Sushihunter
Active Member
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/victoria/Fishermen+rally+halibut/1580474/story.html
Fishermen rally for the halibut
By Sandra McCulloch, Times Colonist - May 9, 2009
Mel Arnold, B.C. Wildlife Association: "Nobody wants to go out and catch just one fish, so the money isn't being spent."
Photograph by: Adrian Lam
Times Colonist - Recreational fishermen gathered near the legislature yesterday to protest a system that they say unfairly restricts their halibut catch to one fish per angler a day.
"The commercial sector hasn't been using all of their share and we've been restricted from a fishery that we've [been] recognized as having a right to by the courts," said Mel Arnold, president of the B.C. Wildlife Federation, following the event.
About 30 trucks hauling boats moved in a procession from Dallas Road to Government and Belleville streets, where speakers demanded that federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea increase the number of halibut that can be taken by the recreational sector.
The International Pacific Halibut Commission assesses the stocks on an annual basis and determines the allowable catches for Canada and the U.S.
DFO then determines how the catch is split between the commercial and recreational fisheries.
Currently, the commercial fishery is apportioned 88 per cent of the allowable catch while the recreational fishery has 12 per cent.
Last year, individual anglers could catch two halibut a day. This year, they can take only one fish a day.
The new limits are causing trouble for charter fishermen, said Arnold.
"Nobody wants to go out and catch just one fish, so the money isn't being spent," said Arnold. "It could be an economic stimulus for the province if we can get this fishery restored to what it should be, for tourism and the independent angler who wants to go catch fish for his table."
The B.C. Wildlife Federation met with Shea in Ottawa recently to discuss the issue.
"We're hoping we can convince the ministry that there needs to be movement on this," said Arnold.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans blames diminishing stocks for the one-fish limit, although Gary Logan, DFO groundfish manager, said the department is monitoring the fishery to determine if changes are warranted.
"We can't [increase the catch] in the absence of any data and the fishery is really just getting going," said Logan.
"June, July and August are the big fishing months. If we can, we'll make changes. But if we don't watch what we're doing, it creates problems for the future."
Vicki Husband of the Watershed Watch Salmon Society said on-board monitors keep the commercial fishery accountable, while the recreational fishery isn't as easy to track.
"We actually know how many fish [the commercial sector is] catching, what they're catching and everything," said Husband. "It's apparently one of the best-monitored fisheries in the world and we're really proud of it."
As for the recreational sector, she said, "They say they're taking surveys of what people bring in, but we don't know what people are throwing overboard. There's nobody out there checking the bycatch.
"We cannot really examine this situation until we get rid of what some have said is a free-for-all out there on the ocean. We have to put conservation of halibut and groundfish first."
smcculloch@tc.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
Fishermen rally for the halibut
By Sandra McCulloch, Times Colonist - May 9, 2009
Mel Arnold, B.C. Wildlife Association: "Nobody wants to go out and catch just one fish, so the money isn't being spent."
Photograph by: Adrian Lam
Times Colonist - Recreational fishermen gathered near the legislature yesterday to protest a system that they say unfairly restricts their halibut catch to one fish per angler a day.
"The commercial sector hasn't been using all of their share and we've been restricted from a fishery that we've [been] recognized as having a right to by the courts," said Mel Arnold, president of the B.C. Wildlife Federation, following the event.
About 30 trucks hauling boats moved in a procession from Dallas Road to Government and Belleville streets, where speakers demanded that federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea increase the number of halibut that can be taken by the recreational sector.
The International Pacific Halibut Commission assesses the stocks on an annual basis and determines the allowable catches for Canada and the U.S.
DFO then determines how the catch is split between the commercial and recreational fisheries.
Currently, the commercial fishery is apportioned 88 per cent of the allowable catch while the recreational fishery has 12 per cent.
Last year, individual anglers could catch two halibut a day. This year, they can take only one fish a day.
The new limits are causing trouble for charter fishermen, said Arnold.
"Nobody wants to go out and catch just one fish, so the money isn't being spent," said Arnold. "It could be an economic stimulus for the province if we can get this fishery restored to what it should be, for tourism and the independent angler who wants to go catch fish for his table."
The B.C. Wildlife Federation met with Shea in Ottawa recently to discuss the issue.
"We're hoping we can convince the ministry that there needs to be movement on this," said Arnold.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans blames diminishing stocks for the one-fish limit, although Gary Logan, DFO groundfish manager, said the department is monitoring the fishery to determine if changes are warranted.
"We can't [increase the catch] in the absence of any data and the fishery is really just getting going," said Logan.
"June, July and August are the big fishing months. If we can, we'll make changes. But if we don't watch what we're doing, it creates problems for the future."
Vicki Husband of the Watershed Watch Salmon Society said on-board monitors keep the commercial fishery accountable, while the recreational fishery isn't as easy to track.
"We actually know how many fish [the commercial sector is] catching, what they're catching and everything," said Husband. "It's apparently one of the best-monitored fisheries in the world and we're really proud of it."
As for the recreational sector, she said, "They say they're taking surveys of what people bring in, but we don't know what people are throwing overboard. There's nobody out there checking the bycatch.
"We cannot really examine this situation until we get rid of what some have said is a free-for-all out there on the ocean. We have to put conservation of halibut and groundfish first."
smcculloch@tc.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
