UkeeDreamin
Well-Known Member
Thought folks would be interested in this paper presented by DFO at this week's Int'l Pacific Halibut Commission Annual Meeting:
http://www.iphc.int/meetings/2013am/documents/5.1DFOsummaryFL.pdf
Regarding Rec Halibut Fishing in 2012, the DFO report says we harvested 1,157,879 lbs, which is about 6.5% over the Rec TAC of 1,084,65 lbs for 2012. Though, as has been stated many times on this forum, the accuracy of the creel survey/overflight methodology of estimating the Rec catch is far from great and would have error greater than the 6.5% overage. (Interesting, though, that all of Canada's TAC wasn't harvested in 2012 - i.e. Rec fishery was shut down despite harvestable TAC being left this season!)
More concerning is the fact that a revised biomass estimation model being promoted this year would see biomass estimates and harvest recommendations reduced by some 30%. The Commissions info submitted on the first day proposes Area 2B's rec harvest between 0.65 and 0.7 million lbs, depending on the scenario, which is more than a 30% reduction from our TAC last year and is only 60% of our estimated harvest last year!!
Numbers I've posted on this forum before show that our season length and total harvest were virtually identical in 2011 and 2012, meaning the slot limit did nothing to reduce harvest last season. Regardless, if BC's Rec TAC is reduced even close to what is proposed there will be some serious changes to this year's season and/or regs.
Also very disturbing is the fact the Commission has endorsed DFO's 85:15% split between the commercial and rec sectors. I've seen nothing in the way of submissions from any Canadian or BC Rec fishing organizations promoting our position, despite the open call by the IPHC for any and all submissions regarding management actions prior to this meeting. The meeting is open to the public and is available via live webcast as well. After each day the day's presentations and support materials are also posted for the public to view. Just go to the IPHC's website and go to the 2013 Annual Meeting link:
http://www.iphc.int
Interested to know if any members here have attended or plan on attending any of this year's meeting sessions?
Ukee
PS - one last thing, the lease quota harvested by the Rec sector in 2012 was just 1,266 lbs.
http://www.iphc.int/meetings/2013am/documents/5.1DFOsummaryFL.pdf
Regarding Rec Halibut Fishing in 2012, the DFO report says we harvested 1,157,879 lbs, which is about 6.5% over the Rec TAC of 1,084,65 lbs for 2012. Though, as has been stated many times on this forum, the accuracy of the creel survey/overflight methodology of estimating the Rec catch is far from great and would have error greater than the 6.5% overage. (Interesting, though, that all of Canada's TAC wasn't harvested in 2012 - i.e. Rec fishery was shut down despite harvestable TAC being left this season!)
More concerning is the fact that a revised biomass estimation model being promoted this year would see biomass estimates and harvest recommendations reduced by some 30%. The Commissions info submitted on the first day proposes Area 2B's rec harvest between 0.65 and 0.7 million lbs, depending on the scenario, which is more than a 30% reduction from our TAC last year and is only 60% of our estimated harvest last year!!
Numbers I've posted on this forum before show that our season length and total harvest were virtually identical in 2011 and 2012, meaning the slot limit did nothing to reduce harvest last season. Regardless, if BC's Rec TAC is reduced even close to what is proposed there will be some serious changes to this year's season and/or regs.
Also very disturbing is the fact the Commission has endorsed DFO's 85:15% split between the commercial and rec sectors. I've seen nothing in the way of submissions from any Canadian or BC Rec fishing organizations promoting our position, despite the open call by the IPHC for any and all submissions regarding management actions prior to this meeting. The meeting is open to the public and is available via live webcast as well. After each day the day's presentations and support materials are also posted for the public to view. Just go to the IPHC's website and go to the 2013 Annual Meeting link:
http://www.iphc.int
Interested to know if any members here have attended or plan on attending any of this year's meeting sessions?
Ukee
PS - one last thing, the lease quota harvested by the Rec sector in 2012 was just 1,266 lbs.