Who will get to fish for halibut?
Fishermen losing money awaiting decision on how the catch is split
By Carla Wilson, Times ColonistFebruary 12, 2011
Nobody's fishing for halibut right now, but the big flat fish is weighing heavily on the minds of coastal fishermen.
Scientific studies show halibut stocks are down, prompting the International Pacific Halibut Commission made up of Canadian and U.S. representatives to recommend shaving this year's coastal catch by 18.9 per cent to 41.07 million pounds, from 50.67 million pounds in 2010.
However, in B.C., the 2011 recommended share is 7.65 million pounds, up slightly from last year's 7.5 million pounds.
At issue is how the province's allocation is split. Commercial fishermen want to stick with what they've got, while recreational anglers are arguing for a bigger share.
The quota split has not yet been announced. Each group is eager to know how much it will get of what is one of the coast's most valuable fish. The decision is up to Fisheries and Oceans Canada. A spokesman with the file did not return calls Friday.
Normally, First Nations take about 500,000 pounds of halibut for food and ceremonial purposes. The bulk of what's left in the allocation has been split 88 per cent for commercial fishermen and 12 per cent for recreational fishermen.
Sports fishermen have been unhappy for years with their share and are lobbying for change.
Recreational fishermen are particularly concerned this year because they haven't been allowed to start fishing yet. A notice on the federal Fisheries Department's website states the recreational fishery won't open until Feb. 28. Last year, it opened on Feb. 1.
The delay means charter boat operators along the coast, many on Vancouver Island, are suffering because they have lost "critical winter dollars to keep the businesses rolling," Christopher Bos, chairman of the Victoria and area Sport Fishing Advisory Board committee, said in an interview Friday. He's not even sure if the recreational sector will be allowed to fish in March. No closing date for the season has been announced either.
Charter operators have had to tell pre-booked clients they can't go out. Bos said that means "all of those bookings you had for February are mad at you." Cancellations send clients elsewhere, he said, adding "businesses are being hurt by thousands and thousands of dollars."
An economic impact study on the value of recreational fishing for halibut in B.C. has not been done, Bos said. However, a provincial report said that sports fishing equalled 39 per cent of the combined value of all fishery and aquaculture activity in the province in 2007.
The recreational sector has asked that anglers be allowed to catch two halibut per day, and have three in their possession, Bos said. Last year's rules permitted one halibut to be caught daily, with two in possession.
A higher number makes sense because charter boat operators want their clients, often spending hundreds of dollars for a day on the ocean, to be able to catch more than one halibut, Bos said.
B.C. halibut had an export value of $35 million in 2008, a Fisheries and Oceans Canada groundfish management plan said. Within B.C., there are 436 commercial halibut licences, including communual licences issued to First Nations.
The opening date for the commercial fleet is March 12, closing Nov. 15. Word on the commercial quota typically comes within about a week, said Comox fisherman Lyle Pierce, who represents halibut interests. He also supports conservation and the limit put on the overall allocation by the IPHC.
Commercial fishermen put in several hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy halibut quota in their struggle to make a living, said Pierce, who also agrees with the total amount designated for B.C.
It costs about $50 per pound to buy halibut quota.
The average family holds 15,000 pounds, with the costs of a boat and gear on top of that, Pierce said.
To buy quota "we put our houses up, we put our vehicles up for collateral," he said.
Many commercial fishermen have lost much of their investment in quota because of the natural ups and downs in halibut stock. If the recreational sector cuts into the commercial share, "we just can't afford that," Pierce said.
He doesn't know what the landing price will be this year. At the end of the 2010 season, prices ended up at $6.50 to $6.80 per pound.
"I wish there were more fish out there for us so we weren't in this fight," said Pierce.
cjwilson@timescolonist.com
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
There was an article in todays Times Colonist about the halibut fight.I dont know how to post this article but in it a commercial fisherman states they paid about 50 dollars per pound for their quota and they each have about 15 thousand pounds each.Sounds pretty far fetched to me.
