Int'l Pacific Halibut Commission Annual Meeting - Victoria, Mon thru Fri
- Thread starter UkeeDreamin
- Start date
I don't think it matters what regulations are in place I think we are in for a shorter season and here is why.
With the TAC system and no fixed season lengths it turns into a land grab - or Hali grab if you will. Everyone is going to be pounding on the flatties trying to get theirs before the season ends. 1/1, 1/2, slot - no slot etc. I think everyone is so aware now that you gotta get your fish while you can that effort just keeps increasing and those fish are coming over the gunnels quicker and quicker each year.
I can see how 1/1 sucks for anyone who doesn't live close to the resource but if the goal is maximum season length then that's what we could be looking at.
Hey ProFisher do us a favor no more Hali seminars alright? Or if you do give bad advice so the catch is reduced not increased. Lol
With the TAC system and no fixed season lengths it turns into a land grab - or Hali grab if you will. Everyone is going to be pounding on the flatties trying to get theirs before the season ends. 1/1, 1/2, slot - no slot etc. I think everyone is so aware now that you gotta get your fish while you can that effort just keeps increasing and those fish are coming over the gunnels quicker and quicker each year.
I can see how 1/1 sucks for anyone who doesn't live close to the resource but if the goal is maximum season length then that's what we could be looking at.
Hey ProFisher do us a favor no more Hali seminars alright? Or if you do give bad advice so the catch is reduced not increased. Lol
SerengetiGuide
Well-Known Member
The more I think about it, one option which I saw metrics for in an email that was thrown own (metrics were by DFO) was 1/2 during march-june then for july august 1/1...this I think IF WE MUST slow consumption, is the best option and it would keep the season going into September easily. Once again, that is an if we must, otherwise I'm all for the 1/2 with slot all season.
SerengetiGuide
Well-Known Member
After looking at the DFO numbers they provided us, 450k lbs are caught in July alone, you could easily go 1/1 for July only, and even if that is 1/3 savings (wouldn't quite be 1/2) that is 150k lbs, more than enough to extend the season into middle-end of September with an annual limit...thoughts? I think even just going July as a 1/1 and all otehr 1/2 with slot is a good option other than whole season with 1/2 slot... (wonder what Ukee and Jerry think of this LOL)
SerengetiGuide
Well-Known Member
Oh no Jerry I agree with there should be no further restrictions 100% Just throwing ideas out there if DFO are gonna be a pain in the butt.
UkeeDreamin
Well-Known Member
Hi Serengeti, your answer would be in the numbers as I've advocated all along. Of that 450k harvested in July there should either be some hard numbers or an educated guess on what % of that is harvested as a second possession fish, which would be eliminated with the reg change to 1/1. No locals/day trippers would ever be harvesting a second possession fish, nor would single day charters. Of remaining effort you'd have to take off those still on their first fish or those who are unsuccessful on any give day. You'd be eliminating the second fish from guys on multi-day lodge trips, private trips or multi-day charters. Whether that's 10% of July effort or 40%, I don't know but you'd absolutely save that amount of lbs. Somewhere between 50 and 150k lbs saved would probably be a safe bet.
Ukee
Ukee
GLG
Well-Known Member
We disagree with why last season ended when it did.
BUT... to say your thoughts are not welcome is not true for me.
I apologize if I can across like that.
....watch us get more and more restricted in the name of, well im not sure, ....... It's because of the fish.... we can't over harvest or we would be no better then the east coast and the cod resource that the Gov let slip away...
Remember we have a duty not to let that happen for the next generation.
GLG
searun
Well-Known Member
Wise words. I also concur, while I also do not agree regarding why the season ended when it did, the debate and discussion is a great way to exchange views and maybe from it will come great ideas on how to proceed in the years ahead...which will be challenging. If we think it has been difficult in the past 3 seasons, you ain't seen nothing yet. We dodged a bullet this season.
Lots of potential choices being discussed, none of them that get you a full season include the 1/2 slot; all include a max annual retention limit of 5 - 6 fish. Regardless it will be a very, very tough decision for the SFAB Main Board. I would not want to be in that room making that call. This is not a choice they will be discussing, but my personal favorite would be:
1:2 slot combined with 6 fish annual retention limit of which only 3 may be over 83cm - punch card to record catch, condition of license it must be turned into DFO to capture catch data.
This would in my view spread the angler effort away from trophy hunting; help avoid the gold rush associated with other options like 1:2 slot reduced to 1:1 during prime high use months of July/Aug; reduce impact of multiple day trip with no cap (guys filling their freezer); punch card for your 6 fish and must record date/place and length of fish caught; punch card must be turned in at season's end to ensure DFO gets data as condition of license - anyone buying online licence must have a registration number and cannot get another online license unless they submit a catch log electronically. Idea behind 6 fish annual limit is that allows an angler 3 multiple day trips where they could catch 1 under and 1 over; only allows for 3 large fish retained in one season, which would reduce impact on TAC in some areas - would not address issues in QCI with high grading on multiple day trips however, but nothing is perfect.
searun
Well-Known Member
Agreed, we need more reliable data, which is why I would propose mandatory recording catch with biological data such as length on a punch card which must be turned in as a condition of license. We are pretty sure the actual catch is lower than the model, but have no way to challenge it in absence of better data. A lot of options being tabled for discussion provide for various season length. There are some which provide for full season, but they involve slot limits with maximum size restrictions. In other words you would have a reverse slot of 1 fish under a size limit and 1 under a size limit. The max annual limit is predicted to reduce TAC exploitation by 5%. You have to remember that 49% of the Area 2b catch comes from QCI and those are usually multiple day trips where guests have time to high grade large fish which impacts use of TAC....and that data is accurate because the lodges must log all fish and collect biological data. Biggest problem is WCVI for collection of data. The whole mess could be cleaned up with mandatory punch card and requirement to turn it into DFO. They could hire some kid to log the data in the off season which would be a hell of a lot better than overflights and spot checks. Very difficult decisions as there are way too many variables, and the biggest is the anglers themselves who have unpredictable changes in how they fish in response to changes to the regulations. An impossible situation for those poor buggers sitting around the SFAB table this weekend. I feel sorry for them.
SerengetiGuide
Well-Known Member
The majority of those "out of towners" are Canadian and just as entitled to those halibut as you are
searun
Well-Known Member
Looking like the annual limit is gaining huge traction with DFO. The issues become what kind of season do you want, and what are the risks and benefits of various options. The various options have been modelled out to predict the TAC used. Each involves unknown risks which are hard to predict. No option is what I would call a good one, rather they are the best of a bunch of not good ones that hopefully allow for a reasonable season. SFAB Main Board will need to determine which best fits the things they attach the most value to....ie. is it season length, size of fish, protecting prime time season (July/Aug). Not easy decisions, good luck to them. Regardless of the decision, we should try to make it work and get behind and support those who had to wrestle with it.
Wow Mike you sure are out of touch with the program out there,ever since this reduced tac came into play 90% of us swiftsure guides have been dedicating more anchor time effort towards larger halibut iam certain you must have nocticed that!the days of the ping pong fishery for the most part are long gone,i agree, that the max size for 3 fish is not an option,creates to many risks for anglers,if there is a max of 5-6 fish Mike .iask you how many do you and your wife really need ,especially when you catch nothing but big fish,i believe you quoted 50-60 lb average x 6 thats a **** load of halibut,as a former guide who never really ever made it to the bank ,surely would recognize that catching fish for your guests is a largr part of securing future business and if you can do this at a reduced cost why not! ,these are things that we have had to ajust too.Who are you to judge weather or not 1 more 12 lber justifys someones trip,perhaps this attitude was your demise in the charter business
So keeping an annual limit to 5-6 fish shouldn't be a problem then,not sure on where you were seeing boats with small fish as there are no guide boats near you ,and once again if the limit for halibut is 2 in possession then canadaians and others are entitled to that weather its 12 lbs or not .when did annual income become part of this topic ,your missing the point.Iam in a business to make money Mike like yourself ,iam not a preacher but when in comes to fishing ethics iam all in 100% my guests pay me to take them fishing and to have to oppurtunity to catch the fish they are entitled too,,period.
scott craven
Well-Known Member
I am in agreement with an annual limit, however i believe that setting it too low
will encourage people to weed through small fish to get to a bigger one.
Halibut are a pretty hardy fish, but I would not like to see gut hooked juveniles cut up
in search of a favorite jig.
I think 10 fish is reasonable. If annual limits are reasonable there will be far less poaching.
will encourage people to weed through small fish to get to a bigger one.
Halibut are a pretty hardy fish, but I would not like to see gut hooked juveniles cut up
in search of a favorite jig.
I think 10 fish is reasonable. If annual limits are reasonable there will be far less poaching.
scott craven
Well-Known Member
It's less than one fish a month, and you don't have to take them all .
exterminator
Member
I like to think that one fish is all that is needed in my own freezer. When it is gone, then go get another, because the best fish is the fresh one completely used and not wasted. I'd rather have one fish in the freezer and the other one left in the ocean for the next trip. Last year I retained one fish, and it fed the family for months. Does anyone really need to fill the freezer beyond what you would eat till next season?
My freezer is empty now, and it would sure be nice to get a fresh catch right about now. I don't mind yearly limits, but limiting the season opening window leads to that "filling the freezer" mentality because you don't know when the next opening is.
My freezer is empty now, and it would sure be nice to get a fresh catch right about now. I don't mind yearly limits, but limiting the season opening window leads to that "filling the freezer" mentality because you don't know when the next opening is.
trendsetter
Active Member
x2 I agree 100%. I've been suggestion a 6 per year limit all along. Who needs more than six halibut per year? if you really need more than that then get a license for your wife and take her fishing!
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