1 Race, No Winners

[Finished Business]

I don't get into the politco end of fishing too often, largely because I don't know enough about it to offer an informed opinion, without running the risk of eating shoe leather. So I just read on and on.

So my question is. Who is getting the short end of the stick, and who the long?

The Commercial guys complain they aren't getting their fare share or cut.

The First Nations complains they aren't getting their fare share or cut.

The Sportfisherman complain that they aren't getting their fare share or cut.

The Ocean, via PITA, Paul Watson and other enviro-mentals complain they (the ocean) isn't getting its fair share or cut either.

It seems that as the old saying goes, "You can't please everyone" will always be true in this matter.
With the slot limits we face, the commercial opening restrictions, the FN (are there restrictions??), who is sitting atop this pile of ****? and who is at the bottom, catching all the smelly run-off.
From all I've read...I've formed this opinion:

Top:
First Nations

Bottom:
Commys

Somewhere in the middle:
Sportys

Given when, where, how, and why each group fishes...I don't think any group is winning or losing the "race"...
Where is the happy medium in all of this? Does one even exist??
In 30 years, which group will be fishing, and which wont?

 

[Fisher-Dad]

The natives will always be fishing. The commercial guys have taken the hardest hits for salmon and the sporties for halibut. You forgot one major player though the fish farm industry. IMO they are at the top and will be fishing for their farmed fish long after there is nothing left for a native, commercial or sport guy.

I think us sportiest need to embrace the slot limits and C&R. I would like to keep a hog too but imagine how many more big fish there would be if everyone for the past 30 years released fish over 25 pounds. It's getting to a point now where there are mostly just teenagers left I think over fishing of bait fish is part of the problem and trophy fishing by all sectors the other.

 

[GLG]

Short end of the stick = Mother Nature
Who's winning = Greed

 

[finaddict]

I am not greedy, I just want all the fish to myself and screw everyone else.