Another Commy speaks to Halibut Allocation

Sushihunter

Active Member
http://www.canada.com/Commercial+halibut+allocation+comes+with+lots+expenses/4011562/story.html

Commercial halibut allocation comes with lots of expenses



By Steve Lewis, Courier-Islander December 22, 2010 12:00 AM



(Rebuttal to Rob Allcock's letter of Friday, Dec. 10 Courier-Islander - 2010 Halibut Season in Peril.)

Maybe you should do some research on what you are speaking about. As President of the Sports Fishing Institute you should maybe go back a few years and remember that it was the Sports Fishing Institute that signed the 88/12 split with the commercial fleet and were happy at the time.

The Total Allowable Catch was 13 million pounds at that time and the sports sector could not catch their 12 per cent so our powers that be leased out your remaining poundage to the commercial fleet.

Yes the TAC went down in the past few years, seven million in 2010. So we all have to take cuts to ensure we have future stocks. So why should the sports sector think they should have more, let me rephrase that, not the true sports fishermen, but the commercial sports charter boats and lodges, etc. who pay no licence fees except for a personal salt water licence?

Being the president you should know that the sports sector is not accountable at all for what you are catching. You have what the commercial fleets call a derby fishery - just keep on catching with no record of pieces or poundage.

The commercial fleet pays heavily to take their fish each year, $1,000 each year to register with the research company. Annual licence fees to DFO of 10 cents per pound. Tags on every halibut tail which cost the fishermen 17 cents each.

Log books at $75 each and lots of viewing charges for our cameras of $200 per. Yes cameras. All longline vessels have two cameras and computer that are turned on as we leave port and we track on GPS for the balance of the trip. The two cameras run 24/7 when we are hauling and setting gear.

Each fish is counted by the skipper and crews and hand written in the log book. If those numbers don't match what the research company sees on our hard drive we are subject to expensive audits.

We pay on everything. If we release a dog fish that costs us a mortality fee. So Rob, before you cry any more, just think how good your sports fishery is right now. Hope Santa brings you a big towel.

Merry Christmas to All
Steve Lewis,
Commercial Halibut Fishermen

© Copyright (c) Postmedia News
 
Funny I don't remember being very happy at all right from the start. We fought that deal tooth and nail and only excepted when it was shoved down our throats. Otherwise he does have some valid arguments. Our accountability on our numbers is one. DFO needs to get serious about some methodology to accurately compile our and (FN) catch data on all species. I also feel that for the number of participants in our fishery we don't contribute our share back directly to the fishery. In other words there is some truth in my mind to us wanting more all the while giving back less. That is sad.
 
This issue seems too easy to fix...

Why not put a limit on the licence holder for sport caught hali's like we have for springs?
seems like the easiest way to go about the issue....no?

Springs are @ 30 per yr,IMHO way to many, (3 killed for me last yr)
Lings are at 10,again only IMO pretty generous #'s ( 0 for me last yr),
so why not Hali's?, put a limit of say...5 (on the low side), 10 (on the high) per yr on Hali's ( 2 last yr for me)
again with a written record of day and area caught on back of licence..

seems like a good way to settle the issue?...would it/could it be that simple?

does any one know?, has this ever been brought forward?

...........just me thinking:confused:;) out loud here...........
 
I believe -Halibut quota is based on lbs not pieces-Salmon is based on pieces- the government can put a side X amount of pieces (salmon) for the licence but cannot put aside X amount of pounds (halibut) -which changes yearly depending on our allocation handed down from the Halibut commission.Not sure if that makes sense :)
 
I believe -Halibut quota is based on lbs not pieces-Salmon is based on pieces- the government can put a side X amount of pieces (salmon) for the licence but cannot put aside X amount of pounds (halibut) -which changes yearly depending on our allocation handed down from the Halibut commission.Not sure if that makes sense :)

ahh yes makes sence...thanks...knew it couldn't be that simple:rolleyes::)
 
You can still have an annual limit on halibut and I'm for it. An annual limit is no guarantee that you will be able to catch your limit, just as with salmon. If the season closes before you catch them all, to bad. I think it is time to put an annual limit in place. Some out there take more than they need, and we hear the bragging every year.
 
Allocation and annual sport limits are 2 separate issues. You can be against the 88/12 allocation to our group and still support an annual limit. The annual limit is just common sense. It would also be common sense to limit every license to just 1 halibut per year over what would equal a 100 pound plus fish. Common sense should be forever!!!
 
So what is the advantage of putting an annual limit on Halibut ? the biomass is apparently healthy and strong.
The commercials still take their 88% and we will likely leave fish in the water ?
Don't get me wrong, if there was a conservation concern i would also support annual limits.
 
There are no conservation concerns in BC at the moment. Reasons for doing so now are;
1. It takes a finite numbers of pounds allowed to be caught each year in the sport fishery (under any system) and ensures it is more fairly distributed by all those fishing for them. You have to ask; who would this **** off? A few fish hogs, poachers...sorry I'm not involved and fighting for them any way. In fact the opposite.
2. EVERY conservation concern begins from a once healthy stock. We just keep forgetting that and let history repeat itself. I would rather act now and prevent future problems than put on the blinders, create them and then have to fix them. Fishing pressure will increase as our own population increases. REMEMBER....most were against Chinook limits way back and look what has happened. Wouldn't it be nice to go back in time and fix that one...oh forgot you can't do that.
3. It looks good on us. We need all the good "PR" we can get if we are going to win some of the fights we need to win.
4. It is still just common sense. Does anyone need more than 10 halibut per year, 20 to a family of 2, 40 for a family of 4? No bloody way.
I still believe that the 88/12 is dead wrong. Our season should go back to the traditional 11 months. 2 per day, 3 possession. But 10 per year is generous. Halibut also do survive catch and release quite well.
 
Why are you guys so hot to put limits on yourselves?

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Who's "HOT" to put limits on ourselves??

yes I did throw the idea out there....its a discussion board is it not?

maybe instead of your comment you tell me why not???

I would like to see myself, my son, you, and every other person that would like to be able to "SPORTSFISH" on "their own" for Hali's for long into the future!... if that is an option to give people the ability to go out and catch a few hali's when they are able to do so, then so be it...I'm all for it


I see that you are a "Commercial" guide.. do you have your own quota for your commercial venture:confused:....or are you using some of the "sport fishing" quota:confused::rolleyes:...
 
Who's "HOT" to put limits on ourselves??

yes I did throw the idea out there....its a discussion board is it not?

maybe instead of your comment you tell me why not???

I would like to see myself, my son, you, and every other person that would like to be able to "SPORTSFISH" on "their own" for Hali's for long into the future!... if that is an option to give people the ability to go out and catch a few hali's when they are able to do so, then so be it...I'm all for it


I see that you are a "Commercial" guide.. do you have your own quota for your commercial venture:confused:....or are you using some of the "sport fishing" quota:confused::rolleyes:...

If it wasn't for "Commercial" Fishing Guides, there are an awful lot of people who would never be able to go fishing. I just love how people use the term "commercial" to slag us sportsfishermen who try and make a buck at a hobby we love!

And no, I don't own a quota.

And for your information, I haven't taken a personal Halibut since 2008 when I got one - on a friends boat. Oh, I've killed a lot of Halibut - but they were all caught by clients.

What I wouldn't give to be able to fill my freezer with fresh caught Halibut! If only it didn't cost me $250 in fuel just to go look for Halibut! Just to find it is too windy to go off-shore!

You say that you are not hot to put restrictions on sportsfishermen - then WHY would you even bring up the subject when we are talking ALLOCATION, not CONSERVATION?

You are attempting to buy your way out of the 88/12 rule by offering up a new restriction on sportsfishermen. "Oh, Mr. Commercial Fisherman, please don't hurt me - I promise I won't catch more than 10 Halibut a year if you just let me fish all year!"

You want to talk "rule changes"? How about these:

1- Commercial Halibut fishermen will fish their own quotas or lose them. Period.
2- Catch your quota in season this year - or lose it. No rolling over to next year.

Fishermen have been known to stop fishing Halibut late in the season because there is a glut on the market and the price has dropped to the point where it is not profitable for them to continue to fish.

Make the split 50/50 and the price of Halibut will remain high and profitable. Less work for more money - how can the commercials not like this?

As someone else already mentioned here. If we get a catch restriction of 10 per year, or whatever, you can be sure we will have that for the rest of our lives. Like herpes, we will never be rid of it!

More rules:

3- Draggers must keep all fish caught and deliver them to the processing plants where they will be counted and a fee paid for each one to buy quota from the longliners. The fee will be double the longliner royalty fee.

4- Commercial fishermen caught throwing back dead or dying fish will lose their licence to fish commercially for one year. Each new offence will double the fishing ban - 2, 4, 8, 16 years etc. And that applies to the crew AND the boat. No leasing out the boat for off years.

When Halibut fishing becomes a CONSERVATION issue, come back and talk about the annual limits. Until then, join in supporting all sports fishermen.
 
" Halibut also do survive catch and release quite well."

Problem i see is that people will try releasing gut hooked chickens
in search of a bigger fish.
It might even be harder on the stock's than just allowing 1 or 2 fish per trip
 
Yep blame us as the people who take out people to catch halibut WE dont catch the fish the people who buy lic catch them we are just a means (boat and knowledge) of getting people who dont have the money or means to own a boat so you see its "sportfisherman" catching them.
The sportfisherman WAY out number us id say 10-1 and yet you want to blame us cmon man!!!! ill use Vic for example there is maybe 8 full time guides that fish off of vic and a few other part timers but any given halibut tide you will see up to a 100 plus boats out there fishing... all you have to do is look at the "just for the halibut" derby to realize just how many "sportfisherman" are doing it.
Is it bad NO !!!!!!not at all as a canadien we have the right(for now) to go and catch them. And like sushi I was able to get 3 halibut last yr for my self, but know of many others who are out there as much as i am catching. You and I are in the same calls we are all "sportfisherman" if you want to paint it all with the same brush and until we lose the mentality of fighting among charters and the normal joe we will get NO where.
Like I stated earlier I maybe get 20 plus days out there so its not about me its about all of the others that concerns me the tin boat,Freinds of people who live here and the fishing community as a whole we need to unite.... plain and simple and stop pointing figers at each other....

Good luck Wolf
 
All the other issues aside for a moment...it is so sad to hear the comment..."when it is a conservation issue, come talk to me" F&ck man it is too late then!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is and has always been the problem. The goal is to make the fishery as fair a possible for all, without starting the downhill slide to a problem. I'm done on this I can't make it any clearer.
 
All the other issues aside for a moment...it is so sad to hear the comment..."when it is a conservation issue, come talk to me" F&ck man it is too late then!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is and has always been the problem. The goal is to make the fishery as fair a possible for all, without starting the downhill slide to a problem. I'm done on this I can't make it any clearer.

Why do you continue to beat the dead horse of conservation on the Halibut allocation issue?

Halibut are the best managed fishery on the West Coast, probably the East Coast too.

There is NO conservation issue with Pacific Halibut. Period.

Why do you continue to act as if we are fishing for the last Halibut?

The people who decide how many Halibut will be taken each year have been doing a fantastic job. I only wish they were in charge of Salmon also.

The problem is that once the Halibut commision sets the number of pounds of Halibut, the government then splits that 88/12. We just want to change the split, not the total number of Halibut taken. When you consider that the commercial fleet leaves fish in the water at the end of the year, it should not be a problem to give those fish to the people of Canada via the sportsfishery.

And I agree with Wolf - Stop attacking the guides! If it wasn't for the guides who take a personal interest in butting heads with DFO via the SFAB, we wouldn't have anyone at the meetings. A few years back when I was the Secretary of the Area 25 SFAB, we could not get any casual sport fishermen involved. The only people who came out to the meetings were guides, lodge owners, marina owners, and a couple of accommodations owners.

The reason I got into guiding in the first place was so I could spend more time on the water. Without guiding, I could not afford to be out there chasing fish myself. My personal fishing trips have been limited to Prawn & Crab fishing within sight of the dock, and when friends are here to fish with me when they pay the fuel. If I get out once a season by myself to go fish off-shore, it is a miracle.

If you ever want to have a million dollars as a fishing guide - start with 2 million dollars!
 
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