The 2023 fishing season is well underway with great reports for Chinook, Coho and Halibut coming in from all along the coast of BC. Abundance of Chinook early in the season in the north and Coho in Georgia Strait particularly have been quite exceptional and encouraging for anglers and our salmon resources. It is understood, though, that amidst the high abundance there are stocks of Chinook that require assistance and should be avoided. Management measures to address the run times and locations of those stocks as they pass along the coast are reflected in time and area regulation restrictions, mark selective fishery openings, and are determined collaboratively well in advance of the season. An ability to respond to changing circumstances or new information is an important tool for fisheries management. But equally important is ensuring that communication and consultation with all those involved in fisheries occurs as far in advance as possible. Recent Fishery Notices and regulation changes were announced with no notice or consultation. With the season underway and plans determined in advance, additional and unanticipated restrictions are disruptive for business and vacation planning and therefore to the economies of small communities that are increasingly reliant on fishing tourism in the summer months.
To that end we share a letter sent to Minister Murray regarding the importance of timing, communication and collaboration on decision making to allow salmon resources to recover, to identify predictable, reliable, and sustainable opportunities, and to allow the recreational sector to contribute social and economic benefits to the people, business, and communities of BC.
------- July 17, 2023
The Honourable Joyce Murray, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
200 Kent Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0E6
Dear Minister:
We write to express our disappointment and frustration regarding the late timing and lack of consultation with the Sport Fishing Advisory Board (SFAB) or the Sport Fishing Institute of BC (SFI) regarding the recently announced additional and unexpected Chinook restrictions for recreational salmon fisheries in BC.
While the necessity of providing additional protection for Fraser 5.2 Chinook, a stock that has shown a significant and positive response to existing measures and is now understood to be returning at above the upper escapement goal of Smsy (spawning abundance needed to produce maximum sustained yield) is questionable, it is the one day notice of the extended or modified restrictions provided to northern BC residents and to southern Vancouver Island, Port Renfrew, residents and support businesses that is most troubling and damaging.
Striving for a sustainable and predictable approach to fisheries is critical to the significant social and economic benefits the recreational fishery can provide to small communities and businesses all along the BC coast. The recreational fishery in BC must be based on responsible, timely and thorough consultation and planning. Anglers and recreational fishing businesses make decisions, book trips, and prepare based on information that must be made available as far in advance as possible and ahead of, not during, the season. Confidence in the expectations and opportunity is essential so that the businesses that support anglers and recreational fishing can hire staff, acquire inventory, and make financial commitments to their suppliers.
Recreational fishing businesses and communities that market to domestic or international customers, like any business offering a service, product, or experience, must be able to offer information that is reliable and credible. By any definition, a day or less notice is completely inadequate for important restrictions such as those recently announced and does not represent certainty or stability. The late notice and lack of consultation exacerbates an environment of uncertainty and instability previously created by poorly communicated information about fish and fisheries management.
Moving forward and to avoid repeating these same mistakes being made again, we request the opportunity to work with your staff to create a more timely and efficient Integrated Fisheries Management Plan (IFMP) development process. A revised process and timing will enable DFO to announce its fisheries plan before the summer fishing season begins, not in the middle of it. By taking this approach, anglers and the businesses that support them can play an active role in making and communication of responsible, informed decisions and to optimize, not hinder, sustainable recreational angling contributions to Canada’s Blue Economy.
We look forward to your response and to working together to provide a solution to this issue.
Sincerely,
SPORT FISHING INSTITUTE OF BC
Rob Alcock,
President
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FISHING BC APP
For fishing activity on the water this season, to have up to date DFO regulations in hand, to contribute to improving a computer learning species identification feature and a UBC study on released salmon, and to use other useful features check out the Fishing BC app.
Free to everyone, download the app on Apple or Android devices.
Until next time, tight lines,
The SFI Team |
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