More angles to the fisheries - Robert Alcock - SFI

[Sushihunter]

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/letters/story.html?id=f083b7af-e998-41c9-ab06-1ddead8946de



More angles to the fisheries

Vancouver Sun


Saturday, November 08, 2008


Larry Pynn's recent series on commercial fishing provided insight into the changing face of this once-major B.C. industry. Unfortunately, it didn't recognize the extent to which recreational fishing has become the real economic powerhouse. According to a recent study commissioned by the B.C. Seafood Alliance, the recreational fishery produced $642 million in annual sales, paid $150 million in wages and benefits, created 3,950 full-time jobs and contributed $250 million to the province's gross domestic product.

In other words, the people and businesses providing services to 320,000 recreational anglers produce economic value equivalent to 70 per cent of the sales produced by the commercial fishery (which takes 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the salmon harvest, 88 per cent of the halibut harvest and virtually all of the sablefish, crab and bottomfish harvest.) The recreational fishery, by contrast, catches less than 10 per cent of the annual salmon harvest and is allocated 12 per cent of the halibut.

Pynn touched on an issue of growing concern to recreational anglers -- how do 320,000 unorganized anglers get together to buy quota from a small group of commercial licence holders? More importantly, should recreational anglers be required to buy access to fish that they, as Canadians, already own?

Robert Alcock

President, Sport Fishing Institute of B.C.

White Rock
© The Vancouver Sun 2008


Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250

 

[Little Hawk]

Howdy,

As a Sportfisherman who knows a little about issues impacting wild Pacific salmon, I'm far more concerned about what salmon will be around in the near term vs. who's going to be allocated what.

Restoration of the WILD resource should be #1-Priority, not fighting over ever-dwindling scraps.

Standing for Wild Salmon,
Terry Anderson

Wild Salmon Alliance

 

[fisher69]

quote:Originally posted by Little Hawk

Howdy,

As a Sportfisherman who knows a little about issues impacting wild Pacific salmon, I'm far more concerned about what salmon will be around in the near term vs. who's going to be allocated what.

Restoration of the WILD resource should be #1-Priority, not fighting over ever-dwindling scraps.

Standing for Wild Salmon,
Terry Anderson

Excelloent post Terry. At the rate we are going we will all be fighting over nothing soon.



Wild Salmon Alliance

 

[seagal]

Thanks for your reply to this posting, Terry. I feel exactly the same way. I am as passionate about fishing as any of you. As much as I would like to catch a few salmon in the up and coming season I'm prepared to take a hard line on this one. Pacific salmon need our help! We need to get rid of open pen salmon farms first! I believe we[commercial,recreational,and aboriginal] all need to give back to the wild stocks. Short term pain for long term gain. If we don't , we will lose our Pacific salmon and that would be nothing short of devastating. I hope DFO and our provincial government get this message!!!

 

[Red Monster]

Is this a Canadian thing, where it's impolite to stand up for one's rights? You don't think commercial fishing interests would love to own acccess to all the fish?

There is no logic that prevents sporties from talking about issues other than conservation. In fact, among other things, it is our collective resolve to conserve the resouce that ought to give sporties the priority in terms of how the resouce is allocated.

With all due respect, it sounds down right goofy to tell the ordinary recreational fisherman (who probalby doesn't even catch more than a dozen fish in a year) that while others are regulating his rights away, he should shutup about it because conservation is the only priority.

Maybe it's just me. [xx(]




Remember, it's called "fishing," not "catching."