fishingbc
Active Member
DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, I HIT THE EDIT BUTTON ON THE COMMERCIAL HALIBUT PRESS RELEASE AND MY COMPUTER SPIT THIS OUT.....
Everyone loves a good fish story. BC's commercial halibut fishermen would love DFO to close the recreational halibut fishery mid-season to protect the interests of commercial fishermen .
The recreational sports fishery helps employ thousands of hard working British Colombians in fishing lodges, tackle shops, airlines, hotels, motels, marinas, float planes, restaurants in processing plants and in hundreds of support businesses. The commercial halibut vessel interests are seeking to have federal fisheries Minister Gail Shea stand pat on the un-workable halibut allocation policy, and deny ordinary Canadians access to a public halibut resource This 88/12 allocation takes halibut away from ALL Canadians anglers who enjoy catching and then eating halibut in their own homes
The Government of Canada participated in a process that resulted in an allocation policy implemented in 2003. This policy doesn't give ordinary Canadians access to halibut and now they have decided to ignore the official policy and have resorted to political lobbying since all efforts to change it failed. Mainly due to the ignorance of DFO and the federal government.
Is this how Canada's fisheries should be managed? NO WAY, just ask any of the 350,000 or so Canadians who flock to BC every year to enjoy some of the worlds BEST sport fishing.
Whoever can wage the slickest lobbying campaign gets to decide how to manage our country's fisheries?.....
Sport fishermen are ordinary Canadians who support the rights of individual anglers to catch a halibut every so often for enjoyment and to fill up the freezer. But most ordinary Canadians won't be able to under this un-workable allocation which heavily favors the commercial halibut fishermen. Most can't afford to spend thousands of dollars to visit a fancy fishing lodge for a few nights so they catch what they need when they need. Approximately, seventy percent of the recreational halibut catch is attributed to ordinary Canadians with valid Tidal water angling licenses. Those without the means to do so spend thousands of dollars, some much more hiring ordinary Canadians who to guide them onto their catch or visit any one of hundreds of fishing lodges scattered around the BC coast.
Recreational fishermen have fished for halibut for more than 100 years. They've developed the fishery, just like early farmers developed the land. Over the last 30 years, recreational fishermen have invested in millions upon millions of dollars into businesses, lodges, tackle shops, marinas, boats, motors on and on and on. As a result of these investments their passion has grown into a $650 million a year industry far out grossing the entire $120 million a year commercial fishery. British Columbia sport fishery has become the backbone of coastal BC
Recreational fishermen want to be more accountable for every single fish they harvest, but DFO has steadfastly refused to reform licensing and accountability. We have pushed to have each fish accounted for when pulled from the sea, recorded on a license and counted as part of a REAL creel survey but they instead concentrated on the commercial fishery. Using real data from the sports sector seems to be something DFO is not interested in......go figure
Halibut is going through a period of low age class on the Pacific coast. recreational halibut fishermen know low age class (smaller fish) means smaller TAC and the recreational fishing sector realizes this.
A set amount of halibut can be harvested each year.The growing sports fishing sector receives an unfair amount of halibut and to ensure ALL Canadians have a chance to harvest THEIR fair share DFO should reallocate halibut to the make sure this has NO negative affects on the vital sports fishing sector. Recreational fishermen, lodges and charter vessel operators all abide by the International Halibut TAC but the 88/12 split is simple a joke.
The halibut allocation policy implemented by the Minister of Fisheries in 2003 — and supported by three out of touch east coast Fisheries Ministers since — needs to restrict commercial quota down to at least 80% and possible 75% to allow for future expansion of the $650 million a year sport fishing sector. For individual anglers to be shut down in mid-summer in a bad economy is just plain stupid and defies all good business and economic sense. The idea of fishing lodges and charters vessel businesses acquiring quota from Canadian commercial halibut fishermen is never going to happen. Such ridiculous programs have been applied in fisheries on Canada's Atlantic coast and we all know what a good job DFO has down on that side of the country. Does Atlantic Cod ring a bell.....
The federal government should dump this policy 10 years in the making that is so unfair to individual anglers, fishing lodges and charter vessel operators, Otherwise, we will be buying quota for salmon, prawns, clams, oysters and whatever else the bozos in Ottawa shove down our throats. All fisheries can be managed on sound scientific research, real economic analysis, user friendly policy and process BUT if that fails by political lobbying. Strength in numbers............
Get more information about this important matter here...
http://www.sfibc.com/
Everyone loves a good fish story. BC's commercial halibut fishermen would love DFO to close the recreational halibut fishery mid-season to protect the interests of commercial fishermen .
The recreational sports fishery helps employ thousands of hard working British Colombians in fishing lodges, tackle shops, airlines, hotels, motels, marinas, float planes, restaurants in processing plants and in hundreds of support businesses. The commercial halibut vessel interests are seeking to have federal fisheries Minister Gail Shea stand pat on the un-workable halibut allocation policy, and deny ordinary Canadians access to a public halibut resource This 88/12 allocation takes halibut away from ALL Canadians anglers who enjoy catching and then eating halibut in their own homes
The Government of Canada participated in a process that resulted in an allocation policy implemented in 2003. This policy doesn't give ordinary Canadians access to halibut and now they have decided to ignore the official policy and have resorted to political lobbying since all efforts to change it failed. Mainly due to the ignorance of DFO and the federal government.
Is this how Canada's fisheries should be managed? NO WAY, just ask any of the 350,000 or so Canadians who flock to BC every year to enjoy some of the worlds BEST sport fishing.
Whoever can wage the slickest lobbying campaign gets to decide how to manage our country's fisheries?.....
Sport fishermen are ordinary Canadians who support the rights of individual anglers to catch a halibut every so often for enjoyment and to fill up the freezer. But most ordinary Canadians won't be able to under this un-workable allocation which heavily favors the commercial halibut fishermen. Most can't afford to spend thousands of dollars to visit a fancy fishing lodge for a few nights so they catch what they need when they need. Approximately, seventy percent of the recreational halibut catch is attributed to ordinary Canadians with valid Tidal water angling licenses. Those without the means to do so spend thousands of dollars, some much more hiring ordinary Canadians who to guide them onto their catch or visit any one of hundreds of fishing lodges scattered around the BC coast.
Recreational fishermen have fished for halibut for more than 100 years. They've developed the fishery, just like early farmers developed the land. Over the last 30 years, recreational fishermen have invested in millions upon millions of dollars into businesses, lodges, tackle shops, marinas, boats, motors on and on and on. As a result of these investments their passion has grown into a $650 million a year industry far out grossing the entire $120 million a year commercial fishery. British Columbia sport fishery has become the backbone of coastal BC
Recreational fishermen want to be more accountable for every single fish they harvest, but DFO has steadfastly refused to reform licensing and accountability. We have pushed to have each fish accounted for when pulled from the sea, recorded on a license and counted as part of a REAL creel survey but they instead concentrated on the commercial fishery. Using real data from the sports sector seems to be something DFO is not interested in......go figure
Halibut is going through a period of low age class on the Pacific coast. recreational halibut fishermen know low age class (smaller fish) means smaller TAC and the recreational fishing sector realizes this.
A set amount of halibut can be harvested each year.The growing sports fishing sector receives an unfair amount of halibut and to ensure ALL Canadians have a chance to harvest THEIR fair share DFO should reallocate halibut to the make sure this has NO negative affects on the vital sports fishing sector. Recreational fishermen, lodges and charter vessel operators all abide by the International Halibut TAC but the 88/12 split is simple a joke.
The halibut allocation policy implemented by the Minister of Fisheries in 2003 — and supported by three out of touch east coast Fisheries Ministers since — needs to restrict commercial quota down to at least 80% and possible 75% to allow for future expansion of the $650 million a year sport fishing sector. For individual anglers to be shut down in mid-summer in a bad economy is just plain stupid and defies all good business and economic sense. The idea of fishing lodges and charters vessel businesses acquiring quota from Canadian commercial halibut fishermen is never going to happen. Such ridiculous programs have been applied in fisheries on Canada's Atlantic coast and we all know what a good job DFO has down on that side of the country. Does Atlantic Cod ring a bell.....
The federal government should dump this policy 10 years in the making that is so unfair to individual anglers, fishing lodges and charter vessel operators, Otherwise, we will be buying quota for salmon, prawns, clams, oysters and whatever else the bozos in Ottawa shove down our throats. All fisheries can be managed on sound scientific research, real economic analysis, user friendly policy and process BUT if that fails by political lobbying. Strength in numbers............
Get more information about this important matter here...
http://www.sfibc.com/
