2010 Halibut Catch Recommendations

[Bogman]

quote:Originally posted by searun

Actually, I concur with his point.[:0] For the vast majority of Canadians the only way to access halibut is through fish purchased from the Commercial fishery. I'm at a loss as to why more sport fishers are not able to wrap their minds around the simple fact that the Commercial Fishing interests have a legal</u> and legitimate right of access to this fishery.

Historically the sport fishery was not even close to exploiting 12% of the TAC. Not until the expansion of the sport fishing effort</u> at the same time we encountered a conservation problem or decline as it were of the available catchable biomass has it been that we exceeded 12%. Probemo for us sporties.

Now we are sitting there greedily wanting more quota, blaming everyone but...whom...ourselves. Man up as my kid would say. Time for us sporties to start thinking about how we can be true conservationalists before we become part of the problem and fish out the last remaining hali's.

This is precisely the problem that the the Fed Gov't faces when we ask for a larger share in the TAC...it becomes a legal liability and one the DFO managers have to balance as the vast majority of Canadian tax paying folks can only access halibut from commercially caught sources</u>.

Time for us in the sport fishing community to step back and assess our actual position in the game. Our only hope is to work with the commercial sector to find a mutually beneficial solution.</u> If we can't get to that place, we are destined to a whole lot more world of hurt and frustration fighting the machine for something we don't have a snow ball's chance in hell of changing.

Sorry to sound so harsh on this topic, but I think we have to remove the plank in our own eye before we pull out the sliver in our neigbour's eye. The Commercial sector is not the enemy...rather, they stand to become just as much a victim as the sport fisher's in this DFO mis-management fiasco. Time for all parties to work hard to find win/win solutions...none of us are going away, so it is time we learned to work together.




Searun

FINALLY someone gets it. Way to go Searun

"Who would have ever thought it would be this much fun catching them one at a time"

 

[Bogman]

UNKNOWN, I totally agree with you. I have watch the arguing for 40 years and could never figure out why guys couldn't see the writing on the wall to ALL get together and have some power . I guess most have the ME ME ME attitude and will fight to the end for what they think is right. Nothing would make me happier in a few years than to retire (again) from the lodge business think that we are getting somewhere. But I'm not going to bet it will happen

"Who would have ever thought it would be this much fun catching them one at a time"

 

[searun]

Yep, you guys hit the nail on the head...DFO would be staining their underwear if we ever got all the Commercial, FN and Sport fishers together and reached agreement as one group. We are destined to go no where as long as we continue to allow DFO to divide us. Can you imagine what could be done if all the resource user groups spoke with one voice on fishery management!

Searun

 

[fisher69]

Searun;

What you said X10. Until we can all sit and work this stuff out and give DFO some direction(and they need direction) we are all screwed. Just look at what is going on with the fish farms as we still fight each other over the last few fish.

There was a small amount of progress when the three sectors worked together to begin dealing with the yanks coming over the line. It would be nice to be able to build on this.

Best of the New Year to you all.

 

[Last Chance]

Here is my thoughts on it, with some help from Chris Bos.

http://www.lastchancefishingadventures.com/hali2010.pdf



Last Chance Fishing Adventures

www.lastchancefishingadventures.com
www.swiftsurebank.com

 

[scott craven]

Great, well thought out letter !
hope the results are positive.

 

[Little Hawk]

Excellent letter Kelly!
Well written and informative; it's all there. People like me who don't know a lot about hali-fishin' or the state of the resource can come away knowing lots after reading this work.

Please be sure and post the reply when you get it... likely in 6-months or so.

"Some could care less if there's any fish left for our kids!"

 

[Last Chance]

I'm not optimistic in a reply, but I'm hoping. I really don't give a damn about big limits, but I want to be able to enjoy my fishery.

Last Chance Fishing Adventures

www.lastchancefishingadventures.com
www.swiftsurebank.com

 

[chris73]

Well done Kelly. The facts don't lie. Let's see who will.

 

[beemer]

Too bad that Ritchie Shaw from Sointula does not speak without bias.
He installs diesel motors on fishing boats! What a joke.





http://www.frontierpower.ca/images/marinepowersource2005-small.pdf

 

[IronNoggin]

Excellent</u> Letter indeed!
Well thought out, well researched, and very well presented!
A very nice piece of work, sticks to the facts, not rhetoric, and carries through right to the point. [^]

I would love to think that there might be someone - anyone actually - on their side of the fence that might exhibit something even close to the same level of honesty and integrity when both replying to your letter, and dealing openly with the matter at hand. Unfortunately, I simply do not believe that person exists within either the provincial nor federal governments at this juncture. I'd be awfully pleased to be proven wrong in this belief, but I ain't holding my breath for anything even close to a positive response.

That said, the ONLY way we can get the message across is via such well thought out correspondence landing on the desks of those mandated to deal with the matter. I'd suggest everyone here who so adamantly expressed their opinions in the now 9 page allocation thread consider following Kelly's lead, and writing one or two along the same lines. The more that do land on their desks, the more "validity" they attach to them. Only thing I can think of to add would be to cc such letters to various media outlets.

Thanks Kelly! The Powers-That-Be might not appreciate such a candid approach that clearly identifies their deficiencies in this matter. However I am certain that the majority of our sector certainly DO!
KUDOS!

Cheers,
Nog

 

[Little Hawk]

"Aye-aye. Here-here!"

"Some could care less if there's any fish left for our kids!"

 

[Bogman]

Must have jinxed this thread by making it a sticky

"Who would have ever thought it would be this much fun catching them one at a time"

 

[Barbender]

Well this is the consequence of big demand for wild seafood, especially halibut. Consumer demand for the white fleshed fish has been on the increase for the last several years. Alaska has been promoting it and the fact that "wild" is better thus being promoted as such. Most halibut fishermen (with quota) are millionaires and they want more. I would not hold DFO responsible so much as I would blame the IPHC. They are the ones who are dictating this as far as I can tell. Expect the same thing to happen in the next year or so with Chinooks. They are demanding a very high price on the market because they are wild so expect cuts under the guise of "stock survival".

 

[Bogman]

I can assure you that of the 424 odd quota holders very ,very few are millionares. Some of those that are are not so just from halibut . They may own multiple licenses for different fisheries and have worked there asses off in an industry that for over 10 years the government has restricted so bad that alot can bairly pay expences. As far as the IPHC goes they are a scientific body that tries to stay out of fisheries management between the two countries.

"Who would have ever thought it would be this much fun catching them one at a time"

 

[OldBlackDog]

quote:Originally posted by The Jackel

quote:Originally posted by Barbender

Well this is the consequence of big demand for wild seafood, especially halibut. Consumer demand for the white fleshed fish has been on the increase for the last several years. Alaska has been promoting it and the fact that "wild" is better thus being promoted as such. Most halibut fishermen (with quota) are millionaires and they want more. I would not hold DFO responsible so much as I would blame the IPHC. They are the ones who are dictating this as far as I can tell. Expect the same thing to happen in the next year or so with Chinooks. They are demanding a very high price on the market because they are wild so expect cuts under the guise of "stock survival".

You are right on this one Barbender. I had some consultants out with me a couple of years ago who where involved with the halibut quota system. They told me the same thing will be coming soon for salmon, great I said more good news, and I wonder why I drink[V]



&gt;&lt)))"&gt;

You all need to get up to speed.
This is going to happen to ALL species, rockfish,crabs, shellfish etc..
If there is money in it then it will be moving to allocation if "YOU"
allow it.

So far most of you cannot agree to much so I am guessing that this will also drop off your radar till it is to late.
Pretty much how crab reform and prawn reform are not on your radar's.

This needs to be political and I am guessing that few here are involved with their clubs or groups to fight this.

I will venture to guess that most do not know that the only group with a legal fund is the BCWF.
They also have a salt water committee.

No other group has this and most have no concern about the salt water.
Other than the SFI, no other group has a committee or concern about salt water.


You know the commercial boys are not like this as this to them is all about $.

 

[fishingbc]

quote:Originally posted by OldBlackDog

quote:Originally posted by The Jackel

quote:Originally posted by Barbender

Well this is the consequence of big demand for wild seafood, especially halibut. Consumer demand for the white fleshed fish has been on the increase for the last several years. Alaska has been promoting it and the fact that "wild" is better thus being promoted as such. Most halibut fishermen (with quota) are millionaires and they want more. I would not hold DFO responsible so much as I would blame the IPHC. They are the ones who are dictating this as far as I can tell. Expect the same thing to happen in the next year or so with Chinooks. They are demanding a very high price on the market because they are wild so expect cuts under the guise of "stock survival".

You are right on this one Barbender. I had some consultants out with me a couple of years ago who where involved with the halibut quota system. They told me the same thing will be coming soon for salmon, great I said more good news, and I wonder why I drink[V]



&gt;&lt)))"&gt;

You all need to get up to speed.
This is going to happen to ALL species, rockfish,crabs, shellfish etc..
If there is money in it then it will be moving to allocation if "YOU"
allow it.

So far most of you cannot agree to much so I am guessing that this will also drop off your radar till it is to late.
Pretty much how crab reform and prawn reform are not on your radar's.

This needs to be political and I am guessing that few here are involved with their clubs or groups to fight this.

I will venture to guess that most do not know that the only group with a legal fund is the BCWF.
They also have a salt water committee.

No other group has this and most have no concern about the salt water.
Other than the SFI, no other group has a committee or concern about salt water.


You know the commercial boys are not like this as this to them is all about $.

Too funny seeing the Chair of the AREA 14 SFAB (Old Black Dog) suggesting that "few are involved" etc etc when he runs his local SFAB during the weekdays in the AM when nobody can get involved...no wonder things like this get little or no input from rec anglers....

 

[scott craven]

So what can an individual do to bring about change ??
we have all written letters to our local M.P.'s as well as the minister of fisheries with little result.
We as a group lack power for 2 main reasons, no funds to challenge
the gov't in court and dicsension in our own ranks.

I would like to know what else can be done ?

 

[fisher69]

quote:Originally posted by Barbender

Well this is the consequence of big demand for wild seafood, especially halibut. Consumer demand for the white fleshed fish has been on the increase for the last several years. Alaska has been promoting it and the fact that "wild" is better thus being promoted as such. Most halibut fishermen (with quota) are millionaires and they want more. I would not hold DFO responsible so much as I would blame the IPHC. They are the ones who are dictating this as far as I can tell. Expect the same thing to happen in the next year or so with Chinooks.

You are right Barbender the same is going to happen with all species. One other point is that if you look at how many people are on the water now (2.2 million rod days) and what the increased population projections are for VCI and BC we are going to need new management tools. There just is not enough fish out there to continue with the same limits. I would think it would be best if we got in the front of this one so we may have some chance of input into the process.

 

[Barbender]

quote:I can assure you that of the 424 odd quota holders very ,very few are millionares

If they are not millionaires it is due to bad money management. The average dock price for Halibut in BC has been in the $4.00 a lb range (and climbing). If you have a average quota of say 100 000lbs it does not take a rocket scientist to see that it would not take long to hit $1 million dollars. Granted there is fuel, bait, boat costs etc. However if you fished the last 5 years you would have made over $2 million. Not saying this is a bad thing, everyone needs to make a living. That being said I resent having to give up my fish to make a fisherman even richer. Mark my words next year the Chinook will be cut in half as the world demands more wild salmon for their table.