Finished Business
Well-Known Member
.....Following along to the latest halibut thread regarding input needed by the SFAC.
I am curious how fellow not-for-profit fisherman received the changes to the 2013 Halibut season. I did not want to post in the other thread as it is dominated by opinions from guides, and I find that as a non-guide, opinions are over-looked at times in lieu of the business at hand.
To start off, my own feelings of 2013 halibut season....
Likes:
*6 halibut per person per season - even with 20lb an under halibut, this is still a substantial portion of meat for one person. If the one person is trying to feed a family on their own (1 angler, 4 family members) I can see how 6 chickens would not likely feed that family. But our limits are for one license and if only 1 person has a license and is catching, I see no fault in 6 fish per season, per license.
*the extended season into the winter. - although where I live has little halibut, and the chance to catch one during the winter is slim to none in my local waters, I thought the long season was awesome. Coming from the mainland to target halibut, I like having a longer season as that equals more chances for me to find good weather when I have time available. People living on the west coast of the island are really the only ones who can fully take advantage of the long season, which I think is fine, BUT chances are they have caught their 6 halibut during the summer and now have a full license. I don't imagine those on the island so close to halibut grounds wait until the cold and miserable winter months to get their fish. I think the extended season into the winter actually opens up the door for poaching for those who have immediate access to halibut areas. Off season is very slow, with next to no enforcement. This leaves a big window to take advantage of the extended season. So I guess I like the extended season for those who are farther from the water, but for those so close, I see some obvious negatives where it can be taken advantage of.
* Lastly, I liked how DFO seemed to be more pro-active with enforcement during the season after the regulations were in place. Several times I heard of aggressive enforcement in waters around Victoria, Sooke, Ukee, and Tofino. These are some of the most targeted water for halibut, both for the seascape and the population that is within easy reach of these areas. Though there were not a lot of fines dealt, boots on the water alone is enough to right a few of the wrongs out there.
Disliked:
* The Over-Under rule. With an imposed 6 fish limit, it would be difficult for the average angler to target 100+LB fish to fill their license. The costs and time of continuously searching for the 6 large fish of your dreams, is highly improbable for the average person who fishes for recreation. So I think this rule should be scrapped, and we return to the simple and logical 1 limit 2 possession. No size restriction.
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These are my feelings of the 2013 season. I put in many hours on the water and only managed to put 4 halibut on my license. 3 chickens and 1 40 lb fish. Even with that paltry catch by many's standards, it is enough Halibut to last me and my lady (2 in the household) until next season. It even lends me enough to share some with family and neighbors (though not much!! haha).
I look forward to next season and hope to improve on my catches. I would like to see the commercial and FN catches, and more importantly By-Catches, better regulated. The impact these fisheries, mostly the commercial industry, I feel, can destroy a species in a heart beat, so greater consideration needs to be given to make sure these groups are in fact abiding strictly by the rules. Recreational Anglers too should be held more accountable, with better located enforcement, on days or weekends when the water is filled with anglers, in areas where numbers of people are expected the highest.
As mentioned earlier, I would like to hear from people who do not profit from fishing, and have no financial gain other than "saving" money on food by catching, rather than buying at Safeway or the likes, though we all know we pay a fortune per pound when factoring all the costs of ocean fishing to catch our own fish.
Thanks.
I am curious how fellow not-for-profit fisherman received the changes to the 2013 Halibut season. I did not want to post in the other thread as it is dominated by opinions from guides, and I find that as a non-guide, opinions are over-looked at times in lieu of the business at hand.
To start off, my own feelings of 2013 halibut season....
Likes:
*6 halibut per person per season - even with 20lb an under halibut, this is still a substantial portion of meat for one person. If the one person is trying to feed a family on their own (1 angler, 4 family members) I can see how 6 chickens would not likely feed that family. But our limits are for one license and if only 1 person has a license and is catching, I see no fault in 6 fish per season, per license.
*the extended season into the winter. - although where I live has little halibut, and the chance to catch one during the winter is slim to none in my local waters, I thought the long season was awesome. Coming from the mainland to target halibut, I like having a longer season as that equals more chances for me to find good weather when I have time available. People living on the west coast of the island are really the only ones who can fully take advantage of the long season, which I think is fine, BUT chances are they have caught their 6 halibut during the summer and now have a full license. I don't imagine those on the island so close to halibut grounds wait until the cold and miserable winter months to get their fish. I think the extended season into the winter actually opens up the door for poaching for those who have immediate access to halibut areas. Off season is very slow, with next to no enforcement. This leaves a big window to take advantage of the extended season. So I guess I like the extended season for those who are farther from the water, but for those so close, I see some obvious negatives where it can be taken advantage of.
* Lastly, I liked how DFO seemed to be more pro-active with enforcement during the season after the regulations were in place. Several times I heard of aggressive enforcement in waters around Victoria, Sooke, Ukee, and Tofino. These are some of the most targeted water for halibut, both for the seascape and the population that is within easy reach of these areas. Though there were not a lot of fines dealt, boots on the water alone is enough to right a few of the wrongs out there.
Disliked:
* The Over-Under rule. With an imposed 6 fish limit, it would be difficult for the average angler to target 100+LB fish to fill their license. The costs and time of continuously searching for the 6 large fish of your dreams, is highly improbable for the average person who fishes for recreation. So I think this rule should be scrapped, and we return to the simple and logical 1 limit 2 possession. No size restriction.
==================================================
These are my feelings of the 2013 season. I put in many hours on the water and only managed to put 4 halibut on my license. 3 chickens and 1 40 lb fish. Even with that paltry catch by many's standards, it is enough Halibut to last me and my lady (2 in the household) until next season. It even lends me enough to share some with family and neighbors (though not much!! haha).
I look forward to next season and hope to improve on my catches. I would like to see the commercial and FN catches, and more importantly By-Catches, better regulated. The impact these fisheries, mostly the commercial industry, I feel, can destroy a species in a heart beat, so greater consideration needs to be given to make sure these groups are in fact abiding strictly by the rules. Recreational Anglers too should be held more accountable, with better located enforcement, on days or weekends when the water is filled with anglers, in areas where numbers of people are expected the highest.
As mentioned earlier, I would like to hear from people who do not profit from fishing, and have no financial gain other than "saving" money on food by catching, rather than buying at Safeway or the likes, though we all know we pay a fortune per pound when factoring all the costs of ocean fishing to catch our own fish.
Thanks.
