trawler bycatch data

[agentaqua]

I think what you are asking for is covered in the GF IFMP. The mid water trawl fleet has (as long as I'm aware) had lingcod TAC available to them to target. They may not have used the full TAC in years of higher abundance of preferred (more marketable) species. I have heard they were struggling to catch hake making the fishery unprofitable. Seen quite a few vessels tied up not fishing, (and a lot less out on the fishing grounds) which without confirming seems to suggest the fishing and market conditions impacted their fishery.

https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2025/mpo-dfo/Fs143-3-23-2527-eng.pdf

Thanks for the links, Searun. Been a while since I read the trawler section starting on page 200. And it looks like it's been quite a while since they looked at lingcod wrt stock assessment & catch limits:

Terms of Reference

Terms of Reference

www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

And they just increased the fleet-wide TAC for the trawl fleet:

Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Fishery Notices

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

 

[searun]

There will be an outside lingcod CSAS paper coming out at some point in near future to update the stock assessment, methodology etc.

 

[Poppa Reelie]

As far as I can tell the bulk of DFO's data is based on accurate self reporting by anglers (creel surveys, DFO online surveys, and license date). We have seen how well that has worked in the commercial sector hence the observer/camera options now in place for most commercial fishing sectors.
How could that be corrected in the sport fishing sector?
Well, DFO could select a few people to install camera/cameras ( or take on an observer ) on their boats to accurately count the actual number of fish caught, released, etc etc, instead of relying on self reporting. DFO could take high hour fishers, such as select guides, to get this data. Refuse to participate, your guide license is suspended.
Then the data could be extrapolated to cover the 300,000 licenses.
DFO could also get rid of the ability to print and subsequently replace your own self reporting licenses.
These are just a couple of simple things that could be done. I am certain DFO could come up with more.
Do you really want DFO to explore these, or similar options?????

Sport fishery provides too much income for enhancement, rehab, fisheries work. No need to go waste our DFO on monitoring a few hooks trolling the abyss. This bycatch is crazy. So much destruction going on and yet were punishing a recreation not pumping it up. We need more people salmon fishing not less.