Sport anglers want larger portion of B.C.'s fish quota

[Sushihunter]

http://www.canada.com/Sport+anglers+want+larger+portion+fish+quota/4056145/story.html

Sport anglers want larger portion of B.C.'s fish quota



Fisheries and Oceans Canada could put an early end to recreational fishing season



By Derek Spalding, Daily News January 4, 2011



The recreational fishing industry on B.C.'s coast stands to lose millions of dollars if the limits on halibut quotas are reduced and the 2011 season is shortened.

This year's sport fishery for halibut could end as early as mid-July, according to speculation from members of the mid-Island branch of the B.C. Coalition of Salt Water Anglers, who will hold a town hall meeting in Nanaimo on Jan. 18 to discuss the issue.

Commercial fishing boats dominate the industry with the recreational sector having access to just 12% of fish as outlined in the current halibut treaty created by the federal government in 2003. The department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada handed out about 430 licences to commercial boats, which share up to 88% of the fish stock. This season will be the third time in recent years that the recreational fishing season will close early.

Owners of charter fishing companies say another shortened season will have a significant impact on the province's approximate $650-million tidal sport fishing industry.

"We were told that sport fishermen would never lose a day of fishing," said Gerry Rupp, owner of Invictus Charters. "We've already had two seasons end early with a third on its way. This latest agreement is not working and it's only getting worse."

A mid-July closure to the season would hit during the height of fishing season and could harm many businesses, Rupp explained. With no word from DFO about when the season will open or close, business owners are turning business away. They cannot book summer tours, if the season closes early.

"This will impact a lot of people," said Paul Rickard of the B.C. Wildlife Federation. "Guides need to advertise and book people ahead of time."

Nanaimo-Alberni MP James Lunney had little comment about the issue. He said he submitted some "very strong" recommendations to DFO Minister Gail Shea. He will look into the matter more next week.

The mid-Island branch of the B.C. Coalition of Salt Water Anglers will hold its Jan. 18 town hall meeting at 7 p.m. at Beban Auditorium.

© Copyright (c) Postmedia News

 

[Osama Bin Hopper]

Nanaimo-Alberni MP James Lunney had little comment about the issue. He said he submitted some "very strong" recommendations to DFO Minister Gail Shea. He will look into the matter more next week.

Hope his phone keeps ringing and his mailbox keeps piling up!

 

[Fish-Hunter]

Good article, we need more of these articles in the papers to draw more attention to this issue. It also needs some attention from the television news media to get to even more people. The more people that are aware of the problem, means more pressure for the politicians to also pay attention, because inevitably the more people that have questions as to why? and how come?, means that the politicians will have to answer more questions from more people. Eventually they will have to stop ignoring the problem, or just "look(ing) into the matter more next week". The looking into should already be done by now and the action should be happening today, or "next week".
The first question that comes to my mind reading the part about James Lunny is that when next week? Begining or end of next week? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS WEEK??? It is afterall only Tuesday. It would be great if he would come to the Nanaimo meeting to meet some of the people that this issue is affecting, and to get on board with an issue that is going to have a big impact in his riding.
That"s enough, I think we all get the point, before I get all riled up, gimmee a beeerrrr.
Cheers all.

 

[Lipripper]

i think the title of the article is crap and portreys the wrong message, it should read "sport anglers want access to a common property resource that is rightfully theirs which was stolen from them"...its about righting a wrong, not greed....holmes*

Yeah......
Sport anglers want larger portion of B.C.'s fish quota

Of who's quota?
It wont take much to make us happy.

I believe the commies should fish....maybe not quite as they are

 

[Fish-Hunter]

i think the title of the article is crap and portreys the wrong message, it should read "sport anglers want access to a common property resource that is rightfully theirs which was stolen from them"...its about righting a wrong, not greed....holmes*

After looking at it (the title) again, I agree with you Holmes, it does make us sound greedy (which we are not), we just want to be treated fairly, and have access to what is ours.

Now I may be out to lunch here, if anyone has the numbers to fill in the gaps in my knowledge, (I am learning as we go here). In general I am hearing that last year we (sporties) "over fished" the 12% of the TAC that we were allowed to fish from, we had to buy extra percentage from the (commies) FREE QUOTAS to balance out our "overfishing". "THIS MUST MEAN THAT THE % MADE AVAILABLE TO THE SPORT FISHERMEN (and WOMEN), IS NOT ENOUGH!!!!!! Now I also understand that we no longer have any more money to buy future "overfishing percentage" from the FREE QUOTAS that the (Commies) hold. Further to this, I believe that the (Commies) did "underfish" their 88% of TAC last year, because of "slipper skippers" not fishing at all, and because the market price dropped??? They stopped fishing because the price dropped and they had a very large surplus already in the freezers waiting for the public to buy it up. Now I have heard that the amount frozen and "waiting" to be sold to joe blow citizen, is in the neighbourhood of a full years supply, before they even fish at all next year. So what are they going to do with the fish that they catch next year?? Freeze it for a Year before selling it, or just throw out last years fish. MY LOGIC SAYS THAT THIS MUST MEAN THAT THE COMMERCIAL FISHERY HAS MORE PERCENTAGE OF THE TAC THAN THEY REALLY NEED!!!!

Just looked in my freezer, only have 6 pieces of Halibut left, guess I will have to visit the fish market here soon and buy some fish that has been frozen for how long????? NOW WAIT JUST A MINUTE! It couldn't be,,,,, is this what the DFO really is after here, suppress the Sport fishermen from catching their own fish, and that will force them to have to buy Commercial fish???

Hey if I am out to lunch here please let me know. We all need to be educated on the facts.

 

[Ding Dong!]

I have made an effort to share a few interesting links of some really good informative papers, reports and studies found on Google. http://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum...Dong!&tab=visitor_messaging#visitor_messaging Hopefully many other folks will find them as equally useful and helpful as I did. Definitely an awakening for me! I will keep adding links as I find them, most are specific to salmon and halibut, but I may wonder a bit here and there.

Ding Dong!

 

[Fishing Guide]

Cheers All,

Cheers All,

I had an excellent meeting with the Mayor of Nanaimo this morning. He had pre-read all the information and he had several very observant remarks. His main concern was to confirm this was not a conservation issue and, when provided, he promised to both attend the meeting at Beban Auditorium on January 18th @ 7 P.M. and to support sports fisherman. I was very pleased with this meeting.

I am planning on also attending the meeting in Campbell River!

_________________

 

[Cuba Libre]

Don't let DFO take fishing rights away
Bryan Allen, Comox Valley Echo
Published: Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Thank you for exposing the current mess halibut sports anglers find themselves in as a result of the grossly unfair Fisheries and Oceans give-a-way of 88% of the annual halibut allowable catch to 436 commercial fishermen. Since 2003 sports fishing representatives have been fighting to change this flawed policy.

Your reporter did a good job of trying to give both the side of the recreational angler and that of the commercial halibut fishermen. However, some of the information from the commercial side is just plain wrong. To set the record straight, there is no conservation issue here. The Canadian allowable catch is set by the International Pacific Halibut Commission. Its then up to Canadian DFO officials to allocate the fish between the Commercial and Recreational sectors.

And this is where the problem is - a flawed decision by DFO to GIFT (yes-free!) 88% of a public resource that belongs to ALL Canadians, to 436 commercial fishermen in perpetuity. They can sell or lease that portion of the quota they were given. Talk about hitting the lottery! This is not the first time that DFO has done this. There are Individual Transferable Quotas for other species too. But this time they were giving away a public resource that had become increasingly popular with 100,000 recreational anglers that fish halibut. Further--a number of what are now called "slipper skippers or "fish lords" sold or still lease the right to fish that quota they were given. They and their heirs are set for life at the expense of all Canadians.


In the article Dylan Hardie was quoted as saying that ..."First Nations stand to lose their food fish." That absolutely will NOT happen. First Nations have a special right that guarantees them, after conservation needs have been met, priority access to Canada's fisheries resources. Mr. Hardie also says that he feels that lodges and guides should buy quota and be treated like commercial fishermen as they take a large percentage of the 12% recreational allocation.

There is no parallel between guides/lodges and commercial fishermen. The lodges and guides are facilitators. It is the client that has a license to fish. The client lands the fish and the client takes the fish home to eat. So if these facilitators should be required to buy quota, where do you draw the line? How about BC Ferries and West Jet? They bring in anglers to go fishing halibut. Maybe the car rental companies, restaurants, motels and gas stations too? 75% of the lodge clients are Canadians who love to fish but don't have a boat that enables them to do so. The guides and lodges provide that service. They are not commercial fishing outfits.

From a personal perspective as a sport fisherman, I find it grossly unfair that my opportunity to fish for a halibut may be restricted while others, because of the largess of DFO will continue to fish. Please note that I said "Opportunity" because that is just as important to a sports fisher as the actual catching.
But that issue aside, recreational fishers have now realized that halibut allocation is the thin edge of the wedge. Right now, discussions between DFO and the fishing industry are taking place on privatizing crab and prawns. DFO is undoubtable eyeing other species as well. In English Common Law, dating back 800 years, the public has had the right to access marine fish resources. The government seems intent on destroying that principle. We can't let that happen. I hope others take the time to write DFO Minister Gail Shea and Prime Minister Stephen Harper to express their concerns.

Bryan Allen

Director, Courtenay and District Fish and Game Protective Association

 

[Cuba Libre]

Another letter from todays "Echo"

Get the plan in place now
Larry Peterson, Comox Valley Echo
Published: Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Regarding the halibut allocation situation, I too have a vested interest: I'm a Canadian taxpayer and voter.

It is inexcusable that DFO, the government art charged with managing this wonderful resource, did not put in place the 2011 allocation plan way back in October, as mandated. Further, the plan should have included opportunities for the public starting Feb. 1 and carrying on through Dec. 31.

We can go on and on about lodges and "slipper skippers" and the like but these are side issues. The issue is access by Canadian citizens to a Canadian resource.


I do need to say about lodges that if they are Canadian-owned and paying Canadian taxes and offering opportunities to Canadians and bringing money from other countries into the Canadian economy and not abusing the resource such that they are compromising sustainability, where is the problem?

So, back to the issue: DFO, get your plan in place, communicate it clearly and soon and ensure there is opportunity for the Canadian public beginning Feb. 1 and lasting through Dec. 31.

Larry Peterson

Courtenay

 

[scott craven]

i think the title of the article is crap and portreys the wrong message, it should read "sport anglers want access to a common property resource that is rightfully theirs which was stolen from them"...its about righting a wrong, not greed....holmes*

You are right Holmes, and in fact the editor asssigned the title to my letter as well as changed the text
which i was quite shocked at.
all he had to do was change the word "larger" to "fairer"in the title and it would have made all the difference.