It's time to man up and quit whinning!
Compare this and see the truth of why you are missing the point ...
Just for the Halibut Derby runs with an annual catch of about 5,000 lbs + or - for 200 rods over two days on the water. That is 400 hook days. The derby donates $6,000 to $9,000 annually. All the fish are eaten. And that comes out of the Canada's catchable 12% sport TAC, no conservation issue. That is all achieved with no consideration of all the fun, comradery and quality time those hali anglers had in the derby and all the happy family hali meals that get served. WTF is wrong with that? Sport fishing even in derbies is an integral part of what we Canadians love to do. And so a big fish wins the top prize, why make that an issue.
Compare that to the local commercial fisherman who takes halibut from the Juan de Fuca/southern Georgia Strait. The same waters as the derby. I think I heard he has about 20,000 lbs + quota - yes one person takes more out of the strait than sport fishers do in 4 or 5 months (without him leasing more). He sets long lines for a day at a time with 4 or 5 skates of 500 to 700 baited hooks in just one set. Yes, that's just one trip. i.e. 1 set = approx 2,000 - 3,500 hook days. It comes out of Canada's catchable 88% (6,500,000 lbs - repeat six and a half MILLION pounds) commercial TAC. He takes any halibut greater than 32 cms, the bigger the better (monsters yield more money for less work) and then sells them for financial gain. And the bycatch? No donation of $6,000 to $9,000 either. No social benefit. The public get nothing from that fishery except indigestion at the fish store having to pay $35.00 per kilo for fresh fillets. Which is in fact a price inflated by non-fishing quota holders holding the dwindling fishing fleet to randsom.
If you want to let all big fish you catch go that's your choice guys. Nothing wrong with promoting catch and release either where true conservation concerns exist. But let the angling public choose when, where and which hali to take legally within Canada's sustainable catchable limit!
Please quit being apologist. This ain't about optics (killing any fish for FN FSC, commercially or even for you to feed your family is not pretty picture). You should see the blood and guts from huge halis coming off the back of a commercial boat if you want optics. This sport fishers' fight is all about demanding Canadians get fair access to halibut plain and simple. Don't get fooled into a conservation discussion either, that’s a red herring. Be a proud sport fisher, write letters to politicians, complain to your MPs, get out and demand government give you fair access to Canada's halibut. The sport fishery is by far the best use of the resource - economically and socially! Sport fishers only need a small fraction more of Canada’s TAC to protect all sport halibut fishing in BC.
Heads Up says let the derby run as always!
