What are we doing here anyway?

[Jencourt]

This is my response to the "WTF--Early herring fishery in the gulf " thread. I decided to put it in a new thread because it steers off the specific topic of this particular opening.
Any quotes have been taken from the before mentioned thread.

At the end of the day this is just one more example of how the government of this country is only interested in supporting it's own business philosophy that has turned a longstanding, well intended honest way of life into the commercial fishing cooperate machine it is today "MONEY NOW! SOME ONE ELSE'S PROBLEM LATER" This label I give it is directed to those at the top not the few hard working guys who are holding on and trying to carve out a living from this mess. It makes no difference what fishery we are talking about. The "big boys”, the corporation" has pinpointed and directed the financial benefits at so few people that the benefits to the public economy is far outweighed by the devastation to the resource. Need I say it again IT IS A PUBLIC RESOURCE!

Quoted from fish4all "They are trying to develop different markets with the same fish just a little earlier in the year."

Exactly my point. If they cared at all about long term sustainability of the entire marine echo system( That's right, that is what having no herring will negatively affect) they would be looking at this differently. They should take the opportunity that the decreased Asian market has presented the herring with, and put an end to a fishery that should not exist in the first place. Far too large of an impact to justify. No matter how much can be made.

Yes I know that would affect a handful of hard working fishermen that rely on openings to earn some money. That sucks, but only SHORT TERM. They would move on and find a way to carry on. We as humans are lucky that way we have many options. THE FISH DO NOT.

I can sit here and try to acknowledge all the factors and nuances that go into the decision making regarding commercial fishing. I could turn this into a 10,000 word essay trying to make everyone believe that I understand it all. Just as guys like fish4all and DFO for that matter can do the same to try to present the allusion that it is all ok. How it would read depends on what side of this you are on, or how you present the facts and historical records. NONE OF IT MATTERS!!!

IMO: No matter what our personal relationship with the ocean is. The most important questions that we should be asking is OF OUR SELVES.

Are we willing to continue watching as the corporate machine, along with the political selfishness of our leaders feeds it's greed until there is nothing left? When there is nothing left am I ok with looking back at this and saying "Remember when"?

In closing I will steer this back to topic regarding the herring fishery.

Every fisherman out there has heard or said............" FIND THE BAIT FIND THE FISH"

You tell me how removing mass quantities of the bait from the ocean so a few fat cats can get even fatter makes any sense.

MY 2 cents for what it is worth

Cheers: Ray

 

[calmsea]

Good summary, Jen. Unfortunately, I think I can predict the outcome. It's not that we all do not want to turn this around but the reality is we are too lazy and too busy with our own little lifes. As long as our front lawns are green, our cars are washed and we have granite counter tops in our kitchens the world is fine! Our environment is only on the radar once we have a couple minutes of spare time here and there between all the oh so "important" stuff.

 

[fish stalker]

Im beginning to think what the world needs is some environmental terr0%*&M. These letters to MPs and once and while protests dont do ****.

Birth control in Chinas drinking water would be good too. Going to take some good ol natural disasters to cull the population. These oceans and earth cannot sustain this many and more people.

We the public only know what the media digs up and is aloud to publish. Imagine if we really knew all the **** that goes down. The pipeline to run oil from Alberta to our coastline to fill supertankers was just a idea that people started protesting thinking 2 years ago that mabey it wouldnt go threw. I took a powersquardren course and for a field trip we went out to the hydrographic center in Sidney to see how they make nautical charts (very interesting place I would recommend). When looking at a map the guy says 'this the area weve been charting for the pipeline.' I said 'I thought that was only a mabey thing'. 'The government has had us only working on a way to navigate supertankers threw the islands up into Kitimat sound for the past 7 years', 'In theory it should work'. I couldnt believe it. Im so mad I cant even type what im thinking properly. Just a example of being strung along. Imagine what a oil spill would do that close inside our coast line...I dont even want to think. Not to mention the supertankers they want to bring into Vancouver harbor downtown which will travel less then 4 inchs! off the ocean floor.

 

[cuttlefish]

We the public only know what the media digs up and is aloud to publish. Imagine if we really knew all the **** that goes down. The pipeline to run oil from Alberta to our coastline to fill supertankers was just a idea that people started protesting thinking 2 years ago that mabey it wouldnt go threw. I took a powersquardren course and for a field trip we went out to the hydrographic center in Sidney to see how they make nautical charts (very interesting place I would recommend). When looking at a map the guy says 'this the area weve been charting for the pipeline.' I said 'I thought that was only a mabey thing'. 'The government has had us only working on a way to navigate supertankers threw the islands up into Kitimat sound for the past 7 years', 'In theory it should work'. I couldnt believe it. Im so mad I cant even type what im thinking properly. Just a example of being strung along. Imagine what a oil spill would do that close inside our coast line...I dont even want to think. Not to mention the supertankers they want to bring into Vancouver harbor downtown which will travel less then 4 inchs! off the ocean floor.

When exactly did you take that field trip to Sidney?
I'm wondering why the CHS is charting for private interests (supertanker owners). This should get reported on more widely.

 

[Englishman]

What Fish Stalker reports is certainly very worrying and should be reported more widely. However I doubt it is being done "for private interests". It is probably being done under the guise of "risk assessment", "feasibility", and "environmental assessment". It is probably being done for "disaster response planning" too, not that that is worth a damn if one of those supertankers goes aground in the Queen Charlotte Strait in winter. No need to worry about the local ocean environment then, because there won't be one!!

 

[Clipper]

" It's not that we all do not want to turn this around but the reality is we are too lazy and too busy with our own little lifes."

It's not apathy that's the problem. I think it's more to do with having no friggen idea what we can actually do to influence or change the directions chosen by our governments. Letters don't work. Protests don't work. Nothing seems to make any difference at all when it comes to changing the minds of our so called leader.

The stupid decisions being made by DFO and their masters have me so frustrated and angry that I have absolutely no idea what to do next!

 

[fish stalker]

Exactly English. The tankers are private or other government country owned but the pipeline and the oil are canadian. Go out for a tour and chat up the hydrographic guy. He is definitely not a environmentalist. He was about 6'3 60sih. Ill dig out my notes. The pipeline is just following the trainline out from Sask shipping out there potash used for food to grow the food for the 1.3 billion Chinese. Fertilazer is the number 1 reason they have found that creates 'deadzones' in the ocean and algae bloom.

 

[Jencourt]

It's not apathy that's the problem. I think it's more to do with having no friggen idea what we can actually do to influence or change the directions chosen by our governments. Letters don't work. Protests don't work. Nothing seems to make any difference at all when it comes to changing the minds of our so called leader.

The stupid decisions being made by DFO and their masters have me so frustrated and angry that I have absolutely no idea what to do next!

I agree on all counts. I too am angry and frustrated. For now all I can do is help get more people talking about it. Hopefully get more people angry enough to share their frustrations with people they know. Sooner or later if enough people get mad enough ,maybe something will happen. Pretty idealistic thinking I know.

 

[calmsea]

Sorry Clipper, when was the last protest that we all attended? I cannot think of any protest worthwhile speaking of where at least some thousand angry people spoke out against DFO policies. We are more than 100000 saltwater sporties on this coast. As longs as we don't get a protest of say at least 10 or 20,000 people together knocking on DFO's doors I will stick to my apathy theory.

 

[Islandgirl]

Here is my post about the little guy....not much different than the steam roller DFO has been using on us.
http://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum/showthread.php?17548-Stop-the-Steam-Roller!
Funny thing .. not a soul posted about it and said they would help?

 

[fish stalker]

'Help' by sending in the letter to the mps etc? I did a few days ago when I saw your thread and so did my mom who I sent the link to also. She also sent it to her cousins who Im sure would as well. I finally thought things were turning around for farmers when I heard some legislation was pasted a few weeks ago that was allowing them to cut out the middle man and sell directly to suppliers. Which put there profits way up. One day the farmers will get theres, grain is going to be like gold. I remember hearing in disbelief the price my grandparents got for a whole train car of wheat, 9 dollars or something crazy.

 

[reelfast]

the corporatization of the US was the major goal of ronald raygun. his movement has finally come to ground and all of you can clearly see the impact on my country. your form of government seems to have allowed this same movement to happen in a much shorter timeframe but make no mistake, that is what you are now dealing with, corporations running your country. our only solution is your only solution, throw the bums out. unfortunately, it no longer works as the disease has infected all of those aspiring to political office. enter 'occupy wall street' and who knows whatever movements are to come. it seems as though the effective strategy is now to call wide spread public attention to these gross acts by politicians and big business. that is why the 23 Y/O unemployed young lady was able to stop b of a in its tracks, public disgust and folks taking their business elsewhere. it is a big lesson to learn for everyone and one you canadians should also take to heart as you attempt to stop aquaculture from wiping out the pacific salmon. our question is whether obama has the balls to stop the XL pipeline from crossing the border.

 

[sammyslabber]

There are some forms of aquaculture that are better than other,proper setups & management have to be re-visited.
The sell off of our reasources must stop, refineries to produce our petrol,mills for our timber.All of this lends itself to multi-nacional companies profiting from our goverments flawed policies.

 

[Seafever]

What Are We Doing Here?......

We are, through posts, venting our dissatisfaction and anger with the way things are with the governing body of the fisheries.

All, IMO, to no avail. This form of protest (simply venting on a thread) is impotent and ineffectual.

Also gathering on doorsteps of offices with placards is ineffectual.

Showing up at meetings and blowing off some steam is impotent and ineffectual.

We need a much more effective way of "having some clout".

We often rely on the next elected local MLA to further our message.

But once elected they fall victim to the insider machinations of BIG GOV.

We can assemble on the legislature lawns if we like for a day, signs waving in the air.........however they couldn't care less about that.

Until we have some device of representation that carries some political clout....we are all simply blowing hot air.


(That said:- I like your T-shirt Rob!!!).

 

[Weff]

Until we have some device of representation that carries some political clout....we are all simply blowing hot air.

Well said, very true. It's frustrating, where do we go from here? I wonder what our local communities in general think about all this, particularly fish farms (one step at a time?) . Do you think a survey is worth doing, I've been thinking about doing that, just trying to figure out how. It's a preliminary step, I'll get out with boots on the ground to do it. There has to be something we can do....I"ve contacted a few groups looking for advice.

 

[Mighty Sylvan]

So who or what organization leads the way? Protest? Hunger strikes? Maybe Blockades.

 

[Jencourt]

What Are We Doing Here?......

We are, through posts, venting our dissatisfaction and anger with the way things are with the governing body of the fisheries.

All, IMO, to no avail. This form of protest (simply venting on a thread) is impotent and ineffectual.

Also gathering on doorsteps of offices with placards is ineffectual.

Showing up at meetings and blowing off some steam is impotent and ineffectual.

We need a much more effective way of "having some clout".

We often rely on the next elected local MLA to further our message.

But once elected they fall victim to the insider machinations of BIG GOV.

We can assemble on the legislature lawns if we like for a day, signs waving in the air.........however they couldn't care less about that.

Until we have some device of representation that carries some political clout....we are all simply blowing hot air.


(That said:- I like your T-shirt Rob!!!).

I agree fully! I know that venting on this forum and other methods that you mentioned have no real affect.

It was my hope by posting it in the first place to simply get the kinds of responses like this and the others.

We have now turned from complaining about what we do not like and who we blame for it,to talking about what we have done so far(That has or has not worked)and what we need to do to start change.

That to me is a very important step toward our efforts. I am very aware that it leaves us still millions of miles away from actually affecting and realizing change. It dose however IMO keep the discussion moving forward. If we stay stuck complaining and not moving toward suggestions,ideas and seeking answers to our questions we will remain just that STUCK. That is right where they would like to keep us.

So ya small as it may be just maybe 1 or 2 more people will read this,get angry enough to share it with someone they know. Whether the solution will eventually be found through political representation, legal action or some other not yet suggested path,I believe we need to continue talking and educating those around us that may not otherwise understand.

Cheers Ray