Ling Cod conservation?

[Srthomas75]

I have a question for the collective jury. How big is too big for a lingcod on the mindset of conservation etc…
I’ve read that it’s more common now for fishing lodges to catch and release large salmon in certain areas/ river systems as a measure of conservation. Large halibut aren’t harvested for that reason ( even though the max size is small now).
But after seeing a picture of a 40lb Ling a few weeks back it got me thinking along the lines of max size for conservation reasons. Or is that even a thing??
Anyone with some insight on this or opinions ?

 

[SG2.0]

I have a question for the collective jury. How big is too big for a lingcod on the mindset of conservation etc…
I’ve read that it’s more common now for fishing lodges to catch and release large salmon in certain areas/ river systems as a measure of conservation. Large halibut aren’t harvested for that reason ( even though the max size is small now).
But after seeing a picture of a 40lb Ling a few weeks back it got me thinking along the lines of max size for conservation reasons. Or is that even a thing??
Anyone with some insight on this or opinions ?

Misinformed. Large halibut aren’t harvested as we only get 15% of the pie and commercial guys get 85% and kill all big fish. Nothing to do with conservation.

Up to angler and won’t judge if they keep any sized lingcod but for my freezer under 30lbs is best eating.

 

[ship happens]

Lingcod

Lingcod

www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

 

[Whole in the Water]

It is a biological fact that the largest halibut 100-400+ lbs are older egg laying females that can lay 10’s of thousands of eggs each year and can live 25+ years. All very good to keep the halibut population from declining too much.

So kinda a good thing the public fishery regs keep the sector from harvesting the big egg laying females. Wish we could say the same for the commercial sector! Not to mention who wants to eat a big old halibut that has dry tough meat full of worms and parasites?

I would think this may be a similar situation for ling cod and most other long lived bottom fish. So there may be a few good reasons to release the big female bottom fish for the benefit of more fish in the future.

 

[SG2.0]

It is a biological fact that the largest halibut 100-400+ lbs are older egg laying females that can lay 10’s of thousands of eggs each year and can live 25+ years. All very good to keep the halibut population from declining too much.

So kinda a good thing the public fishery regs keep the sector from harvesting the big egg laying females. Wish we could say the same for the commercial sector! Not to mention who wants to eat a big old halibut that has dry tough meat full of worms and parasites?

I would think this may be a similar situation for ling cod and most other long lived bottom fish. So there may be a few good reasons to release the big female bottom fish for the benefit of more fish in the future.

What if you only kill small ones and have to release medium + ones? Kind of killing the future way it is right now...

 

[SpringVelocity]

I am so done with feeling guilty for every fish we take. Who cares of someone take a 40 plus lingcod.

Your only allowed a max amount per year and it closed half a year. We also have Rca.

That is good enough in my opinion.

 

[OldBlackDog]

What if you only kill small ones and have to release medium + ones? Kind of killing the future way it is right now...

Why don’t you ask the 85% their opinion.
Then ask the FN .
Then get back to us with their answers.

 

[Capt_Ed]

Average Commercial caught Halibut is about 26#

 

[Howzer]

I think if you are talking ethics, plus if you want your grandkids to be able to catch a fish with theirs... then it is only right to limit your catch to an 'appropriate' size. In the case of halibut that has been done for us by dfo coast-wide. As "WholeintheWater" said above, large hali's are females...
In the case of Lings, myself, I only keep lings up to 25 lbs or so... Last 40 pounder I caught was rather wormy and not as tasty, plus a fish that big is prolly 40 yrs old. Just my 2 cents

 

[ship happens]

Ling cod are not as old as you think. They are savages. They eat their young alot more that you do

 

[MRWood]

Ling cod are not as old as you think. They are savages. They eat their young alot more that you do

According to AI, for what it’s worth…..”A lingcod weighing 40 lbs is likely between 8 and 16 years old, though they can live up to 35 years. Lingcod in Alaska, where this average weight is common, often range from 8 to 16 years old.”

 

[ship happens]

According to AI, for what it’s worth…..”A lingcod weighing 40 lbs is likely between 8 and 16 years old, though they can live up to 35 years. Lingcod in Alaska, where this average weight is common, often range from 8 to 16 years old.”

Thanks tips

 

[terrin]

It is a biological fact that the largest halibut 100-400+ lbs are older egg laying females that can lay 10’s of thousands of eggs each year and can live 25+ years. All very good to keep the halibut population from declining too much.

So kinda a good thing the public fishery regs keep the sector from harvesting the big egg laying females. Wish we could say the same for the commercial sector! Not to mention who wants to eat a big old halibut that has dry tough meat full of worms and parasites?

I would think this may be a similar situation for ling cod and most other long lived bottom fish. So there may be a few good reasons to release the big female bottom fish for the benefit of more fish in the future.

The commies keep the big 100lb+ halibut so someone is eating those worm and parasite laden fish. Probably at the fish and chip joints on the Steveston walkway.

 

[agentaqua]

It is a biological fact that the largest halibut 100-400+ lbs are older egg laying females that can lay 10’s of thousands of eggs each year and can live 25+ years. All very good to keep the halibut population from declining too much.

So kinda a good thing the public fishery regs keep the sector from harvesting the big egg laying females. Wish we could say the same for the commercial sector! Not to mention who wants to eat a big old halibut that has dry tough meat full of worms and parasites?

I would think this may be a similar situation for ling cod and most other long lived bottom fish. So there may be a few good reasons to release the big female bottom fish for the benefit of more fish in the future.

This is a concerning news article on impacts to halibut stocks:

Pacific halibut fewer and smaller as nursery grounds take a pounding in the Bering Sea

Small halibut taken as bycatch by Seattle bottom trawlers in the Bering Sea cut into catches all the way down the coast to California.

alaskafish.news

 

[SG2.0]

Why don’t you ask the 85% their opinion.
Then ask the FN .
Then get back to us with their answers.

I agree

 

[SG2.0]

Hearing commerical halibut guys saying it’s a struggle year for them. Lots, like a ton, of 70-80cm halibut though that they can’t keep. (And are our future halibut… we shouldn’t keep under 75cm halibut either). But larger than that fish very tough year.

 

[searun]

I'm not against someone keeping a larger lingcod, however prefer smaller lingcod. The big fish aren't nice tasting, many have worms - not my cup of tea. Best eating lingcod in my experience are smaller fish, so we certainly don't need a regulation on max size limit as I think most people release those anyways.

As for lingcod conservation - the outside stocks are doing very well with 2 very significant recruitment cohorts. Not at present any conservation concerns.

 

[SG2.0]

Chatted with some commercial guys today actually and they said best they’ve ever seen in 30 years of fishing and at their board meetings outlooks are even going up further.