So Let’s Talk About It, Halibut 2013

[searun]

So if the bulk of the angling effort for halibut is in July and August, why shouldn't that be our focus - that is, if we are truly concerned about doing the right thing for average Joe Canadian angler, or is it that we are trying to horde those fish for locals who want to get an early start before the summer vacationers get at them?

 

[lorneparker1]

Lorne, you might actually want to read the catch data and see for yourself when most rec anglers catch their fish - its July/Aug. What actually benefits guides is being able to fish early season before the main salmon season, and to get 2 per day and be done early - that stretches our overall season out. I personally do not agree with front loading the season as it only benefits a few at a cost to the many. What you appear to be advocating is self serving - cuts out average Joe Canadian who wants to travel here for their summer vacation with their kids. Front loading the season is great for those of us who live here and want to attract guests into our shoulder season - selfish approach in my mind. You can read between any lines you want with what ever bs you want to sling....just don't try to guess at my motives.

I know its impossible for you to answer this, but if you werent a guide I bet "average joe canadian" wouldnt be quite as front and centre as it is currently. The king of spin! every year you find a new way. Bruta. Why is it average joe can only take his vacation in July and august? I didnt know that was set in stone for all employers across the country.

Btw i agree with you, I jsut cant stand the way you pitch ****.

 

[lorneparker1]

So you want a season that goes from June to September?
This is not about getting more quota this is about how to divide up the pie for all.
What if the numbers next season go down again?
As you say you need the numbers by area. What then, cut them back so other areas get more to make it fair?
If the area you fish in gets 25% of the fish lets cut it back to 10 % to be fair to the other areas?
What about giving an area a time quota due to the amount of fish they catch. Say only open it for a month for halibut?
What about no guiding for halibut in the month of August, that will cut back the numbers?
Just thinking outside of the box.

Lol great post. Too funny. No guiding in the month of august, would leave enough for every joe angler that you are so concerned about Searun. Chit i bet average joe cold more then likely even go back to catch 2/3 i bet!! I mean there is only hundreds guides, and there are 100's of thousands of rec guys that want to catch halibut. Sacrifice for few for the best of many! hahah. Man im dying over here.

 

[OldBlackDog]

So if the bulk of the angling effort for halibut is in July and August, why shouldn't that be our focus - that is, if we are truly concerned about doing the right thing for average Joe Canadian angler, or is it that we are trying to horde those fish for locals who want to get an early start before the summer vacationers get at them?

Lots of areas start in May and go till Sept. what about them?
Yes you have to take local anglers into the mix and there are lots of people who do not take holidays in July and August what about them?
Why not an allocation by area?

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Ya, the guiding sector would be super stoked to have half of July and August closed, so that they can get their Septembers in... when most guides are fully booked in July and August yet not in September...genius!

The bulk of the halibut is caught during July and August.
To stay within our allocation it is those months that need to be restricted.
Make it like prawning, only open for half the month for both July and August.,

That may even mean there is enough quota left in the water to have a full september season. Something we have not had for the last 2 years and that would make the guiding sector happy.

 

[searun]

Allocation by area - there's a great idea. A recipe for a huge pissing match between anglers. No interest.

As for top 10 - great way to cut through the crap - here's mine all 8 of them, the other 2 I can't publish

1. Longest possible season taking into account or giving priority to times when most angling effort takes place - achieved by catch restrictions and season start time
2. Limit personal catch to 6 - 10 per season
3. Halibut punch card - record date and location of catch by Management Area Unit
4. Halibut conservation stamp - proceeds to general revenue (because that's the current system), but separate account set up to deposit "in kind" $ into a recreational halibut trust fund to be managed by a recreational board/society/commission - same thing we did with Fresh Water License fees and the Fresh Water Society of B.C.
5. Mandatory return of Halibut punch card to DFO to allow for improved catch monitoring
6. Illegal for guides to transfer catch to guests
7. Set up Recreational Halibut Fisheries Commission with mandate to engage recreational anglers, distribute catch and biomass data to create a transparent process for developing management options and presenting those to DFO
8. Barbless Hooks to promote effective catch and release

 

[Duffer]

X2 on that one Serengi that is a ridiculus suggestion, it wouldn't effect my buiness but it would have a huge effect on many others such as yours let's chase away more BC Tourism money. I'm missing something here why are the Sports Fishing Sector focusing on Concedeing more when we should be focusing still fighting for more Quota for Canadians and less for Slipper Skippers is it because we know we can't win?? I know everyone here is trying to find a solution to splitting up the Small Quota we do get is this where we should be focusing our efforts??

 

[lorneparker1]

X2 on that one Serengi that is a ridiculus suggestion, it wouldn't effect my buiness but it would have a huge effect on many others such as yours let's chase away more BC Tourism money. I'm missing something here why are the Sports Fishing Sector focusing on Concedeing more when we should be focusing still fighting for more Quota for Canadians and less for Slipper Skippers is it because we know we can't win?? I know everyone here is trying to find a solution to splitting up the Small Quota we do get is this where we should be focusing our efforts??

In short, because in order to achieve more quota, that would take more rallies, more letter wrting, more threating peoples jobs in office. All political action. None of which the SFAB is interested in or what they are there to achieve.

Lorne

 

[Duffer]

1. Shoot for higher Quota, no more issues, longer season, I miss the days in Vic where the season always opened March 1st

 

[lorneparker1]

In short, because in order to achieve more quota, that would take more rallies, more letter wrting, more threating peoples jobs in office. All political action. None of which the SFAB is interested in or what they are there to achieve.

Lorne

1. Full season March 1 to Dec 1
2. Annual halibut limit set to 4 (2 over 2 under) to be tracked on license (weight length area caught)
3. Mandatory Requirement of submission of license to record catch data. IF one does not return license they are not allowed to fish halibut the following year.
4. Halibut Quota set up. FUnds to go into seperate account to do nothing else besides purchase Halibut quota back from Commercial Fisherman
5. 4 way split in allocation (FN, commercial, rec commercial(Guides/Outiffters), rec fisherman) with order of priority going FN, Rec, rec commercial, commercial

 

[trendsetter]

X2 on that one Serengi that is a ridiculus suggestion, it wouldn't effect my buiness but it would have a huge effect on many others such as yours let's chase away more BC Tourism money. I'm missing something here why are the Sports Fishing Sector focusing on Concedeing more when we should be focusing still fighting for more Quota for Canadians and less for Slipper Skippers is it because we know we can't win?? I know everyone here is trying to find a solution to splitting up the Small Quota we do get is this where we should be focusing our efforts??

I believe you are correct; we should be focusing on increasing the allocation of TAC to the rec sector. The question is how is that going to be achieved. This is what I was getting at in my suggestions a few pages back. Either it's going to be a politically mandated change based upon the current allocation process or we will have to buy the quota back from the commercials.

We can either try to convince the fisheries minister to change the allocation again from the current 85/15 or come up with a set of solutions that will work towards a permanent increase of rec quota.

Any sort of regulatory change to extend the season will have absolutely no effect on getting back to a full season with 2 per day limits. All this will do is adjust the season and regulations to work within the current 15% allocation. So it's really two issues; how do we increase the rec sector tac permanently and how do we ensure a full season with the tac we currently have.

A long term solution has to involve increasing the rec quota; either by purchasing it back from the commercial sector or having it mandated by the fisheries minister. I personally believe that a halibut stamp based revenue stream used to purchase permanent quota annually is the most likely to succeed.

So my top 10:

1. Implement a halibut stamp 6$ for residents, 18$ for non-residents and use the funds exclusively for permanently purchasing quota from the commercial sector.
2. Use a personal annual limit to ensure the season stays open at least March-November. Adjust this limit annually based upon the TAC.

 

[Lipripper]

1. Shoot for higher Quota, no more issues, longer season, I miss the days in Vic where the season always opened March 1st

Feb 1st?... Didn't it only used to be closed for Jan

 

[Duffer]

I haven't lived down there since 2000 but I seem to remember looking forward to Mar 1 maybe it was Feb I remember we used to do well tied up to the Green Can off Race Rocks. Can't do that anymore. Used to good off Whirl Bay there also. I think it was closed Jan for the Spawn.

 

[Duffer]

I like your ideas trendsetter how about instead of using the money to Buy Commercial Quota we use it for lawyers to fight Ottawa?

 

[Duffer]

Just tossing ideas around here lolly. This discussion will not effect anything the SFAB brings foward. But your right back to conceding for next season.

 

[trendsetter]

I am only guessing, but it would appear that no one is clearly recognizing the benefit that the instructions to part 1 of the exersize offer in moving things forward. We can't get to part two and three without part one. I will simply wait and see where this goes before I expell my efforts any further. We wonder why most of our board meetings are unproductive or less expedient in gaining ground toward building solutions in a timely manor.

Not to discount your methods here but you are focusing on the wrong point. "the top ten wants, that would enable anglers to have a long reaching successful halibut season in 2013."

We've already identified the core problem. There is not enough TAC allocated to the rec sector to enable a full season with 2/3 retention regs on a permanent basis.

That problem requires a long term solution. How the next season is regulated should be designed so that future seasons have more TAC allocated to the rec sector. What we want to make the season longer may not be in the best interest of the long term rec fishery. If you focus on simply what we want in order to make next year a full season then you are giving in to the current system and sacrificing future halibut seasons for a short term gain.

So first you need to identify what sacrifices we would be willing to make in order to start the long term process of recovering the rec quota. Second, with the aforementioned in place, what regulation would you support to extend the 2013 as long as possible.

Focusing on short term solutions only guarantees that we will be back in the same boat next year. (pun intended)

Cheers

 

[Islandgirl]

Ya, the guiding sector would be super stoked to have half of July and August closed, so that they can get their Septembers in... when most guides are fully booked in July and August yet not in September...genius!

So there you go..
Some people are more about themselves and filling their pockets with $$

If most fish are taken July/ Aug then those are the months that need to be cut back. From the stats I have seen only 10 % of the catch is before July and August.

Thanks for taking the bait by the way...No pun intended!

 

[Gunsmith]

Lollypop, why does your rant sound familiar?

 

[SerengetiGuide]

So there you go..
Some people are more about themselves and filling their pockets with $$

If most fish are taken July/ Aug then those are the months that need to be cut back. From the stats I have seen only 10 % of the catch is before July and August.

Thanks for taking the bait by the way...No pun intended!

Oh I knew you were trolling, but I'm 100% sure if your livelihood depended on it and you had hundreds of thousands invested in it you'd do the same thing. Get a grip. Congrats on dumb comment of the day!!!

 

[Fish Assassin]

What gets me is lots of guides and lodges sell packages that include halibut fishing and each of them are turning a $$'s on our limited rec fishery. How about the rec guides and lodges that want to sell limited oppertunities buy the FN quota or fight this in the courts with their own $$'s allowing the sport fisherman to catch his or her very small amount of halibut a year when he or she wants to.

Plus it should be limited to a certain # of fish marked on a license. Including date,size and area caught.

As far as I care shut the fishery down July and Aug.