DFO to issue "experimental" licences for halibut anglers

Sushihunter

Active Member
http://www.bivinteractive.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3791&Itemid=46


DFO to issue "experimental" licences for halibut anglers http://www.bivinteractive.com/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3791&pop=1&page=0&Itemid=46 http://www.bivinteractive.com/index2.php?option=com_content&task=emailform&id=3791&itemid=46 Wednesday, 16 February 2011

halibut-dfo.jpg
Gail Shea, federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, took the bull by the horns Tuesday and came up with a solution to stop the infighting among B.C. halibut fishermen. For weeks, recreational halibut fishermen up and down the coast have vigorously lobbied to increase the total amount of flatfish they’ll be able to pull from B.C. waters this year.

The anglers, who range from individual sportfishermen to remote tour operators, say the 12% quota they’ve been given every year since 2003 isn’t enough, and they’ve asked the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to increase their percentage of the total allowable catch.

On the other side, commercial fishermen have fought the lobbying, saying that they need their quota, which is 88% of the annual catch to keep their businesses afloat.

On Tuesday, Shea said the current allocation quota would remain in place, but Ottawa plans to issue new "experimental" licences that would allow recreational anglers to buy additional quota from commercial fishermen.

"This will provide access to halibut beyond the limits of the standard recreational licence, giving those who choose to participate greater stability for business planning purposes."

Nadia Bouffard, DFO director-general of fisheries and aboriginal policy, told Business in Vancouver the licence would be free to recreational fishermen.

But individual sport and commercial fishermen need to agree on how much halibut will be bought and sold before DFO will issue a licence.

Bouffard said the licences are an experiment because the federal government doesn’t know how well the new transfer system will work for both sides.

"We need to test out whether that’s going to work well in the context of a sector that’s got a variety of users from the individual angler to tour guides."

DFO has also said the halibut recreational fishing season will open March 1, a full month after anglers originally expected it to open.

Check out this week’s edition of BIV for more about B.C.’s halibut fishery.

jmckay@biv.com
 
Had to read this one a few times ... I think what Bouffard means is that you need this special license in order to buy quota. The license is free, the quota you buy under the license is paid for. In other words, the license is like a waiting list or expression of interest. That's how I read it.
 
so which one is it?, are they free or are they purchased..WTF

Beats the living fawk out of me????

I think Gail and Nadia need to grab each other "by the horns" and honk the proverbial "clown horn" ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_gFmnj2xQQ ) if they think their statements make any sense???


On Tuesday, Shea said the current allocation quota would remain in place, but Ottawa plans to issue new "experimental" licences that would allow recreational anglers to buy additional quota from commercial fishermen.

"This will provide access to halibut beyond the limits of the standard recreational licence, giving those who choose to participate greater stability for business planning purposes."

Nadia Bouffard, DFO director-general of fisheries and aboriginal policy, told Business in Vancouver the licence would be free to recreational fishermen.

But individual sport and commercial fishermen need to agree on how much halibut will be bought and sold before DFO will issue a licence.

Bouffard said the licences are an experiment because the federal government doesn’t know how well the new transfer system will work for both sides.
Bouffard says they are an "experiment"..........well NO **** Sherlock!!! But I thought DFO knew EVERYTHING and Gail et al should know whether this transfer system WILL or WILL NOT work.



Here's something for Gail to think about for the guides/lodges out there. You book client trips WELL in advance for let's say the month of August at obviously a predetermined rate at the time of the booking; whether it's a lodge or just day a trip(s) with a guide. The client IS aware of what this DOES include and what it DOES NOT include ie. tips, lunches, bevies, strippers, fish processing etc.

Now....DFO issues a notice in mid-July that halibut quota is pretty much there and we're shuttin' er down as of August 1rst; now your client can't keep any halibut UNLESS the quota transfer is paid. So NOW you have to tell your clients that the cost is going to be passed on to them if they want to keep any halibut, and more than likely those licenses will have to be lined up before you arrive.

That can turn into a friggin lot of work for an individual operator who is running his boat morning til night and still somehow has to figure out how to help his out of region, province or country clients get this arranged.

Seems like Gail grabbed her own "horns" in planning this one out in the span of 24 hrs; good thing she labelled it as an experiement as that would be the MASSIVE excuse in trying to coordinate and run such a program.

Now.......having said what I just did.....I am just saying a big "what if" looking at the scenario; I agree with the 'stand as one' and fawk this leasing of quota BS.
 
Had to read this one a few times ... I think what Bouffard means is that you need this special license in order to buy quota. The license is free, the quota you buy under the license is paid for. In other words, the license is like a waiting list or expression of interest. That's how I read it.

Iif the government thinks recreational anglers are upset now imagine how happy we are going to be if they close down halibut and we are not permitted to fish halibut but guides are able to take out clients to catch fish while we cannot.
 
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Iif the government thinks recreational anglers are upset now imagine how happy we are going to be if they close down halibut and we are not permitted to fish halibut but guides are able to take out clients to catch fish while we cannot.

I agree, that would present an optics problem ... until you reconsider that DFO has now effectively defined a new stakeholder group, Sport Commercial. When you ask in August "they are recreational license holders just like me, why do they get to fish halibut and not me?". The answer is because they are no longer recreational anglers at that point, they are effectively a branch of Commercial Fishing. The fish are bought and paid for! Just brought in with a rod and reel instead of longline and winch.

Similar in some ways to the years where the commercial guys are catching sockeye, but it is closed recreationally. Maybe we'll see the same thing there, who knows...
 
This whole mess must be a result of NAFTA discussions Canada has had with Mexico where you expect to pay/trade/barter whatever you have to do to get what you want, and the rich get richer. 436 people (Canadians?) were given control of 88% of the halibut caught in Canada - FOREVER!!!, and the rest of us have to pay to get it. What's happened to the Magna Carta? It's time to go the other way for a decade 88% for all Canadians, 12% for the slipper skippers. I can't believe this is and continues to happen in Canada.
 
There are going to be a lot of orphaned longline floats this summer.....

WHOA!! As in FULL STOP!!

I realize you're pissed. Hell, we all are! BUT the working Fishermen are NOT our enemy!
In fact a great many of them, pretty well all that have to lease any amount of quota, are as outraged by Shea's announcement as any of us. The lease price jumped within moments after her media spiel, and is expected to climb even higher. The absentee Fish Brokers view this as an excellent development! They now foresee increased interest in their holdings, and are licking their chops as they raise the rates in anticipation of yet another windfall. And of course that greatly reduces the potential bottom line for those that actually do fish.

And while a lot of that is negative, methinks it also brings us opportunities. While most working fishermen are stifled from fear over losing their access/livelihood, methinks that type of concern may well spur many to join us at the table to work out an equitable solution for all.

Don't take that away from us by illegal acts of vandalism to those folks' gear! That is as wrong as what Shea has done to us, and I for one, will intervene ANY time I see such an activity occurring!

On the topic of quota leasing, methinks NONE in the recreational sector should buy in. If any do they signal our "acceptance" of this new direction, and that my friends is beyond intolerable! If peer pressure doesn't suffice, I believe that collectively we can find some mechanism that will.

Regards,
Matt
 
I agree, that would present an optics problem ... until you reconsider that DFO has now effectively defined a new stakeholder group, Sport Commercial. When you ask in August "they are recreational license holders just like me, why do they get to fish halibut and not me?". The answer is because they are no longer recreational anglers at that point, they are effectively a branch of Commercial Fishing. The fish are bought and paid for! Just brought in with a rod and reel instead of longline and winch.

Similar in some ways to the years where the commercial guys are catching sockeye, but it is closed recreationally. Maybe we'll see the same thing there, who knows...

This will never be acceptable to non guided recreational anglers unless there was an iron clad provision that the non guided recreational anglers right to fish would never close while other guided recreational anglers are permitted to fish period. We are not in this fight to see our right to fish a common property resource just stolen from us through another mechanism. It is bad enough that we have one group of Fish Lords with disproportionate access to a common property without creating a new group of them. That is unless recreational anglers as a group are consider as prioritized for access to the halibut fishery only 2nd to the Aboriginal food fishery. If the non guided sport fishery for halibut is to ever be closed why would we put up with other guided anglers being permitted to catch fish, whether the guides are quota owners or not and that goes for other species as well. It does not work for me, nor do I suspect this is acceptable to the vast majority of the 300,000. recreational anglers who do not use guides. This is the kind of thing that could fracture the coalition, which is not what you want.
 
To the best of my knowledge the license is free and gives any angler the opportunity to fish commercially aquired quota above and beyond their personal fishing license.
 
The moment a guide or lodge buys quota their reputation is gone and their business done. Nobody who even slightly contemplates buying out quota will take this risk. And I can't see any individual angler buying quota anyway. So I am not worried that anyone will cave.
 
Completely agree with most comments posted. This is a terrible decision for recreational anglers. From a political perspective Shea is brilliant, think about it - she divides the recreational anglers by enticing guides who fear not having the ability to run their charters into buying a "commercial" halibut license...which in effect now creates another private ownership of a public resource and yet another death nail into the coffin of recreational angling. Let's not forget the system in place on the East coast of Canada...there is no public fishery. You can't go get a fishing licence and catch a fish...that is owned by the commercial sector. That's right, there is no recreational fishery for most species of fish. This is the real long term agenda for the West Coast. Divide, conquer and create a fishery that can be managed off the side of a desk with electronic catch monitoring.

There isn't much reliable detailed information out from DFO as to how this scheme will work, so perhaps we should all the facts first, then decide on action...but for now I concur with NOG....no one should touch one of those licenses with a 10 foot pole or you risk killing your future as a recreational angler.
 
The moment a guide or lodge buys quota their reputation is gone and their business done. Nobody who even slightly contemplates buying out quota will take this risk. And I can't see any individual angler buying quota anyway. So I am not worried that anyone will cave.

You nailed it
As soon as one single person or lodge uses the "experimental" project DFO will deam this a success and try everything to implement this for good.
Here is who I talked to on the phone today and they seemed very content on where this was going
I would incourage everyone to contact her and others to voice their opinion or displeasure.

I can't get over the fact that they actually think it's a reality for my son to send a cheque to a slipper skipper who he has never met for hundreds of dollars for a shot at catching a Halibut.....Unbelievable!

Tamee Mawani
Regional Resource Manager - Groundfish
200-401 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC
V6C 3S4
Phone: 604-666-9033
Email: Tameezan.Mawani@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
 
Just rememebr if you enter an experimental quota you set the bar for other fisheries. How would we all feel if we had to do this in the future for other species we fish for: Sockeye,,, etc.

I think it personally is insulting they even offered this. Slap in the face if you ask me. I hope no one falls for it...

Smiley66

Yes, you nailed it. The halibut solution is just a trial balloon for what is coming next. You will see quotas for salmon coming soon. That's how the fishery is managed on the East Coast - and we are being moved to a similar system. Little wonder she was pleased with her handy work...a cunning plan is coming together for DFO.
 
The lease price jumped within moments after her media spiel, and is expected to climb even higher. The absentee Fish Brokers view this as an excellent development! They now foresee increased interest in their holdings, and are licking their chops as they raise the rates in anticipation of yet another windfall. And of course that greatly reduces the potential bottom line for those that actually do fish.
Oh FFS!!
What a mess!

The moment a guide or lodge buys quota their reputation is gone and their business done. Nobody who even slightly contemplates buying out quota will take this risk. And I can't see any individual angler buying quota anyway. So I am not worried that anyone will cave.
Agreed but I can think of one organisation that might-no names yet.
 
Yes, you nailed it. The halibut solution is just a trial balloon for what is coming next. You will see quotas for salmon coming soon. That's how the fishery is managed on the East Coast - and we are being moved to a similar system. Little wonder she was pleased with her handy work...a cunning plan is coming together for DFO.

Your right "Salmon quotas coming to a Fraser River near you soon" :(
 
There is no answer for any of you at this point mainly because none of you are sitting at the table with all the other stakeholders to help develop consensus between all user groups! Stepping away from the table months ago created a status quot scenario that the DFO is forced by law to abide. DFO added a bone with no guidelines, rules or acts to follow, they are offering a free license to something that has no rule. If you sign up, you are signing rights away, just as you have already done so with your regular sport license.

DO NOT BUY QUOTA AT THIS POINT EVER!
 
DO NOT EVER BUY QUOTA, ANYONE!!!

Once that ball starts rolling it will not stop - EVER!
 
To the best of my knowledge the license is free and gives any angler the opportunity to fish commercially aquired quota above and beyond their personal fishing license.

Dude.

You are such a **** off to me I can't describe it. This is ******** and you bastards are going to feel the wrath.

Accepting an 80/20 split will have looked like heaven at the end of this.
 
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