Sport fishing is big Business

[Jencourt]

I do not know who you are. I don't know if you have given up multiple days of wages to attend meetings and protest local politicians offices . Or driven to other towns to hear what groups like SFI have to say. I don't know if you have spent endless hours sifting through information and asking way too many questions of people. I don't know if you are an active member of your local SFAC.

I do know this is what I have done. I did this so that wen I am vocal and put my time and limited resources behind something I do so with an educated and well informed place to start.

Did you spend hours and days educating folks from out of town on the halibut and the ITQ. Were you responsible for gathering 20- 25% of those who attended the town hall meeting in Kelowna while living on the Island. I did. I hope the answer to these questions is yes and that you have in fact done much more than I have. You see I have only been at this for the last 3 years or so. Oh and in case there is any confusion. I have no vested interest in sport fishing . I am lowly cabinet maker.

I share in the frustration you display here. I have heard on a couple occasions that as many as 30 thousand rec licenses pass through vic and surrounding area each year yet SVIAC struggles to get 300 members. I may join yet as I do think much of their mission is bang on what is needed. I also know that we need to get this court case payed for and we can not go at it half butt. This outcome holds more weight than most anything else happening at this juncture in our battle. I happen to be one that is looking for a way to get all you groups to join forces settle on an agenda and use the power of numbers to educate and multiply those numbers.

I respect your obvious passion to finding solutions to what is clearly taking our great sport out from under us. I hope one day we can spend as much time lying about fishing as we do on this stuff.

Cheers Ray

 

[calmsea]

Derby (and others), fair enough and you probably know more about those guys and if it has a chance of making a difference. And if there are a few already in Ottawa fighting for us, kudos to them and who sent them. But obviously their effort alone is not enough to break it to the key people in Ottawa. I just see some dedicated people with maybe a chance of increasing our odds and I see so little momentum to help them. I have donated generously to the Malcolm case too and I stand by my pledge to support any meaningful initiative to help our cause. I have been fishing here for a long time and I have lived through many changes. I am sort of retired now and enjoy what is left of our fishery and I am willing to give what I can to offer the next generations of fishermen a chance of hope. If it fails because we were unable to raise a few lousy thousand $ for a real opportunity then what does that say about us?

 

[bigbruce]

You're putting the cart way ahead of the horse here. $5000 probably wouldn't get you air fare and a week in a hotel in Ottawa. Frankly, challenging folks around here to match your $100 is a bit ridiculous when we haven't any idea as to where all these matched funds are going to go.
I will gladly match your $100 if you can provide me with a clearly defined plan and strategy that I think has a realistic chance of success.

 

[Aces]

You're putting the cart way ahead of the horse here. $5000 probably wouldn't get you air fare and a week in a hotel in Ottawa. Frankly, challenging folks around here to match your $100 is a bit ridiculous when we haven't any idea as to where all these matched funds are going to go.
I will gladly match your $100 if you can provide me with a clearly defined plan and strategy that I think has a realistic chance of success.

THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ UN..... Calmsea, I personally contibuted close to $5000 in donated trips, donations and memeberships to fishery causes last year and have been doing this for over 15 yrs. In fact the guides in Tofino have an additional program now where we donated an extra 1% of our gross earnings to our unfunded by DFO Salmon Enhancement society.

 

[Admin]

I have taken the time to clean up this thread and now will just throw out a reminder that everyone is entitled to their opinion here as long as it is posted in a respectful manner. I dare say that most members of this forum are passionate about everything surrounding catching and conserving fish, which in it and of itself brings an immediate contradiction in terms to those on the outside who just don't "get" people who love to fish. Bring your passion but do not let it get out of control. I have yet to meet anyone, guides, lodges, or recreational fishing people that didn't give a crap about fish and the conservation thereof. Choosing to support this "group" over that "group" when it comes to donating is a personal preference, so let's not have that discussion here. I believe it is best left to the people involved in these organizations to answer questions and pursue means to raise funds for their cause as they see fit.

Brian

 

[Purple Hazer]

Good job Admin! Now you better keep an eye on the canuck thread

 

[finaddict]

Ok so I will jump into the fray. I do so with the utmost respect to all those who are presently volunteering and contributing. Presently I am not volunteering, but did so in the past for many years. I know how much time it can rob from your "free" hours and how it can impact on your day to day life. I do contribute monetarily on a number of fronts, but that is all beside the point.

Has there ever been a collective meeting of the presidents of ALL the major sports fishing groups? Wouldn't it be great if we could gather the presidents of the SFI, PSF, BCWF, BCFF, BCFDF, SVIAC, the guide association, the lodge association, etc. into one room and post a sign that all egos must be checked at the door? I know that there has been meetings of many of these groups and I know I have probably missed many of the groups that deserve to be there, but wouldn't it be great if we had an opportunity for all these groups to meet and begin the process of finding all the common ground between them. Surely we all have more common ground than we do differential interests. And if the common interest is more fish for us to catch then we have to admit that, however unpalatable it may be to the general public. If the common ground is the present conservation and future enhancement of salmonids for the good of all mankind, then we certainly would have to swallow a bitter pill of being prepared to make more difficult personal sacrifices. I tyhink that may be too tough for some organizations to do. I also think that the common sport fisherman has made more sacrifices in terms of opportunities than other resource user groups.


So how do we get everyone in the same room and find that common ground and where do we set up this meeting?

 

[chris73]

Good point, fin. SVIAC has started an alliance building process when likeminded groups were gathered in a meeting last fall. Everyone there applauded the idea of coming together on a regular basis to mutually coordinate common projects or support each others individual efforts. Now, it was only a start at a more regional level but I hope this will expand to include other regional and provincial groups as the SVIAC idea and its influence growths in other regions and other groups see the benefits and put aside their skepticism and come to the table. For more info on SVIAC and its idea please check out their website: http://anglerscoalition.com/ and I encourage you to send them questions or concerns you may have. SVIAC is not a "know-it-all" organization and is adaptive and receptive to opinions, suggestions and ideas.
Just to give you a glimpse of what alliance building under a SVIAC umbrella can mean (without spilling too many beans and before an official notification): Last night, SVIAC hosted an overwhelmingly successful meeting in Sooke with representatives of all user groups, stakeholders, politicians, first nations and business groups to kick start a huge community driven project that has the potential to not only make southern vancouver island the fishing mekka it could be but also to address the tricky issue of the starving orca whales. You should have seen the power of support! Big things can happen when the right people come together!

 

[searun]

I like where this thread is finally going. A lot can be accomplished if we can, as has been suggested by some, set aside special interests and egos to focus on what we all can agree upon. It would be amazing what could be accomplished if we just pulled together on a few strategic issue of common importance....

 

[profisher]

Chris you are right there was a lot of passion in that room last night and I think we were pleasantly surprised by the level of support for action. We went with a modest plan for local Chinook revitalization and were told by a a couple of prominent people to think bigger! That will be up to the steering committee to decide but it was a very positive night indeed.

 

[Leadline]

What the he** is happening in Sooke Harbour! Me and a couple buddies went fishing 2 days,1 crab trap each. In the 2 days we caught one crab between all of us. Not enough to bring home to family thats for sure. The entire harbour is LITTERED with commercial floats and you know for each float there are a sh★tload of baited traps. The harbour was fine 20 years ago even with the commercial guys.

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