Halibut opening

[UkeeDreamin]

I think a 1 fish limit would actually have a very large effect on up north poundage taken and I don’t think the models we saw in January really showed that at all, which doesn’t make sense.

Expecting the halibut rec harvest model being used by DFO to make sense is like expecting the sun to rise in the east and set in the west ... expect all you want, it ain’t gonna happen! The most significant benefit that could come from rec anglers getting organized and funded would be the ability to collect better data than what DFO half-asses and contract proper modelling to counteract the garbage DFO is producing.

Cheers!

Ukee

 

[The Jackel]

Lol that is the best one liner I’ve heard in a long time! The whole program is a poachers dream...what a joke. Canadian rocket surgery in action.

Searun what he says is the truth, just like the online license, save money by the govt and no way to regulate it

 

[searun]

Searun what he says is the truth, just like the online license, save money by the govt and no way to regulate it

Absolutely. I was getting the humour he was tossing down. Whole program is a joke.

 

[Aces]

There was someone who got into that program in our town.

He ended up having boat issues, not sure it was related.

 

[Charter Tofino]

There was someone who got into that program in our town.

He ended up having boat issues, not sure it was related.

Tofino had a few buy into it unfortunately.

 

[Aces]

Tofino had a few buy into it unfortunately.

Could you pm me the link for that?

 

[Rain City]

Absolutely. I was getting the humour he was tossing down. Whole program is a joke.

Sorry can someone explain this system? I'm so lost.

 

[searun]

Its a long sad tale of how DFO cooked up a program to help broker the lease sale of Commercial Halibut TAC from slipper skippers who don't actually fish their TAC - you can buy it from a willing seller in small pound increments and then fish however you wish (no recreational fishery rules or limits), with very few actual controls in place to prevent poaching. A real dog's breakfast, with no effective checks and balances.

Its the Department's silly solution to the allocation problem created by apportioning 85% of Canada's TAC to the commercial sector in an ITQ system that takes a public property resource gifting it at no cost to a select group of grandfathered commercial fishers. This monetizes a public property resource into the gifted hands of slipper skippers who are free to lease this ITQ or sell it out-right. Current price is something north of $160/pound if you want to buy in.

Halibut are a public property resource, and should remain that way and not handed over to any individual in an ownership scheme IMO. There are many threads on the perils of ITQ systems if you want to research more.

 

[Rain City]

Its a long sad tale of how DFO cooked up a program to help broker the lease sale of Commercial Halibut TAC from slipper skippers who don't actually fish their TAC - you can buy it from a willing seller in small pound increments and then fish however you wish (no recreational fishery rules or limits), with very few actual controls in place to prevent poaching. A real dog's breakfast, with no effective checks and balances.

Its the Department's silly solution to the allocation problem created by apportioning 85% of Canada's TAC to the commercial sector in an ITQ system that takes a public property resource gifting it at no cost to a select group of grandfathered commercial fishers. This monetizes a public property resource into the gifted hands of slipper skippers who are free to lease this ITQ or sell it out-right. Current price is something north of $160/pound if you want to buy in.

Halibut are a public property resource, and should remain that way and not handed over to any individual in an ownership scheme IMO. There are many threads on the perils of ITQ systems if you want to research more.

Unbelievable. I've only just started to educate myself on these issues and am already frustrated. I couldn't imagine having to have lived this nightmare for the past thirty or fourty years. Good on you guys that have, and still fight the good fight.

 

[UkeeDreamin]

DFO yes but - DFO acting on the orders of the Harper Conservative government. Worst government in history as far as rec fishing interests: industry wanted deregulation so Harper tore up the Fisheries Act and Environmental Assessment Acts and literally had industry rewrite them, cut DFO habitat program by over 60%. Also did his best to turn the west coast into the east coast as far as marine fisheries being gifted to commercial, particularly industrial commercial, interests ... halibut lease program was just a small part of the damage done by Harpers government!

Cheers!

Ukee

 

[ericl]

I couldn't imagine having to have lived this nightmare for the past thirty or fourty years. Good on you guys that have, and still fight the good fight.

It's a fairly recent "problem" - back in the day we could catch 2 any size per day with 3 in possession. Depending on where you fished, you could catch all the Hali you wanted while trolling for Salmon. It's now gotten popular with sporties.
I somewhat disagree on searun's stance on this issue; the commies had been in this fishery since the early 1900's & have significant investment in boats & equipment. At the time the split between sports/commercial was put into place it was projected that within 5 or so years the sports sector would "Run outta fish" so to speak. This selling/leasing of quota is though messed-up. For the most part the commercial fishing industry "owns" the involved government agencies coast-wide.

 

[Derby]

its a Canadian assets.. not to be owned bye anyone but the People of Canada....The sport sectors has always said that we require 20-25% of the allocation to execute a fishery... anything that is not fished the commercial industry can fish it... funny how it is when the commercial industry leaves fish in the water and we don't get to fish there............. Washington state the sport sector gets 40 or 50% of the allocation...

 

[CXI]

DFO FN0256 received at 12:05 hrs (MDT) says halibut opening is 00:01 hrs April 1, 2018. Max length is 115cm. Daily limit is one, possession limit is 2, only one can be over 83 cm. Annual limit is 6.
Pretty much the same as last year except for the reduced maximum length.

 

[Pumper]

I heard from fisheries 5 to 8 dollars a pound for the program.

I'm a sports fisherman and I don't get 6 hilbut a year, so would it not be better to get Hali tags when you bye your license? Fish tagged good to go run out of tags your done so no reprint of licence. And, god forbid you don't tag your fish.

Lingcod 2

 

[ziggy]

I’ve had a terrible halibut season, first I didn’t bother in the Spring, choosing to wait for the fall. We all know what happened there! Then I figured I’d give her a shot when she opened this year. Got out a few times but no luck. So I’m ashamed to admit this year was a skunk, although I’m sure DFO has me down for catching 6 based on some DFO estimation voodoo.

 

[UkeeDreamin]

We have salmon tags, why not a halibut tag? For starters it’d stop DFO “guesstimating” every boat is targeting halibut when only a fraction of license holders purchase a tag. I’d support it IF 100% of the funds went to a rec fish organization (similar to how the PSF now gets the salmon tag funds) and funds were used to collect data specific to the halibut fishery, model real exploitation and lobby for the rec sectors cause. If that was the case I’d be happy to pay a hefty sum for said tag even in the years I didn’t get out to fish them!

Cheers!

Ukee

 

[GLG]

although I’m sure DFO has me down for catching 6 based on some DFO estimation voodoo.

At this time of the year DFO uses iRec so they only count what has been reported and based on how many have filled out the survey and how many they sent out. Just another reason why it is important to make sure that when an angler gets a request for iRec that they report the zero catch. It's not exact but for the cost it's reasonable.

 

[GLG]

Question for those that think tags could work. How many tags would you create and how would you allocate them out?

 

[ziggy]

Question for those that think tags could work. How many tags would you create and how would you allocate them out?

I would suggest they have the fishers license number embossed on them. Max number would align with annual limit. All fish kept must be immediately tagged.Unused tags returned to DFO for refund. Whether that refund represent an additional fee charged like the salmon stamp or simply a deposit would be something to workout! Would likely result in a way more accurate count.
Then again if it’s just a more accurate count you want, as I’ve said on numerous occasions already. Make the catch report part of the online licensing procedure.

 

[wildmanyeah]

There are two fundal mental divides that needs to be resolved before next season.

1. Do we want to be able to fish for all season or do we want a 1/1 anysize/largest size we can get derby (how do u make that fair when area's claim they have different seasons) Do you assign quota to areas? when do you open the areas? when do you close them?
2 .85/15 How do we get more quota!!

Maybe there's an opportunity to bargain with DFO since their going to be reducing our chinook catch maybe they can compensate us with more Halibut quota.

I honestly have no idea just throwing out ideas to discuss. One thing is for certain is it seems our biomass is shrinking for most stocks and how are we going to deal with that over the next 10 years?