Todays paper

[highlights]

Here it is guys. First of the public responses.


Protesters who demonstrated against the Department of Fisheries and Ocean’s decision to reduce the limit halibut limit from two fish to one per day should be ashamed.
Considering that the halibut caught typically weigh from 25 to 100 pounds and it is illegal for sport fishermen to sell their catch, it is interesting is know what halibut anglers do with their catches.
It is high time that DFO institute a sensible annual limit for halibut sport fishermen of maybe five but not more than 10 fish per year. Ian Back


We could barely figure out the concept here at Sportfishing bc. The general public will not have a chance.[V]

 

[Barnacle Bill]

What paper is this so called reporting in?

 

[highlights]

Times Colonist

Letter to the editor.

 

[Deewar25]

well, before we all get excited, I'd recommend we organize someone to reply immediately to it and help the 'public' understand (have to reply immediately or else topic goes stale and they won't publish). It is an allocation situation, we have presented an annual limit and have no problem with annual limit, its about towns like Port Renfrew that suffer because of the lack of interest to haul all the way to the banks to catch 1 chicken, in turn putting pressure on other resources, its about the charter companies that constantly start the season playing the guessing game with openings and closures, and not being able to book clients, etc etc etc. Sure, Sooke/Victoria can survive with 1/day given larger size, but this is more than just that and joe blow needs to understand the big picture vs what he/she saw in a 2 minute news clip.

Just needs to be laid out so all can understand our angle verses just turning it into a pro/con pissing match.

Just my take before this thread goes crazy. Opinions in print are there for rebuttal, and usually, the initial letter has no chance to respond back, so their opinion is left as initially expressed. Send in one letter by the leader of the protest, that is all that is required.

 

[chris73]

And so what? One guy didn't get it. When was there ever one protest in the world that had no objections? I tell you there were lots of passengers and bystanders during the protest who understood the message and applauded it! And this guy's demand for an annual limit is actually fine with most anglers I know. The most important thing I learn from this response is that we were heard and seen and DFO will not be able to ignore us anymore in the future - and that is GOOD NEWS! Once they accept us on the negotiating table we can hammer out details that will even be plausible for slow-thinking and non-fishing Joe Plumber.

 

[Deewar25]

quote:Originally posted by chris73

And so what? One guy didn't get it. When was there ever one protest in the world that had no objections? I tell you there were lots of passengers and bystanders during the protest who understood the message and applauded it! And this guy's demand for an annual limit is actually fine with most anglers I know. The most important thing I learn from this response is that we were heard and seen and DFO will not be able to ignore us anymore in the future - and that is GOOD NEWS! Once they accept us on the negotiating table we can hammer out details that will even be plausible for slow-thinking and non-fishing Joe Plumber.

You can be sure more than just one guy doesn't get it - don't forget, there were 300000 Victorian's that didn't see the protest and of that, maybe 50k of them saw the 'incomplete' story on the news or in the paper. Those that don't really understand, will likely just adopt the opinion on the one critic whose opinion they read without really thinking anymore about it. Doesn't hurt just to make sure the facts are clearly laid out so the commoner can see the pro/con and come up with a side that way. The more public there is in your corner, the better.

 

[Governor]

The Times Colonist has a writer named Reid who writes a weekly angling column. It's GREAT timing - he should be prompted to get the halibut allocation message out in his column again so the "truth" can be told by the informed media. Rather than an assignment writer turning the issue into a fight between the angling community the commercials and greens.

Gov


God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling - Izaak Walton

 

[Red Monster]

Quite right! And you need to write letters to the paper in support of the rally in any event, not only in response to negative responses. Great rally![8D]

Remember, it's called "fishing," not "catching."

 

[highlights]

So..... whats the next issue we're going to take on? Lets keep the ball rolling.



Fish farms need to be outlawed!

 

[searun]

The court of public opinion response was predictable</u>, and we risked way too much by going out there with an ill thought out communication plan. This whole fiasco backfired badly, and no amount of spin doctoring will fix it now. Better for all that we chalk it up to a learning experience and go back to engaging DFO in a professional process.

All we accomplished was to feel good for a short time because we were doing "something", and in the heat of the moment it sounded ***y. It would have been better that we cooled our jets, developed a proper communication strategy and implemented it when we were sure we had it right. Ready, shoot, aim.

I can hear the cries now...Searun, you fool we just got to go out and make sure we repeat our message...the public will get it eventually........NOT! Repeating a bad strategy over and over is like hitting your head against the wall several times and wondering why the hurt wont stop.[xx(]

 

[highlights]

Predictable......maybe



However,United they stood.

........finally

 

[Cuba Libre]

Ok Searun.. so YOU tell us what the master plan is, and when you will be implimenting it.

20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[chris73]

Searun, you can sit in your little dark cubicle all day long and think as much as you want but that won't get anybody nowhere. The rally was a huge success as much this fact may hurt your pride because you wanted so badly be right with your gloom and doom predictions about a "potential' failure. We have won many supporters for our cause and we got the lazy public thinking of our issue and maybe even the government convinced that they can't just simply ignore us anymore... Nobody thought that this rally will miraculously change everything overnight. Of course there needs to be follow up actions!

 

[Tips Up]

Unfortunately I don't think the media got the right message.
It came across as a protest of greed for a higher halibut limit for sports fishermen. The focus was not on the unjust 88/12 split of our public resource. All I heard from the media was that the sports fishermen want the limit raised to 2 fish per day. Nothing about the late openings or late announcements of openings, the impact on the economy, the fact that the commercials own a percentage that they lease for profit and are unable to harvest, the fact that they are unable to sell all of what they do harvest...

Not knocking the protest. I think it was good to take action and support it all the way. It is a complicated issue and a hard message to get across. Especially in 30 seconds of TV coverage.

I think the daily limit should not be the focus. The message needs to be the unjust 88/12 allocation.

The Halibut Commision sets the total allowable catch taking in to concideration concervation of the resource. The DFO controls the allocation. It is the allocation that we are fighting for. The daily limits and the length of the season are set based on keeping us within this allocation. The focus needs to be on the allocation. We get more allocation and we will get longer seasons and higher limits.

What needs to be sold on the public is that the 88/12 split is unjust and is padding the pockets of the commercials not the economy or the healthy life style of getting people out enjoying our natural resources.

Tips

 

[chris73]

I am not sure on what media releases you base your conclusion on, Tips? All I heard and read so far was acceptable besides that Suzuki and Watershed Watch puked out some uninformed statements that everyone with only a little bit of deeper knowledge would reject as moot anyway... Do you have any negative articles that I missed? Would you post them?

 

[ReelAffair]

Definately somethings always get turned around....people miss read and interpret things a different way......And some people dont always agree with what is being done....It's hard to make everyone happy

 

[Deewar25]

quote:Originally posted by chris73

I am not sure on what media releases you base your conclusion on, Tips? All I heard and read so far was acceptable besides that Suzuki and Watershed Watch puked out some uninformed statements that everyone with only a little bit of deeper knowledge would reject as moot anyway... Do you have any negative articles that I missed? Would you post them?

I do agree with Tips based on the A-channel report - while yes, we see the point, to the untrained eye, the angle that station gave us was that it's all about increasing our daily limit and that is how the commoner will see it (IMHO). That's why right off the bat I said it would likely be good to have a representative rebut that original letter and just clearly state the points.

The news clip repeats what we want, but not so much why and what these restrictions are doing to the smaller communities and charter companies. Essentially, what public gets out of that clip is the biomass is decreasing (misleading), but we want more (28 seconds) - that is what would likely stick with them and that is an erroneous message. That is not the protests fault - I'd agree it did its job. That is the medias fault in how they reported it. A letter clears that and I still think one should be sent in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnoM0wfQDLE

 

[Tips Up]

My impression from the A-chanel report and the first paragraph in the TC write up. Although the TC does cover more of the subject in the rest of the article. (Can't believe Chek did not see this as news worthy)

Again I am in full support and glad to see action taken. Unfortunately couldn't make it that day due to work. As you know Chris I am at all of the meetings and take the time to write my letters. All of my friends, family and co-workers are up to speed with the situation in detail. I am spreading the word. We just need to keep the message clear.

Tips

Tips

 

[Gooey Bob]

I wonder just how much the "court of public opinion" really matters as far as DFO is concerned? Wasn't the point of the rally to let DFO know that recreational anglers in BC are pissed off, there are 300,000 of us, and we actually represent a political force to be reckoned with once we organize and galvanize around a common issue? I didn't realize that the rally was trying to win over the hearts and minds of the general polpulation of Victoria. IMO, rereational anglers definitely represent a "special interest group", and a very large and potentially politically dangerous one at that. For those of you that aren't aware, most political issues are driven by special interst groups of one sort or another. Its a fact of life we don't need to be embarassed of, but rather embrace and work to the successful resolution of this important issue.

I say keep the presure up, and don't worry about impressing the greens or educating the general population. Its not their fight - its ours.


Gooey

 

[Last Chance]

I think the long and the short of it is that we couldn't make it any worse then it already is. We got out there, we got our voices out, and maybe it will do something. DFO isn't exactly known for consulting with the public before implimenting policy, so I don't think they could give a damn what the public thinks. We just have to make is so that squeezing the sportie is not the path of least resistance.

Last Chance Fishing Adventures

www.lastchancefishingadventures.com
www.swiftsurebank.com