SFAB letters to send to DFO and others

wolf

Well-Known Member
Hello I promised to put something up so all on this forum could send to DFO and start the fight against the unfair justice to our fihsery I personally asked if I could do this for Chris and this is what he sent me.
So please READ everything and send off a letter to all of the people on here and lets bog them down so they have to take notice and wonder what the hell is going on out west here!!!!! Maybe send a letter to all off the get go!!!! then a couple more in the weeks to follow and just keep sending them so or later they will have to take notice.


Im going to try and paste the names and the letter we all should send
Thanks Wolf



Hello All,

First, many thanks again to those who attended the meetings last night. We had a signed-in number of 122 people. I must confess to being disappointed that at this late stage in the process we yet again have nothing concrete from DFO as to opening dates for halibut or salmon or what our seasons will look like or even if in-season closure will harm us again. We have passed the Feb 1 traditional opening of halibut and are just three weeks away from possible ET Fraser restrictions.

I was asked at the second meeting to send out an electronic version of the letter writing package. A request was made at the meeting for as many people as possible to write to DFO Minister Shea expressing their concerns over the late notice of season openings and closings plus the challenge we face locally over the unfair halibut allocation framework. I have included the halibut scenarios for your guidance in your letter with the suggested letter format and a federal government contact info spreadsheet.

Some points of note: Yes, if you write to a federal MP or a federal Minister to this address: House of Commons, Ottawa, ON. K1A 0A6 - you do not need to put a stamp on the envelope it will be delivered for free.
We need to contact federal politicians. Additional to the XL spreadsheet I have attached, a list of all elected federal politicians can be found at:
http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx?TimePeriod=Current&Language=E

Hope this helps,

Many thanks

Chris


Blue Wolf Charters
www.bluewolfcharters.com
 
Here is all the names

Surname First Name Party Affiliation Position Bus Telephone Cell Telephone Riding Tel Email Address Constituency Office Address

Coady Siobhan LIB GOC MP Fish Critic (613) 992-0927 (709) 772-4608 Coady.S@parl.gc.ca 860 Topsail Road,, Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador A1N 3J7

Crowder Jean NDP GOC MP DuncanNanaim (613) 943-2180 (250) 746-4896 CrowdJ@parl.gc.ca 126 Ingram Street, Suite 1, Duncan, BC V9L 1P1

Dosanjh Ujjal LIB GOC The Hon (613) 995-7052 (604) 775-5323 Dosanjh.U@parl.gc.ca 6408 Fraser Street, Vamcouver, BC V5W 3A4

Duncan John CPC GOC MP VI North (613) 992-2503 Duncan.J@Parl.gc.ca House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Harper Stephen CPC GOC Prime Minister (613) 941-6900 pm@pm.gc.ca

Kamp Randy CPC GOC Parl Secr to DFO (613) 947-4613 (604) 466-2761 Kamp.R@parl.gc.ca

Lunn Gary CPC GOC MOS Sport SaanGI (613) 996-1119 (250) 656-2320 Lunn.G@parl.gc.ca 9843 Second Street, Sidney, BC V8L 3C7

Lunney James CPC GOC MP NanaimoAlbern (613) 992-5243 (250) 390-7550 Lunney.J@parl.gc.ca 6894 Island Highway North, Suite 6, Nanaimo, BC V9V 1P6

Martin Dr. Keith LIB GOC MP Esq JDF (613) 996-2625 (250) 474-6505 Martin.K@parl.gc.ca 666 Granderson Road, Victoria, BC V9B 2R8

Murray Joyce LIB GOC MP Vanc Quadra (613) 992-2430 (604) 664-9220 Murray.J@parl.gc.ca 2111 West 38th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6M 1R8

Savoie Denise NDP GOC MP Victoria (613) 996-2358 (250) 262-2600 Savoie.D@parl.gc.ca 970 Blanshard Str, Victoria, BC V8W 2H3

Shea Gail CPC GOC Min DFO, The Hon.. (613) 992-9223 Shea.G@parl.gc.ca 100 School Street Rooms, 201 - 203 Dalton Annex, Tignish, PEI C0B 2B0

Strahl Chuck CPC GOC MP Min Indian Affair (613) 992-2940 (604) 837-9711 Ottawa@ChuckStrahl.com 102-7388 Vedder Rd, BC V2R 4E4

Stoffer Peter NDP GOC MP Fish Critic (613) 995-5822 (902) 861-2311 Stoffer.P@parl.gc.ca 2900 Highway 2, Fall River, NS B2T 1W4


Blue Wolf Charters
www.bluewolfcharters.com
 
Halibut Response Letter Format

Wednesday 4th February 2009


To the Attention of the Honourable Gail Shea
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada
House of Commons,
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6


Dear Minister,

Content of letter








Yours truly,


Your Signature



Your Name
Your Full Address with Postal Code




Allocation Policy 1 - (Angler)


Former Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Robert Thibeau introduced an allocation framework that only provided 12% of Canada’s annual halibut TAC to be caught by anglers. The Pacific coast halibut harvest information was rather lacking at that time, leading to a ministerial decision based on incorrect data. The allocation framework also proposed an unworkable market-based transfer mechanism and a promise of no in-season closures. In recent years DFO has destabilized the public fishery by attempting to adhere to Thibault’s failed policy, finally closing halibut fishing in-season in 2008.

This has harmed the angling community, taken away my traditional fishing opportunity, hurt local businesses that rely on the off-season halibut fishery and created great uncertainty for our sector. Please return the Pacific coast public halibut fishery to its historic level of two fish per day retention with a three fish possession limit during a season that starts on February 1st and remains open until December 31st each year. Without this the public halibut fishery is unfairly hurt and south Vancouver Island is being singled out by DFOs management actions.




Allocation Policy 2 – (Anglers, Charters and Guides)


Pacific halibut are a common property resource belonging to all Canadians and quasi “ownership” of this resource should never have been gifted to commercial fishing interests. It is truly unacceptable that Canada’s government under the failed Thibeau allocation framework has created such uncertainty for the public Pacific halibut fishery and implemented unjust restrictive management measurers when no conservation concern exists. Allocating of only 12% of the resource to the recreational halibut sector based on inaccurate catch data was unfair, trading fish between commercial fishermen and recreational anglers is totally unworkable and has led to unnecessary management measures being placed upon our sector.

In the USA recreational Pacific halibut anglers receive between 28% and 45% of their Total Allowable Catch. Minster please use your power to return certainty to the public halibut fishery in British Columbia by re-allocating sufficient halibut for a public halibut fishery that opens on February 1st, with a two per day retention and three possession limit and does not close until December 31st each year.



In Season Closures 1 – (Charters and Guides)


In 2008 and now again in 2009 our public halibut fishing seasons have become more uncertain each year. As a tidal waters angling charter business from south Vancouver Island, short-notice delayed openings and early in-season closures of our halibut fishing season have hurt my business. I cannot provide any meaningful guidance to potential customers who wish to book trips with my business, as I don’t know when I can take them fishing. This leads to customers or potential new customers choosing to travel to other countries to fish, instead of coming here and me loosing thousands of dollars incoime. With the global economic downturn and recession in the USA, it seems particularly unfair to restrict my ability to earn a living, support my family and spend dollars in the local economy.

This is not a result of conservation driven management measures but rather an ill-conceived policy of gifting quota to commercial fishermen some years ago. The government needs to abandon the failed Thibeau allocation framework and adopt an halibut allocation system that provides for First Nations FSC needs as well as recreational angling needs before allocating anything to commercial interests. We as a sector need to return to traditional fishing limits and seasons.

In Season Closures 2 – (Charters and Guides)

South Vancouver Island has a unique public halibut fishery that is based on anglers being able to fish in the sheltered areas of the coast when the tides are right. This fishery now provides vital off-season income to my business and the local community. Shoulder months of February, March, April and May plus September, October, November and December are the main important fishing times here for halibut. The estimated annual catch of Pacific halibut in the public fishery off south Vancouver Island is less than 40,000 lbs for the whole year.

Why would you, our Minister allow Fisheries and Oceans Canada resource management staff to delay traditional season openings? Additionally why bring about in-season closures that harm our local fishery when no conservation concern exists, especially when we harvested locally so little of the 9.0 million lbs TAC in 2008? Please return our halibut fishing limits back to historic levels, open the season on February 1st and keep the season open until December 31st each year.



In Season Closures 3 - (Angler)


I am a resident of south Vancouver Island and have enjoyed angling in our local tidal waters for many years. Part of the traditional opportunity of fishing here close to home has been my ability to catch halibut in the fall, winter and spring in the sheltered waters near to Victoria. In the past two years your DFO staff have opened the halibut season late on short notice and in 2008 shut the fishery down early also on short notice.

This has unfairly taken away my opportunity to catch halibut. With so little poundage of halibut being caught by anglers between Sidney and Sooke each year (less than 40,000 lbs annually), why are your staff restricting my access to halibut, a common property resource. This seems even particularly unfair when one considers there is no conservation concern. The unworkable allocation policy put in place by former fisheries minister Thibault needs scrapping for good. Honourable Minister Shea please use your power to return our once vibrant halibut fishery to us here on south Vancouver Island. Do what is necessary to provide the public halibut fishery of the Pacific coast with the historic seasons that started on February 1st, allowed them to catch two halibut per day and a possession limit of three fish and remained open until December 31st each year.


PLEASE I IMPLORE YOU ALL TO SEND THIS OFF AND THIS IS FOR NOW AND THE FUTURE THANKS FOR YOUR TIME


WOLF


Blue Wolf Charters
www.bluewolfcharters.com
 
You all need to wait and see what happens over the next couple weeks.
Good things can happen to those that wait
 
I worked for Peter Stoffer in Parliament last year...he is a good guy...kinda odd...but a good guy none the less. Every person that calls his office from his riding he calls back...and I'm sure if you had a fisheries issue, he would call you back on it as well.

Give him a shout, his number is 613 995 5822 or at least was last year.

Cheers,
David

www.serengetifishingcharters.com
 
Just wondering where the less than 40,ooo lbs of halibut caught on Souther Vancouver Island came from. I would think with the average size retained that the no. would be higher but I am just going by what I see, no facts. How many lbs are weighed in in the annual Outfitters hali derby in April?
 
I don't have the exact figures here at home, but approximately 2,000 to 3,000 lbs are weighed in each year at the Island Outfitters' Just for the Halibut Derby.
 
quote:Originally posted by Derby

You all need to wait and see what happens over the next couple weeks.
Good things can happen to those that wait
Derby,
Have you got a crystal ball or some other jiggery pokery advising you to share your pearls of wisdom? If no, what facts can you bring to this forum topic to back your suggestion of "wait and see"

God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling - Izaak Walton
 
Thanks for the reply as to the total lbs during the derby, interesting.
 
sent Wednesday (my 3rd one) - yeah, maybe good to put up a tally here so we can see how many actually went out - apparently 6 or 7 were left at the meeting
 
sent Wednesday (my 3rd one) - yeah, maybe good to put up a tally here so we can see how many actually went out - apparently 6 or 7 were left at the meeting
 
My 2nd letter went out on Wednesday, some poor letter opener
is going to get lot's of paper cuts next week...[}:)]
 
My 2nd letter went out on Wednesday, some poor letter opener
is going to get lot's of paper cuts next week...[}:)]
 
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