Halibut season length - any rumblings?

You can call it a victory on length of season but long term I'm not so sure. The transfer of quota using experimental will almost certainly be permanent and we will not get anymore than 15% IMO
 
My guess,

WOW looks like the new regs, quota, slot size and season is working. We have given the commies and DFO an out. This will now be the norm for us sporties. No need for more quota from the TAC, now when the TAC is reduced due to less halibut harvest we just have to settle for 5,4,3 per year. When season closes this year and we may have quota left, based on what science, DFO plane flew over all us pink fishing boats on Sun, wonder how much hali quota was assigned to all them sporty boats, or how many hali were bonked and hid due to new regs??. 2014 season will open in ........with same regs as 2013, us sporties will fight, call names and slam the few guys who are in the frontlines on our behalf, but then we will quickly forget the real issue and just catch our 6? 5? 4? fish. Not to sound negative but I understood this not to be a conservation of the resource issue, just who lays claim to a public resource. Why are we discussing limits, seasons, TAC, quota and not brainstorming on how to get more public resource transferred by a Judge? Lots of people have commented better than I can, please let my prediction be wrong. HM
 
Anybody heard anything yet I thought there was supposed to be a meeting yesterday?is no news good news?
 
I'll bet the season goes to the end of the year. The up north lodges are now closed and the remaining 40% left to catch will be caught much slower than the first 60% was caught. Think about it logically not emotionally. 60% of our 2013 quota caught from March 15th to Sept 15th (6 months) when most people and lodges fish. So you think we will catch the other 40% in a month when very few rec fishermen and no lodges fish? ahhh not!!! Dec 31st is my logical guess.
 
That would be a dangerous guess...would rather wait for DFO to voodoo their numbers and tell us. Then deal with that. Don't forget we have been over the last 2 years and haven't suffered a penalty of repayment.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
WELL since we have gone so far under I would asume that next year we should have a feb 1 or back to a march 1 open then as it "APPEARS" that dfo is calling this a victory so there is NO REASON why it shouldn't... using their numbers of course to finally benefit "US" lets hope.......
 
NEVER will happen now Scott as they consider this a victory and just like the barb/barbless thing here for good remember reading a article about all the testing they did re hooks and it was +- 5 % mortality well beyond the survival "rate" but they still implemented it I imagine we KILL way more releasing fish then that figure.

Ive heard of some really bad storied of guys trying to let halibut go even a broken arm .hooks in hand, not good
 
WELL since we have gone so far under I would asume that next year we should have a feb 1 or back to a march 1 open then as it "APPEARS" that dfo is calling this a victory so there is NO REASON why it shouldn't... using their numbers of course to finally benefit "US" lets hope.......

I think it would be great if you guys got your early opening as there's lots for everyone at this catch rate, as long as the under 126 cm rule stays in place until the rec fishing sector gets a bigger piece of the pie.
 
Pro-Fisher, where's the 60% used/40% left to Sep 15th data coming from? Has it been posted somewhere? I saw the numbers posted by DFO that a little more than 50% was estimated to have been caught back near the end of July, which would mean less than 10% of our allocation was presumably caught in the last few days of July, through August and the first half of September?? Seems a bit wonky as that's right in the heart of the rec fishing season. Anyway, would love to see the official numbers being used if anyone has them. I know our Area 2B commercial harvest is at 79% of their allocation as of September 19th, as posted on the IPHC website. Again, as the rec sector was tracking ahead of the commercial sector towards the end of July this year even with our restrictions (commies were at 46%, rec a bit above 50%), and have been well ahead of the com sector in all recent harvest years, it seems a bit odd that they went from 46-79% in the same period we presumably went from 52'ish% to just 60%.

Ukee
 
UkeeDreami...read back in this thread and found that we had 550,000 pounds remaining to be caught as of Aug 1st. I thought it was Sept 1st...doesn't matter it could be 20% left to catch before Dec 31st and we still wouldn't catch it all as the boat pressure isn't there. However it is still important that the fishery remains open for those who can and need to access it.
 
Pro-Fisher, where's the 60% used/40% left to Sep 15th data coming from? Has it been posted somewhere? I saw the numbers posted by DFO that a little more than 50% was estimated to have been caught back near the end of July, which would mean less than 10% of our allocation was presumably caught in the last few days of July, through August and the first half of September?? Seems a bit wonky as that's right in the heart of the rec fishing season. Anyway, would love to see the official numbers being used if anyone has them. I know our Area 2B commercial harvest is at 79% of their allocation as of September 19th, as posted on the IPHC website. Again, as the rec sector was tracking ahead of the commercial sector towards the end of July this year even with our restrictions (commies were at 46%, rec a bit above 50%), and have been well ahead of the com sector in all recent harvest years, it seems a bit odd that they went from 46-79% in the same period we presumably went from 52'ish% to just 60%.

Ukee

At first glance I'd agree however there may be other factors in play. For instance the rec sector tends to change the species it targets unlike the commercial fishers. Just reading this site it seems like the majority of guy's have focused on salmon for the last few months. Also wonder if commercial guys with multiple licenses have focused on halibut due to lack of salmon openings? Just throwing it out there.
 
I don't want to see the 126cm rule go if it means a short season. I'll happily release a big breeder if I ever get one.

Wolf broken arm, seriously? Hooks in hand I can see but a 17lbr can do that just as easy as a 135cm.

if you get a big one and your worried about the release CUT THE LINE. Don't worry about the hook or the fish.

Wolf maybe we'll see you in our local Victoria waters this fall. saw you a lot in the spring both salmon and halibut fishing. You like the same spot as me for halibut I was glad when you switched back to salmon in sooke because you beat me to the spot a couple times!
 
December 31st it is!!
see quote from release 10 minutes ago...

As a
result, recreational fishing for halibut will continue through to December 31,
 
Yep, there it is:

[h=4]Fishery Notice[/h]
Category(s): RECREATIONAL - Fin Fish (Other than Salmon)
Subject: FN0919-RECREATIONAL - Fin Fish (Other than Salmon) - Halibut - 2013 Recreational Fishery Update - September 20, 2013

The DFO and Sport Fishing Advisory Board (SFAB) Halibut Committee meets monthly
throughout the season to review estimated catches. At the most recent meeting,
it was determined that the recreational fishery harvest to August 31, 2013 is
approx. 807,000 pounds of the recreational fishery's Total Allowable Catch of
1,080,450 pounds. This leaves a balance of approximately 273,000 pounds. As a
result, recreational fishing for halibut will continue through to December 31,
2013 under the current fishing regulations. The current size and numbers of
fish cannot be changed in-season as they are authorized for the entire year as
Conditions of the 2013-2014 Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence.

DFO will review the 2013 fishery (catches and management measures) and will
consult through the SFAB consultation process this fall/winter to consider
management options for 2014. Management measures will be announced in the early
spring.

Variation Order: 2013-442

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Contact Devona Adams 604-666-3271 or Neil Davis 604-666-9033.
Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0919
Sent September 20, 2013 at 0948
 
Holy...we'll have almost 200,000lbs left over no? If not more...

As for fishtofino's comment...that really grinds my gears. "as long as the under 126 cm rule stays in place until the rec fishing sector gets a bigger piece of the pie."

Back in Feb, those involved were saying "it's only one year" "one year guys" etc etc...now all of a sudden it's until we get a bigger piece of the pie...well BECAUSE of the 126cm rule we won't get a bigger piece of the pie. This is the bigger picture, due to amount of quota purchased this year, what do you think the likelihood DFO says, well, let's scrap that program and just give them more %? ZERO! So essentially what you're saying now Sean is the 126cm rule is here to stay for the very distant future! And even if it is around one or two more years, more quota will be purchased every year that goes by without the ability to keep a once in a lifetime fish.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
And another question that will have to be asked is which resulted in how much savings each? (126cm compared to 6 annual).
 
Back
Top