2019 Halibut Fishery

fogged in

Well-Known Member
Anyone have a guess on when this year's Halibut season will open.
The meeting is not until late Feb.
I am hoping for a March 1 opening as we in the Victoria Area only get March and early April before the Dogfish move in.
 
95th Session of the IPHC Annual Meeting (AM095)
Date: 28 January to 01 February 2019

I would say we would be lucky to see March 01 opening.
 
Based on the update provided after last south coast I would guess (Guess only) that March 1 is likely. As I recall the update stated that the majority of SFAC feedback indicated full season was still a priority. Also with the concession of 1/1 in order to max the size preference over a 1/2 with dink for max size.

Again going off memory and with no TAC numbers yet.

BTW : Did we ever hear how the “choice option” modeled ?
 
Based on the update provided after last south coast I would guess (Guess only) that March 1 is likely. As I recall the update stated that the majority of SFAC feedback indicated full season was still a priority. Also with the concession of 1/1 in order to max the size preference over a 1/2 with dink for max size.

Again going off memory and with no TAC numbers yet.

BTW : Did we ever hear how the “choice option” modeled ?

Actually I know 100% 4 different south coast sfacs majority voted for shortened season (later start) to increase max size. I’d assume north coast ones did too (but don’t know that for sure).
Believe why they took out the shortened season part was because Victoria was freaking out (1 sfac group). If you read the release it implies it was initially in the guiding principles for shortened season (later start) then got taken out (probably majority was ok with it for larger size but Vic wasn’t)
 
And so they should freak out Spring is an important fishery on the South. Different from your area very depending on tides and weather. Spring is optimal.
 
I see the Coastwide commercial Trawl Fishery opens for Halibut February 21, 2019.
Nothing new, but a Trawl Fishery for Halibut...how much sense does that make!
I guess when you do a Trawl Fishery you take whatever you get!
Sablefish, Rockfish and Dogfish
http://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/40765167.pdf
I think we are expecting March 1, but no definitive word on a Sport Halibut opening date yet??
 
I see the Coastwide commercial Trawl Fishery opens for Halibut February 21, 2019.
Nothing new, but a Trawl Fishery for Halibut...how much sense does that make!
I guess when you do a Trawl Fishery you take whatever you get!
Sablefish, Rockfish and Dogfish
http://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/40765167.pdf
I think we are expecting March 1, but no definitive word on a Sport Halibut opening date yet??

Have you read this? http://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/421/FOPO/Brief/BR10318485/br-external/BoyesDavid-e.pdf

might shed some light on how it could make sense.

"Jump forward to 2003; salmon has collapsed and so has roe herring. If you wonder why there are no longer 40 seine boats in Alert Bay, look no further. Under the impetus of a concerted campaign by the ENGO sector, DFO has put the hook and line ground fish fleet on notice that benthic rockfish TACs will be cut in half and all vessels will be individually responsible for all catch and there will be mandatory retention. I end up on the committee (now the Commercial Industry Caucus, the CIC) for the halibut sector- one of seven now sitting down to literally hundreds of days of meetings, with the DFO and the Province (who are funding the process) to try and come up with a fishing plan that will realize the Department’s conservation objectives while allowing a fishery to proceed. Nothing like it has ever been attempted anywhere in the world, and the resultant Integrated Groundfish Management Plan which includes trawl as well, will attract the attention of fisheries management agencies from around the world (including the UN) so that some dozen and a half of these will travel to BC to learn of the most advanced management system in existence which features 100% at sea monitoring, 100% dockside monitoring, individual vessel accountability for all mortality resultant form it’s fishing activity to all species. The record speaks for itself- since 2006 all fleets have fished within species/ area TACs- some 66 combinations when you include trawl, without once exceeding the limits. Without transferrable ITQ, by species, by area, this world leading management system is dead in the water and we go back to tossing bycatch over the side. But cutting edge fisheries management is onerous and expensive and these rigorous standards mean that the fleet must be reduced to allow of economies of scale that will allow the vessels to pay for the program. These days, it costs me about $1700 per offload to pay the third party contractor that does the logbook/video audit, the dockside validation and the data input into the DFO computer system. This is in addition to the $1000 registration fee each year to be in the program. Excellent fisheries management that results in outstanding conservation outcomes and sustainable harvesting is not cheap and here in BC, the fishermen pay the freight – there are no subsidies.
 
Actually I know 100% 4 different south coast sfacs majority voted for shortened season (later start) to increase max size. I’d assume north coast ones did too (but don’t know that for sure).
Believe why they took out the shortened season part was because Victoria was freaking out (1 sfac group). If you read the release it implies it was initially in the guiding principles for shortened season (later start) then got taken out (probably majority was ok with it for larger size but Vic wasn’t)

We have no choice, we actually can't fish for halibut much past May, and get around 10 days per month before that. It's actually impossible otherwise. As of June, there is next to no hali fishing east of Port Renfrew until the fall.
 
We have no choice, we actually can't fish for halibut much past May, and get around 10 days per month before that. It's actually impossible otherwise. As of June, there is next to no hali fishing east of Port Renfrew until the fall.

Do you have data to back this claim up??? that zero or a small amount halibut is caught after june?

Looking at the 2016 data (last year we had a full season), the south VI (area 19/20/21) used 172,475 pounds. Areas 19/20 alone used 97,820. That is 8.9% of the total provincial TAC for 19/20, and 15.7% of the provincial TAC for the entire South Island. March to May for Area 19 was 42,771 pounds, and 2,150 for area 20.

Interestingly Area 19 catches 44% of their catch between March and May.
 
Do you have data to back this claim up??? that zero or a small amount halibut is caught after june?

Your data is correct, however lumping area 21/20-1 to 20-4 with area 20-5 thru area 19 is not , correct for the purposes of my post.. Area 20 west and 21 is hit very hard during the Renfrew guide season (North east side of Swiftsure). Us folks crying about not being able to fish are from Sombrio Point east, long before the Renfrew fishery starts up. I would be happy to produce catch reports from myself and several other top rod Halibut guides in my area on exactly what goes on with Halibut. Including the fact that we will almost never book a Halibut trip past June for tidal/dogfish reasons (With very few exceptions on a full day run out past Jordan River for the most persistent guest). In fact, look at my web page, Wolf's, Tailspins, No Bananas, and even Island Outfitters, Killer Beas, Sea Ghost, Good Time Dave, and you will see almost all of the effort is over with by June. Try and book with any one of then after June. Yep, they will most likely turn down $100 an hour (I know I did a lot). Why? Because it's damn near impossible to catch halibut reliably then. It can "kind of sort of" be done, but with maybe an hour of bottom time. Look at the current charts. And ask any groundfisherman about 20 plus dogfish hours. I'll bet you a nickle that there was not a single guide in JDF East who caught more then 30 halibut all season this year either. JDF East is getting skewed by the Renfrew numbers. I don't think you will find a creel surveyor who had more then a 6 halibut day at Pedder, Flemming Beach, or Sooke Harbour either. The overflights do not take into consideration the orange ball off the bow of each boat when patrolling. The large mass of boats salmong fishing in this area really skew the numbers, but as I was told at a DFO/SFAB meeting in 2009, we can't have an infinatly variable model.

THe problem with how the catch is being charged is Sombrio east is being lumped in with Renfrew west, which is a halibut Mecca, and unrestricted in the same we are (JDF East) with tides. In JDF/Haro Strait, if the tide is more then about 1 KNT, you are not fishing for long. Furthermore, if the tides that day go must faster then about 2 Knts, you are probably not fishing as the seasoned guys have learned that the under water currents are a lot different then the surface currents predicted for shipping. er.

I would be happy to elaborate further via PM or even a coffee. From Sombrio Point East, the halibut fishery is completley different then the Renfrew/WCVI fishery. I have participated in them both for 18 years.
 
Your data is correct, however lumping area 21/20-1 to 20-4 with area 20-5 thru area 19 is not , correct for the purposes of my post.. Area 20 west and 21 is hit very hard during the Renfrew guide season (North east side of Swiftsure). Us folks crying about not being able to fish are from Sombrio Point east, long before the Renfrew fishery starts up. I would be happy to produce catch reports from myself and several other top rod Halibut guides in my area on exactly what goes on with Halibut. Including the fact that we will almost never book a Halibut trip past June for tidal/dogfish reasons (With very few exceptions on a full day run out past Jordan River for the most persistent guest). In fact, look at my web page, Wolf's, Tailspins, No Bananas, and even Island Outfitters, Killer Beas, Sea Ghost, Good Time Dave, and you will see almost all of the effort is over with by June. Try and book with any one of then after June. Yep, they will most likely turn down $100 an hour (I know I did a lot). Why? Because it's damn near impossible to catch halibut reliably then. It can "kind of sort of" be done, but with maybe an hour of bottom time. Look at the current charts. And ask any groundfisherman about 20 plus dogfish hours. I'll bet you a nickle that there was not a single guide in JDF East who caught more then 30 halibut all season this year either. JDF East is getting skewed by the Renfrew numbers. I don't think you will find a creel surveyor who had more then a 6 halibut day at Pedder, Flemming Beach, or Sooke Harbour either. The overflights do not take into consideration the orange ball off the bow of each boat when patrolling. The large mass of boats salmong fishing in this area really skew the numbers, but as I was told at a DFO/SFAB meeting in 2009, we can't have an infinatly variable model.

THe problem with how the catch is being charged is Sombrio east is being lumped in with Renfrew west, which is a halibut Mecca, and unrestricted in the same we are (JDF East) with tides. In JDF/Haro Strait, if the tide is more then about 1 KNT, you are not fishing for long. Furthermore, if the tides that day go must faster then about 2 Knts, you are probably not fishing as the seasoned guys have learned that the under water currents are a lot different then the surface currents predicted for shipping. er.

I would be happy to elaborate further via PM or even a coffee. From Sombrio Point East, the halibut fishery is completley different then the Renfrew/WCVI fishery. I have participated in them both for 18 years.

So that's why I can never catch a halibut!
 
Bottom line, our fisheries are being mismanaged. It's not the people on the ground, or the hundreds of volunteers. It's boneheads back east.

I think the public fishery will have an opportunity if cards are played right to get more halibut tac. The allocation policy for salmon is going to be reviewed and I suspect a good chunck of our chinook quota is going to the commercial sector.

Things will be interesting that’s for sure
 
I think the public fishery will have an opportunity if cards are played right to get more halibut tac. The allocation policy for salmon is going to be reviewed and I suspect a good chunck of our chinook quota is going to the commercial sector.

NOT about to happen. Period.

Nog
 
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