season) I strongly believe DFO is once again involved with a sort of Shell-Game. Interpreting the numbers to suit an already established Agenda.

Frustrating? You Bet!
Not likely to change under the current "Regime".

And that my Friends, VERY MUCH SUCKS! [V]

PO'd
Nog

 

[Derby]

quote:Originally posted by Tailspin

Agreed OBD, were wasting our breath!

However,

if memory serves me right, there sure have been guides involved. A whole wack of us South Island guys spent the day on a rally in downtown Vic dragging boats all over the place, numerous meetings, letters etc.

It would be nice to see some big groups eg: OBMG and some larger lodges with some financial backing put up some stink.

Yet again it's going to be us on the South Island who suffer with our early season accessability. The sad fact is, that is not a loud enough voice to be heard.

Where are these catch information numbers on rec TAC? And where are they recorded from? Lodge records? I bet it is based on number of boats seen on a bloody flyover on a given day[V] I find it hard to believe we are on an overage at one a day with a reduced season.

www.tailspincharters.com

You are right about the great support at the Ralley in Victoria by many people,guide and small lodge operators.


The top Big 5 lodges in the province & many other lodge operators have both man power & money invested heavily into this process via SFI.Every year a couple of SFI directors make a trip to Ottawa for 4 days too have meeting with top level DFO staff building relationship with the staff members.
SFI had 3 directors last year that where involved in process with the the halibut commission.They helped with others to successfully negotiated almost an extra million pounds for Canada total allocation.Which ment more fish for us in the recreational fishery to catch based on our allocation

In my opinion -that if forum member really want to help and get involved the halibut allocation issue join SFI . I feel that SFI is the voice of the individual anglers and Sportfishing industry.
Become a member -perhaps become a director ask them what you can do to help.The larger the membership a group the more bite it has.

Best bang for the buck- my to bits