Just got off the phone with Chuck Ascroft SFAB regarding Halibut

[lorneparker1]

Your argument are fruitless, and hold zero water. For your own benefit please let this thread die. Im trying to bite my tongue here and you arent making it easy. If you want unity this isnt helping.

 

[Fishmyster]

Ok Lorne why don't you explain for him. I am presently defending your fellow Canadians who don't own boats and like to fish for halibut. Sorry if it hurts when we get down to the root of some individuals hostility to the charter industry. No need to bite your tongue with me either. You can't offend me anymore. The Canadian tourists are apreciated buy most everybody in our costal comunities because of great economical support. Why don't you apreciate your fellow Canadians?? I want to hear your or Jackels reason for them or the guides to be penalized for supporting the presently desperate local economies? Lets match wits on this. I got some spare time right now.

 

[scott craven]

I'm almost scared to jump in on this one but here goes...

No matter how you slice it the guides & sporties are in it together & share 15%
the guides are providing a platform for any paid license holder to fish from.
they are however being paid for their services, and therefore have a vested interest in the resource.

individual sports/rec fishermen does not have that vested interest in the resource
they are only in it for sport and to put food on the table.

Kind of pointless arguing back and forth, because for the time being, thats the way it is.

 

[Fishmyster]

That is so true Craven. I'm just barking up this tree to confront the real issue of closet prejudice that some anglers have to the guiding industry. This is my life long career and I am deffending my future by confronting this now. When I read between the lines of these few forum members I see some members continously attempting to germinate sepretation between guides and local rec anglers. As you know this will only lead the destruction of all of our fishing or employment opportunities. I just get tiered of sitting back and reading the biased crap attitudes of guys like Lorne. Today I have some time to chat and work to reveal what is fueling many of thier arguements.

 

[Fishmyster]

Jackel, do you think I should follow your suit and fold my bussiness too because of the present or future hurdles? Someones future proffecies may have scared you out of your past guiding career but I have decided to stick and stay.
Other than experience of fishing part of the selling factor to customers is the and knowing where your food comes from and how it was handled. Many are Canadian some are American. None are european or Australian, the cost to get fish back to these off continent countries is too great so they don't consume any tac.
I am Canadian and so are the majoriety of my guests. If we are consuming what you think is too much of the tac how are you paying for it? You, them, me are Canadians consuming our public resource and you are paying for it? I don't get your point here. Please explain how you think that you are paying for me to run my bussiness?
Perhaps a user fee for amarican guests could be resonable but why should your fellow Canadian pay more than you?
You claimed "One last thing this 15lb fish is a joke, who the hell in their right mind would keep a halibut that small, I think when the paying clients hear about this that it is going to hurt the charter business more than help". You quote is poor speculation is not correct. Every guest that I've explained the situation to has agreed that 1 and a half halibut for everyone all season is better than 2 for some and none for others. How else do we share with the later season anglers? I have been selling the halibut fishing as early season but the uncertianty of a colsing date is what hurts bookings the most. I don't mean to insult you with this but I am after 23 years still in the bussiness of selling fishing and you are not. Please believe me when it comes to what will attract or deter guest bookings.

Fishmyster not against guiding and am not bitter about closing my charter. Was my choice and mine only. You still are running a commercial business and making money off of a public resource period. You should maybe come up with a different slogan about making halibut available to the average Canadian, I am surprised the commies have not jumped on this and say the same thing we are providing an avenue for ALL Canadians to enjoy halibut, just go down to your local super market and buy some. Pardon me I stand corrected about the guides taking the 70% it is the guides paying clients from Canada, USA,Europe, Australia etc. who are taking our share of the TAC not you personnally. I had a client out on a charter about 5-6 years ago, turns out he was one of the top consultants in the setup of the halibut quota. Had a very interesting and informative discussion in regards to the hally quota. What he told me scared the **** out of me and got me thinking of closing shop long before I did. It is all starting to come true just look at the states and see how things are changing in Alaska, it is on the way. He said the reason everyone is watching this so closely is that salmon is next on the list. As for your canadian clients to have you charter, well I have $70,000 invested to fish for rec purposes, should I have to pay for you to run your business. I do not wish you financial ruin but things will have to change for the charter/lodge industry. Maybe a user fee to the clients at $10.00 head all going into a fund to secure more quota for guiding purposes only, or a stamp for guided fishers, or best of all the govt. giving us all more access to the resource. This size slot thing is a step backward, remember once you/we give something up it will be hard to get it back. One last thing this 15lb fish is a joke, who the hell in their right mind would keep a halibut that small, I think when the paying clients hear about this that it is going to hurt the charter business more than help. Marketing should adapt and sell the halibut thing early to give access to it. Yes not all people may be able to get out before August but that is life, I mean I would like to hunt in other areas during hunting season but only have X amount of time to do it so i pick what works best. Again this is not a personal attack against the guiding/lodge industry as I have been there and have seen both sides.

 

[Fishmyster]

No, I dont see you like that but some others yes. I'm all for some intelligent debate.

FM I hope this is not how you see me, remember I have been on both sides and yes we are all getting screwed. Intelligent debate is all i am after.

 

[lorneparker1]

That is so true Craven. I'm just barking up this tree to confront the real issue of closet prejudice that some anglers have to the guiding industry. This is my life long career and I am deffending my future by confronting this now. When I read between the lines of these few forum members I see some members continously attempting to germinate sepretation between guides and local rec anglers. As you know this will only lead the destruction of all of our fishing or employment opportunities. I just get tiered of sitting back and reading the biased crap attitudes of guys like Lorne. Today I have some time to chat and work to reveal what is fueling many of thier arguements.

Im not bringing it on the board. If you wanna discuss it we can do it through pm's. or you can call me anytime. There is zero value in having this debate publicily.

 

[Fishmyster]

Actually Lorne there is great value in discussing this publicly. The posts that bring on the ideas of sepratation of guided and non guided rec anglers is very threatning to all of our sportfishing opportunities in my eyes. Other posts campaigning that lodges and guides should pay more for the resource is now those are a direct threat to my and all the other charter services coast wide. It is all total decay of my future to fish. I feel it is in my best interest to confront this negativity before it spreads and gets too far. Guiding is my life and hopefuly my future so when I read internet posts that I find threatning future if I have time I will respond. Trust me, I don't enjoy this.

Im not bringing it on the board. If you wanna discuss it we can do it through pm's. or you can call me anytime. There is zero value in having this debate publicily.

 

[Fishmyster]

I love that idea!

 

[GLG]

Seems I need to remind folks that there is in fact plenty of Canadian Halibut TAC for all Canadians. In FACT the commercial industry exports out of the country between 75% and 80% (depending on the year) of the halibut they harvest.

This 85 / 15 split is the root cause of all our problems. Fix that and we have no problems.
This pitting tinboats, guides and lodges against themselves is counter productive.
Can't you guy's see that?
Get your heads out of the sand and look to the here and now and the future.
We waste or energy going down this road and DFO and the commercials are sitting back with a silly butt grin.
Beats me why we some people can can't see that.
GLG

 

[scott craven]

You are absolutely correct GLG, you have a very clear vision of the problem.
I am on the same page, it is the politicians who poorly manage our fishery that are to blame.
not the commerical's or the guides or the sportie's.
Stop the in fighting and direct the energy in getting a fair and reasonable share of the TAC
and these problems will disappear.

 

[Fishmyster]

DFO and slipper skippers may be smiling but most comercial fishermen aren't. Those poor guys get f@#$ed lots too.

 

[bananas]

Fishmyster thanks for chiming in here I think your thoughts are the same as all guides ! I know your taking the words out of my mouth for sure . By the way my client list is at least 90% Canadian and out of that 90% I bet 70 %t of that are guys from the island!

 

[searun]

Fishmyster thanks for chiming in here I think your thoughts are the same as all guides ! I know your taking the words out of my mouth for sure . By the way my client list is at least 90% Canadian and out of that 90% I bet 70 %t of that are guys from the island!

Yes, could not agree more. The rec fishing community must work together towards real and lasting change that provides us with a fair allocation of the resource. The slot limit was only a fishing solution to spread out our TAC and salvage a season for all. Despite all the hate mail towards guides, the real price being paid in terms of fewer fish will come from the lodges on the North Island, Mid Coast and QCI where 60% of the recreational TAC is caught and the average size of fish landed far exceeds that of the south coast anglers. The slot limit works to achieve spreading out the TAC by removing some of those larger fish caught up north and actually allows the southern guys to extend their season so we can fish in September etc. There have been more than enough facts put out there for anyone who wants to check them out and understand how our catch adds up within a capped TAC works.

In the end it comes to us to find ways to work together on the larger long term issues that will help us gain a larger share of the TAC (which by the way is based on conservation goals). As others have said, this is an allocation issue not a conservation issue.

Time for us to move on and stop the spear chuckin at one another. I respect the fact that Lorne is stepping back and trying to take the high road - his focus seems to have shifted towards figuring out how we can re-group and address the real issue.

 

[Fishmyster]

Thanks for the support! That guy was getting to me. Hope you all have a great season down there this year!

Fishmyster thanks for chiming in here I think your thoughts are the same as all guides ! I know your taking the words out of my mouth for sure . By the way my client list is at least 90% Canadian and out of that 90% I bet 70 %t of that are guys from the island!