Sport fishermen unite! Let's join forces and make change happen within the system!

S

Sundancefisher

Member
Petition to level the playing field between sport fishermen and commercial fishermen

I tell ya. I start fuming when I see the limit is 2 halibut. 1 under 133 cm and 1 under 90 cm.

Sport fishermen must abide.

However you find out that earlier the commercial long liners were there and killed whatever bit.

Also trollers killing thousands and thousands of yelloweye in incidental catches.

Small sport fishing boats have limited radius. There is no need for commercial guys to be pigging out in sport fishing hot spots.

So here is a petition.

Please pass it on.

SDF
 
Oh really? Great idea....lead the way!
 

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If we don't start trying we will never learn as a lobby group not make change happen.

A 10 mile commercial exclusion area around all sport fishing lodges/resorts and a 15 mile exclusion area around all key public boat access points is a fair and reasonable balance due to the boat sizes and need to conserve fish stocks locally.

I don't have anything at all against commercial fishermen. They are using the tools they have to make as much money as they can. I absolutely detest anyone holding a quota and not fishing it themselves. That will be my next petition.

All quotas must be fished by the quota holder... Any attempt to sell, barter, trade, lease out etc. will have the quota removed and half given to sport fishing and the other half auctioned off yearly to the highest bidder. Any failure to use quota will also have it lost and disposed off in the same fashion.

Let's be heard people!

I have a new Avet reel that is screaming to start catching big halibuts again.
 
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What about the El Nino we're having right now?
 
Not a good way to go about this. We need as many commercial guys on our side as possible. By not consulting with them to work out these problems and by using a sledgehammer approach we only push them further away. Use the sledgehammer on DFO!!
 
On the halibut issue for example. Would it not be better to have talks with them and convince them they should be abiding by the same size restrictions as the sport fishery? Why? To allow larger females to quickly increase the halibut biomass so that Canada's TAC goes up sooner than later and results in both sectors getting back to more normal fishing seasons.
 
The South Vancouver Island Angler's coalition is a good place to start. They are doing an outstanding job with their limited resources. For a long time I have been saying that you should keep the first "X" number of fish you catch (Commercially). If you go out and catch 1000 yellow eyes, that is part of your total. No returns. Fisheries can open and close areas, the responsibility would be on the commercial fishermen to avoid areas or change fishing tactics where incidental catches are possible.
 
profisher said:
On the halibut issue for example. Would it not be better to have talks with them and convince them they should be abiding by the same size restrictions as the sport fishery? Why? To allow larger females to quickly increase the halibut biomass so that Canada's TAC goes up sooner than later and results in both sectors getting back to more normal fishing seasons.
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You're talking about Commercial fishermen, right? Concern for conservation? Commercial Fishermen? heeheeheeoh that IS rich hahahahaha

They will definitely be VERY concerned about conservation, as long as it has no deleterious effect on their season, catch, CPUE or cash flow.
 
This forum is not the way ( you are early its not even winter) get involved with the SFAB in your area if you feel passionate about it. Maybe also might be good to get a download of what the issues are before you start your quest. I am sure they need all the help, and sounds like your enthusiastic to make a difference.
 
There is a limit and they will price them selves out of the ability for most to buy. I think it would be better for all to have lots of available TAC and the selling and buying price to be fair for both the commercials and the consumer.
 
The petition is narrow-minded and blatantly self-serving. It also likely lacks the support of guides in towns who live alongside commercial fishers and have learned to share as neighbours. I could write an equally silly petition saying only unguided boats less than 17' should be able to fish within 5 miles of the hot spots. United/divided etc... I call bs on the trollers and thousands of yellow-eye part, but think they should/must keep them as part of the rockfish quota, which they need to buy at fair market price. (no gifts). Throwing back dead by-catch has passed its time.
The high price of halibut leads the current politicians to continue on the resource extraction path because most of it is exported, bringing new money to the economy. When I fish, I transfer my money from Kelowna to the coast but I don't add anything.
 
profisher said:
Not a good way to go about this. We need as many commercial guys on our side as possible. By not consulting with them to work out these problems and by using a sledgehammer approach we only push them further away. Use the sledgehammer on DFO!!
Click to expand...

I know what you are saying. However we have been a silent majority taking the apathy route and it has gone no wheres. If you read my statement I am not saying take away quota from actual fishermen. I am not shutting them down. I am simply saying there is no reason other than a desire to tick off sport fishermen by setting up shop right where sport fishermen have to fish just due to logistics of boat size and lodge or access locations.

I have known some great commercial fishermen over the years...but they as a whole are not going to stand up for us. They as a whole are not going to give up quota. They will not shut down the greed of some who are profiting off the backs of sport and commercial fishermen alike.

WE NEED TO STAND UP AND BE HEARD.

Anything else is just falling back into apathy.

IMHO
 
profisher said:
On the halibut issue for example. Would it not be better to have talks with them and convince them they should be abiding by the same size restrictions as the sport fishery? Why? To allow larger females to quickly increase the halibut biomass so that Canada's TAC goes up sooner than later and results in both sectors getting back to more normal fishing seasons.
Click to expand...

Interesting idea. However can you release a 200 lb halibut that has been on a long line for a day? How will it fair? Do they use circle hooks? Can they reach their quota killing smaller halibut? Or can they simply stay away from sport fisheries that are managed for sport fisheries. We are not talking a lot of area along the West Coast.

Washington 2014 Halibut catch plan This Plan allocates 35 percent of the Area 2A TAC to U.S. treaty Indian tribes in the State of Washington in subarea 2A-1, and 65 percent to non-Indian fisheries in Area 2A. The allocation to non-Indian fisheries is divided into four shares, with the Washington sport fishery (north of the Columbia River) receiving 36.6 percent, the Oregon sport fishery receiving 30.7 percent, the California sport fishery receiving 1.0 percent, and the commercial fishery receiving 31.7 percent.

Sport fishing versus commercial fishing is more evenly split down south. Up here the sport fishery for halibut is declining. People don't want to go out and pound the waves for a small halibut. They would go out for a chance to take home one big and one little to medium. Exciting pulling up a big one. Doesn't happen all the time but it is a story when you land one.

Now only the commercial guys land them.

We need to get talking about this stuff. We need to get us all interested in making a difference. We need to have more say in our fisheries. We are the majority users yet the minority quota. We spend tons of money in the economy making the fishing world go round. Rather than pay $20/lb for halibut...we go and buy a boat, buy gear, buy bait, buy flights, stay in hotels, charter boats, stay at lodges, hire guides...cooks...cleaner...dock hands...helicopters... and so on. Often we come home happy from trips after spending $100/lb for fish. That is true value.

So I say log on to the link...sign up and make a difference.

The alternative is read this...go to sleep. Watch our fishing rights continue to erode over time and shrug your shoulders and care less.

IMHO
 
tubber said:
The petition is narrow-minded and blatantly self-serving. It also likely lacks the support of guides in towns who live alongside commercial fishers and have learned to share as neighbours. I could write an equally silly petition saying only unguided boats less than 17' should be able to fish within 5 miles of the hot spots. United/divided etc... I call bs on the trollers and thousands of yellow-eye part, but think they should/must keep them as part of the rockfish quota, which they need to buy at fair market price. (no gifts). Throwing back dead by-catch has passed its time.
The high price of halibut leads the current politicians to continue on the resource extraction path because most of it is exported, bringing new money to the economy. When I fish, I transfer my money from Kelowna to the coast but I don't add anything.
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Some may think that. I think it is narrow minded to do nothing. At the very least you and I and others are having a dialog on this topic.

Telling salmon trollers to toss rockfish into their holds...not sure if they would do that. Could that impact on salmon? I have had salmon punctured and cut by sharp opercula and spins. Also anytime you allow significant by catch you run the risk of blatant misuse by intentional by catch...all depends upon pricing at the market. Not all would do it but enough would to impact the fishery.

Asking for such a small request as an exclusion area while seemingly having you all riled up...actually makes sense when you get right down to it. Larger boats have a larger travel radius. Smaller fishing boats are very limited. Sport fishing businesses and public boat launches have the most sport fishing pressure. Showing strong conservation measures as a business to protect a good sustainable fishery can be destroyed by a few days commercial fishing.
 
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