Thanks for posting these up Derby. I know you guys on the Tuna Advisory Board have been working hard to keep this fishery viable and available to recreational fishers. I think something like this is a great start for educating anyone thinking about trying this fun and exciting fishery safely.
This fishery can be done safely and has been done safely for quite some time now. There is an accident waiting to happen in any fishery. If you are prepared and have the proper mind set you can all but eliminate or greatly reduce the chances of an accident in any fishery.
Anyways, I think this is a good start to having something documented and available to new fishers. It still doesn't rule out doing your own homework and educating yourself by reading others experiences and suggestions on the many fishing forums out there or talking to veteran tuna fishers in person. I still feel that the best way to experience this fishery for the first time is to go with somebody that has done it before.
This fishery is still evolving and is quite new to a lot of fishers in B.C. (I know there are a handful of salty dogs from the Coast that have been doing it for a long time). Washington is only a few years ahead of us and it has been around for quite awhile in Oregon and California. . You can learn a lot about this fishery by reading the history of it in these different areas.
I applaud the good people that voluntarily formed a recreational Tuna Advisory Committee to work with the DFO and the commercial sector. We need a voice at the table and we need to work with others to keep this excellent fishery viable and available to the recreational sector. Keep up the good work.
Cheers,
John
I think everyone is sort of missing the point of these guidelines; they were developed to help people stay safe if taking part in this fishery; they are a recommendation at best.
These were developed as one user group was trying to reduce access to the tuna grounds through TC as they were worried that the rec fishers had no idea what they were doing out fishing in the offshore waters and didn't have the right safety gear needed in the case of an emergency and didn't want to have to come and save anyone. So the tuna advisory committee was started to get together with the other user group and see what they wanted and what could be done to work together to allow access for everyone without getting into a pissing match, and after a few meetings and talks between the 2 groups and talking with TC, it was thought that a safety guidelines sheet was needed for people to at least read to know what others taking part in this fishery had or had learned in their years of taking part, again; these are recommendations at best to keep people safe as it is along way out and anything can happen to anyone, at any time no matter how prepared you are, these guidelines maybe able to prepare you better, and get people thinking before making the trip.
I say it all the time to people thinking about going to the tuna grounds, you go to big bank and don't even question it, you go double that and if you think it is that easy; it is, but the run out and back is the easy part, it is the "what if" that is the hard part. Are you ready to have a 2-3 hr wait if you run out of fuel or you have another small issue; are you prepared to jump ship if you have a fire? Do you have a ditch bag; does it have a spare radio, EPIRB; PLB, flares, water, food? Do you go over where all the items are and how to use them with your crew before leaving the dock? Does anyone know you are going; or do they think you are on Big bank? Is there another vessel going with you that has thought of any of these items? Most people look at me like I am trying to stop them from going; but it is more about the success of this fishery and having other people take part in it, it is probably the only fishery I know of on this coast that will allow other vessels to jump on fish when they are found as most people doing the fishery will give out the co-ords when asked; as the majority doing it know there is safety in numbers.
An accident can and will happen in any fishery; this was developed to lessen that from happening, and I also applaud those that decided to take this on and allow this fishery to keep growing; because the way it was looking, if the other user group got what they wanted, the cost to go and get 4 fish wouldn't have made the fishery viable. Now both sides are working together to allow us rec fishers to work with them on the grounds and keep everyone as safe as possible and happy.
but he usually shooting swampie at that time 
