Now its quillback rockfish we have to be concerned about

[Cuba Libre]

From DFO:

Canada


September 27th, 2012

Dear Stakeholders, Interested Individuals and Organizations:

In November 2009, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assessed Quillback Rockfish as “Threatened”. This species is now being considered for listing as “Threatened” under Schedule I of the Species at Risk Act (SARA).

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is seeking your input on the potential listing of the Quillback Rockfish as “Threatened” under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). If listed as “Threatened,” general prohibitions protecting the species would apply, and recovery efforts would be initiated.

Quillback Rockfish (Sebastes maliger) has been recently assessed by COSEWIC the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) as being “Threatened”. The Quillback Rockfish is one of 96 species of rockfish found in the North Pacific; Quillback are classified as “inshore” rockfish and are found primarily over rocky habitats at depths less than 200 meters throughout coastal waters of British Columbia. Commercial and recreational fisheries are the principal threats, although commercial fishing pressure has been reduced as result of strengthened management approaches implemented in the mid 1990s, including the introduction of rockfish conservation areas and decreased commercial harvest quotas.

If you would like to know more about Quillback Rockfish or would like to submit comments on its potential SARA listing as “Threatened”, please see www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/saraconsultations. We are seeking comments by October 29th, 2012. Your input is important and will be considered by the Minister of Environment, in consultation with the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, in making a listing decision.

If you have any questions, please call Caroline Wells at (604) 666- 7907 or email sara@pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

 

[Lipripper]

Here comes the gubment...........

[QzntZLHcYy0] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzntZLHcYy0

 

[Rockfish]

Note the obvious distortion and misrepresentation designed to defend the Commercial sector at the expense of the Sport Sector. The pro-commercial bias and spin is so blatant as to be laughable.

Let’s take a look at it.

“Commercial and recreational fisheries are the principal threats, although commercial fishing pressure has been reduced as a result of strengthened management approaches in the mid 1990’s, including the introduction of rockfish conservation areas and decreased commercial harvest…” .

What is the message here for public consumption?

It is that the commercial sector has been cut back but the sport sector has not so let’s concentrate on the sport sector or at least protect the commercial sector from further cuts. The statement is unfair, inaccurate, biased and a distortion of the truth.

Anglers have been cut back heavily, and for example off Victoria and Sooke we are down to a limit of just 1 Rockfish when the season is open and this primarily allows us to keep one which is caught accidentally or incidentally to salmon fishing and would die anyway in most cases if released because of the effect of pressure change. In addition primary sport fishing areas are loaded with Rockfish Conservation Zones (for example Sooke Bay and Bluffs and around Race Rocks) and I think it fair to say the RCA effect on us is more than on the commercial sector.

Sadly this is nothing new and what we have come to expect from DFO especially with the mission they have been given by their current political bosses in Ottawa.

The release also completely fails to identify Atlantic Salmon Fish Farms Ocean Pens as a threat to Quillback Rockfish as outlined in recent research.

http://www.currentresults.com/Oceans/Marine-Fish/rockfish.php

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es0520161

No surprise there given that anyone at DFO who was to say anything remotely reflecting negatively on fish farms would most likely be looking for a job in short order. Still it is potentially the one silver lining to a Rockfish species being designated as threatened. I am willing to throw back my one dead Rockfish in exchange for Fish Farm Open Pens being closed down along our coast to protect Quillbacks.

 

[Rockfish]

Found this

http://www.soundernews.com/news/her...itat-questioned-by-local-sport-fishermen.html

So is there two much political influence to stop this from happening again now that Quillbacks are(correction - maybe) designated as threatened. DFO and the Govt. would seem to have some explaining to do as to why this is legal and allowed to happen.

 

[Foxsea]

Found this

http://www.soundernews.com/news/her...itat-questioned-by-local-sport-fishermen.html

So is there two much political influence to stop this from happening again now that Quillbacks are designated as threatened. DFO and the Govt. would seem to have some explaining to do as to why this is legal and allowed to happen.

Thanks for the info and insight, Rocky. Of the players, we are constantly put at the back of the bus. We recreational fishers will constantly be at a disadvantage and frustrated until such time as we can mount an effective lobby of our "gubment" (as Lippy says). Any ideas as to how we do a better job of promoting our interests?

 

[Cuba Libre]

We have until Oct 29th to submit comments----- lets do it.

 

[Seafever]

Maybe I interpreted the regs wrong....but....from the way I read it, a commercial fisherman is allowed to fish the RCA's whereas a sportie is not.

Where I live it is 1 Rockfish a day,regardless of specie, for me.. Not worth going out there for that almost unless your after something else as well.

The Quillbacks seem to inhabit reefy shallow water a lot........60ft and less deep.

I find that by fishing deeper......100 to 130ft....I tend to avoid Quillbacks more.

There are other species of Rockfish out deeper that you don't find much in the shallow water.

So with all the RCA's we have , the Quillbacks can't hold their own?

Maybe it's the Ling Cod that are eating all the babies in the RCA's.

There's no shortage of Ling Cod around (outside of the RCA's). Problem is the Ling's are usually just an inch or so under the legal size.

 

[Cuba Libre]

Maybe I interpreted the regs wrong....but....from the way I read it, a commercial fisherman is allowed to fish the RCA's whereas a sportie is not.

Where I live it is 1 Rockfish a day,regardless of specie, for me.. Not worth going out there for that almost unless your after something else as well.

The Quillbacks seem to inhabit reefy shallow water a lot........60ft and less deep.

I find that by fishing deeper......100 to 130ft....I tend to avoid Quillbacks more.

There are other species of Rockfish out deeper that you don't find much in the shallow water.

So with all the RCA's we have , the Quillbacks can't hold their own?

Maybe it's the Ling Cod that are eating all the babies in the RCA's.

There's no shortage of Ling Cod around (outside of the RCA's). Problem is the Ling's are usually just an inch or so under the legal size.

Might seem that way because net fisheries are allowed. But commercial hook and line fisheries are banned, the same as recreational.