juandesooka
Active Member
A post that has become an essay…thoughts on all the threads about closures, quotas, conservation, etc … apologies in advance for the length.
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We have settled into Fall, and once again this forum has settled into doom and gloom. Last year was the same, with this forum getting pretty depressing until the boats got out in April and fish started coming in. I hope that will be the case again.
Because last year’s doom and gloom didn’t come to pass…for all the talk of potential complete closures, there were a few modifications but mostly it was business as usual. Halibut changes were barely noticeable, fishing was fine and the regs made no different. Salmon changes affected at the margins, but not significantly – and while the salmon fishing was slow, it certainly wasn’t disastrous.
Not saying it won’t be worse this year, maybe it will, maybe it will be better, who knows…but the tone remains the same?
I have some mixed feelings about the debates going on here.
Halibut closure: most people have put their boats away and are done for the year anyway. Those diehards still out there, how much halibut do you really need? I am starting to lean towards a season limit, like for Chinook.
Halibut quota: like it or not, there was a conservation/quota deal worked out years ago, and “our” sector is in contravention…so we’re closed. We knew the rules upfront, so how much complaint can there be about enforcing them? Seems to me the policy is being applied correctly – although disagreeing with the policy is another story and another battle. Keep in mind we are not nearly as restrictive as the US, where it is clear the season lasts only as long as the quota – so recreational fishing is like commercial, everyone races out as quickly as possible to get their share, and then it’s done. Maybe that’s where we’re heading?
Winter spring fishing: it used to be that everyone stopped fishing in Oct, then just a few diehards out there getting a few winter springs for the BBQ. Now there’s a lot more boats out there, even a derby in Sooke, and a lot more pressure on the resource. Is this going to become the next regulated area or closure? No question these are the fish of the future…so I guess the question is fish them all now, fish them all later, or let them alone?
Conservation: there’s a lot of talk on here about “our” fish and our “right” to take them. I see this attitude as what has got us to this problem in the first place. Regardless of international laws, Canadian fishing history, etc., and looking at it from a global ecological perspective, being able to go out and get a salmon from the ocean or a river is a PRIVILEGE not a right. These fish are no more yours than they are some kid’s in Zaire or the food of a killer whale or bear. We should all consider ourselves lucky to have the opportunity at all. In contrast, a whole bunch of people in a room all shouting about their right to take their share, and their willingness to take it no matter what … as much as I love fishing, it gives me a sick feeling in my gut. And I’m telling you, the average non-fisherman has no understanding or patience for this attitude… the most common response I hear is “shut it all down, save the fish”. In our greening political climate, the more people that say this, the more likelihood NONE of us will be fishing salmon or halibut in future, whether recreational, commercial, or First Nations. Because if we’re all going to continue taking all we can until there’s nothing left, then someone in power with some cojones will eventually say ENOUGH and put an end to it – see East Coast for an example.
Creel surveys: for all the arguments about DFO incompetence, they are the only possible guardians of our fishing resource. Mismanagement will mean we ALL lose – have look at the east coast fishery for an example of what over-fishing does. The cod are gone FOREVER. Good management requires good information…bad information will almost always result in bad decisions. The voluntary creel surveys help DFO to make better decisions… and even if DFO makes some poor decisions, withholding this information can only hurt the resource. Honestly, if I was a DFO bigwig, and I had a bunch of recreational fisherman yelling at me that they are going to withhold catch information, I think the easiest response would be “fine, if you’re not going to help conservation and protection efforts, then it is CLOSED, PERIOD. Better to err on the side of caution”. And I hate to say it, this may be the most appropriate response…because as a parent of young children, this sounds a lot like those toy sharing tantrums, and I know how these are best dealt with. Ignore the behavior / don't engage, set the ground rules, and if they are not followed, act swiftly, decisively, and consistently.
So, that’s a big long rant about things I see wrong. Switching gears into trying to be constructive, what can we (me, you) do?
-- Do something positive where you can – there are numerous volunteer organizations dedicated to saving salmon. Stop bitching and moaning and GET INVOLVED…put that negative energy into something positive. If you don’t have time to volunteer, then donate money so that those who do can be more effective.
-- Add your voice to a collective: join SFIBC or another group, so that recreational fishing has a real voice in the discussions. Put in your vote for responsible leadership…guardians of the resource, not just lobbyists for a bigger piece of the pie. Look at how to best protect the resource as a whole, while also protecting your interests.
-- Think empathy: see the world through other’s eyes -- put yourself in the place of the person on the other side of the table, what are their interests and needs, how can you work towards a solution where you both get what you need? If everyone would or could think this way, a lot of this mess wouldn’t be here. The “me first, F*** the rest” attitude is what’s killing fishing and the world.
-- Get out there and go fishing: even if you don't catch anything, get some fresh air, enjoy nature, take a deep breath and look at the BIG PICTURE! [need to take my own advice here, trapped at this computer for now... [xx(]]
****
<Phew>…that’s a lot more than I intended to write, but there’s a lot going on.
I hope this adds to the discussion productively.
****
We have settled into Fall, and once again this forum has settled into doom and gloom. Last year was the same, with this forum getting pretty depressing until the boats got out in April and fish started coming in. I hope that will be the case again.
Because last year’s doom and gloom didn’t come to pass…for all the talk of potential complete closures, there were a few modifications but mostly it was business as usual. Halibut changes were barely noticeable, fishing was fine and the regs made no different. Salmon changes affected at the margins, but not significantly – and while the salmon fishing was slow, it certainly wasn’t disastrous.
Not saying it won’t be worse this year, maybe it will, maybe it will be better, who knows…but the tone remains the same?
I have some mixed feelings about the debates going on here.
Halibut closure: most people have put their boats away and are done for the year anyway. Those diehards still out there, how much halibut do you really need? I am starting to lean towards a season limit, like for Chinook.
Halibut quota: like it or not, there was a conservation/quota deal worked out years ago, and “our” sector is in contravention…so we’re closed. We knew the rules upfront, so how much complaint can there be about enforcing them? Seems to me the policy is being applied correctly – although disagreeing with the policy is another story and another battle. Keep in mind we are not nearly as restrictive as the US, where it is clear the season lasts only as long as the quota – so recreational fishing is like commercial, everyone races out as quickly as possible to get their share, and then it’s done. Maybe that’s where we’re heading?
Winter spring fishing: it used to be that everyone stopped fishing in Oct, then just a few diehards out there getting a few winter springs for the BBQ. Now there’s a lot more boats out there, even a derby in Sooke, and a lot more pressure on the resource. Is this going to become the next regulated area or closure? No question these are the fish of the future…so I guess the question is fish them all now, fish them all later, or let them alone?
Conservation: there’s a lot of talk on here about “our” fish and our “right” to take them. I see this attitude as what has got us to this problem in the first place. Regardless of international laws, Canadian fishing history, etc., and looking at it from a global ecological perspective, being able to go out and get a salmon from the ocean or a river is a PRIVILEGE not a right. These fish are no more yours than they are some kid’s in Zaire or the food of a killer whale or bear. We should all consider ourselves lucky to have the opportunity at all. In contrast, a whole bunch of people in a room all shouting about their right to take their share, and their willingness to take it no matter what … as much as I love fishing, it gives me a sick feeling in my gut. And I’m telling you, the average non-fisherman has no understanding or patience for this attitude… the most common response I hear is “shut it all down, save the fish”. In our greening political climate, the more people that say this, the more likelihood NONE of us will be fishing salmon or halibut in future, whether recreational, commercial, or First Nations. Because if we’re all going to continue taking all we can until there’s nothing left, then someone in power with some cojones will eventually say ENOUGH and put an end to it – see East Coast for an example.
Creel surveys: for all the arguments about DFO incompetence, they are the only possible guardians of our fishing resource. Mismanagement will mean we ALL lose – have look at the east coast fishery for an example of what over-fishing does. The cod are gone FOREVER. Good management requires good information…bad information will almost always result in bad decisions. The voluntary creel surveys help DFO to make better decisions… and even if DFO makes some poor decisions, withholding this information can only hurt the resource. Honestly, if I was a DFO bigwig, and I had a bunch of recreational fisherman yelling at me that they are going to withhold catch information, I think the easiest response would be “fine, if you’re not going to help conservation and protection efforts, then it is CLOSED, PERIOD. Better to err on the side of caution”. And I hate to say it, this may be the most appropriate response…because as a parent of young children, this sounds a lot like those toy sharing tantrums, and I know how these are best dealt with. Ignore the behavior / don't engage, set the ground rules, and if they are not followed, act swiftly, decisively, and consistently.
So, that’s a big long rant about things I see wrong. Switching gears into trying to be constructive, what can we (me, you) do?
-- Do something positive where you can – there are numerous volunteer organizations dedicated to saving salmon. Stop bitching and moaning and GET INVOLVED…put that negative energy into something positive. If you don’t have time to volunteer, then donate money so that those who do can be more effective.
-- Add your voice to a collective: join SFIBC or another group, so that recreational fishing has a real voice in the discussions. Put in your vote for responsible leadership…guardians of the resource, not just lobbyists for a bigger piece of the pie. Look at how to best protect the resource as a whole, while also protecting your interests.
-- Think empathy: see the world through other’s eyes -- put yourself in the place of the person on the other side of the table, what are their interests and needs, how can you work towards a solution where you both get what you need? If everyone would or could think this way, a lot of this mess wouldn’t be here. The “me first, F*** the rest” attitude is what’s killing fishing and the world.
-- Get out there and go fishing: even if you don't catch anything, get some fresh air, enjoy nature, take a deep breath and look at the BIG PICTURE! [need to take my own advice here, trapped at this computer for now... [xx(]]
****
<Phew>…that’s a lot more than I intended to write, but there’s a lot going on.
I hope this adds to the discussion productively.
