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Ottawa's Pacific halibut allocaion relieves commercial, rankles sport fishermen
Revenue lost as halibut allocation is too small and season too late
By CARLA WILSON, Timescolonist.com February 17, 2011 9:16 AM Be the first to post a comment
Gord Martin, owner of Foghorn Charters at Hidden Harbour marina in Victoria, said sport fishermen have already lost a month’s worth of business worth thousands of dollars in revenue because they had to cancel bookings.
Photograph by: ADRIAN LAM, Timescolonist.com
Commercial fishermen are breathing a sigh of relief while the sport fishing sector charges it has been "abandoned" now that Ottawa has refused to change the allocation formula in B.C.'s halibut fishery.
Federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea announced Tuesday the commercial fleet will keep an 88 per cent share of the catch in 2011 and the sports fishery 12 per cent under a formula set in 2003.
Individuals in the recreational sector, however, can lease quota from the commercial sector at market rates.
Next year's allotment also remains in doubt.
Randy Kamp, Shea's parliamentary secretary, will work with fisheries staff to draw up options for the 2012 season, including better ways to monitor the recreational catch, Shea said.
The recreational sector has been fighting for a bigger share of B.C.'s total allowed halibut catch. The group represents individual anglers and groups like charter boat owners and fishing lodges.
Commercial fishermen are battling for any share reduction in favour of anglers.
The recreational fishery opens March 1, allowing anglers to catch one halibut per day and have two in their possession. Sport fishermen failed to convince Ottawa to let them catch two halibut per day.
The commercial fishery begins on March 12. Landing prices have not yet been negotiated.
Craig Newton, 33, who has been a halibut fisherman since he was 17, said Shea's decision is a "relief."
The existing formula "has been fair all these years," Newton said from Courtenay.
A cut in the commercial share would hurt fishermen as well as as workers in processing plants in towns like Port Hardy, and would cost consumers more in supermarkets, Newton said.
"These are difficult times for commercial halibut fishermen," said Chris Sporer, executive manager of the Pacific Halibut Management Association. "Allowable harvest limits are low, fuel prices are high and the industry must bear the costs of at-sea and dockside monitoring programs as well as eco-certification."
The International Pacific Halibut Commission recommended this year that the U.S. and Canada agree on a total catch of 41.07 million pounds. B.C.'s share is 7.65 million pounds.
Rob Alcock, B.C. Sportfishing Coalition spokesman, said Minister Shea and Conservative MPs in B.C. have "abandoned recreational anglers" and sided with a small group of well-connected commercial quota holders. "The decision to leave the halibut allocation policy unchanged will punish recreational anglers, the businesses that support them, and the thousands of people who are employed in sport fishing in the province."
Gordon Martin, Foghorn Fishing Charters owner, calls the current formula "unjust." He would like to see the catch limit increased to two per day, because 90 per cent of clients are from B.C. and fish only one or two days a year, he said.
Sport fishing helps boost B.C. tourism, said Martin, who takes charters off Victoria and Sooke. Just days before expecting the season to open at the beginning of this month, Martin learned that the opening had been pushed back, resulting in the loss of several bookings for February.
"The biggest thing is DFO leaving it to the last minute. That is just unacceptable," Martin said. "We should know our 2012 season this year."
February was a particularly desirable month for local charters because tides and currents have been favourable to halibut fishing, he said.
Martin said communities up and down the coast will lose tourist spending at hotels, restauranats and tackle stores.
cjwilson@timescolonist.com
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/sports...rt+fishermen/4302447/story.html#ixzz1EFb1SZGI
Revenue lost as halibut allocation is too small and season too late
By CARLA WILSON, Timescolonist.com February 17, 2011 9:16 AM Be the first to post a comment
Gord Martin, owner of Foghorn Charters at Hidden Harbour marina in Victoria, said sport fishermen have already lost a month’s worth of business worth thousands of dollars in revenue because they had to cancel bookings.
Photograph by: ADRIAN LAM, Timescolonist.com
Commercial fishermen are breathing a sigh of relief while the sport fishing sector charges it has been "abandoned" now that Ottawa has refused to change the allocation formula in B.C.'s halibut fishery.
Federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea announced Tuesday the commercial fleet will keep an 88 per cent share of the catch in 2011 and the sports fishery 12 per cent under a formula set in 2003.
Individuals in the recreational sector, however, can lease quota from the commercial sector at market rates.
Next year's allotment also remains in doubt.
Randy Kamp, Shea's parliamentary secretary, will work with fisheries staff to draw up options for the 2012 season, including better ways to monitor the recreational catch, Shea said.
The recreational sector has been fighting for a bigger share of B.C.'s total allowed halibut catch. The group represents individual anglers and groups like charter boat owners and fishing lodges.
Commercial fishermen are battling for any share reduction in favour of anglers.
The recreational fishery opens March 1, allowing anglers to catch one halibut per day and have two in their possession. Sport fishermen failed to convince Ottawa to let them catch two halibut per day.
The commercial fishery begins on March 12. Landing prices have not yet been negotiated.
Craig Newton, 33, who has been a halibut fisherman since he was 17, said Shea's decision is a "relief."
The existing formula "has been fair all these years," Newton said from Courtenay.
A cut in the commercial share would hurt fishermen as well as as workers in processing plants in towns like Port Hardy, and would cost consumers more in supermarkets, Newton said.
"These are difficult times for commercial halibut fishermen," said Chris Sporer, executive manager of the Pacific Halibut Management Association. "Allowable harvest limits are low, fuel prices are high and the industry must bear the costs of at-sea and dockside monitoring programs as well as eco-certification."
The International Pacific Halibut Commission recommended this year that the U.S. and Canada agree on a total catch of 41.07 million pounds. B.C.'s share is 7.65 million pounds.
Rob Alcock, B.C. Sportfishing Coalition spokesman, said Minister Shea and Conservative MPs in B.C. have "abandoned recreational anglers" and sided with a small group of well-connected commercial quota holders. "The decision to leave the halibut allocation policy unchanged will punish recreational anglers, the businesses that support them, and the thousands of people who are employed in sport fishing in the province."
Gordon Martin, Foghorn Fishing Charters owner, calls the current formula "unjust." He would like to see the catch limit increased to two per day, because 90 per cent of clients are from B.C. and fish only one or two days a year, he said.
Sport fishing helps boost B.C. tourism, said Martin, who takes charters off Victoria and Sooke. Just days before expecting the season to open at the beginning of this month, Martin learned that the opening had been pushed back, resulting in the loss of several bookings for February.
"The biggest thing is DFO leaving it to the last minute. That is just unacceptable," Martin said. "We should know our 2012 season this year."
February was a particularly desirable month for local charters because tides and currents have been favourable to halibut fishing, he said.
Martin said communities up and down the coast will lose tourist spending at hotels, restauranats and tackle stores.
cjwilson@timescolonist.com
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/sports...rt+fishermen/4302447/story.html#ixzz1EFb1SZGI
