Commercial Viewpoint on Halibut

[Sushihunter]

A friend of mine forwarded me this email from James Nightingale regarding the Commercial viewpoint on the 88/12 Halibut split:



From: J Nightingale [mailto:jnightingale@dccnet.com]
Sent: Sunday, December 19, 2010 11:44 AM
To: 'mhume@globeandmail.com'
Subject: Editor.doc halibut closure.doc

One commercial fisherman's view of the recreational halibut closure

Editor, Globe and Mail

Dear Sir,

You reported Monday that BC fishing lodge operators are unhappy with potential halibut closures. I think there is a choice that has been made in the past and will continue to be made if the “sports “ catch is allowed to continue to increase. That choice is whether Canada’s halibut ends up desiccating at the bottom of the freezers of wealthy sports fishing enthusiasts, most of the sports catch is taken by the lodges and commercial sports operators, or makes it to the display cases of Canada’s fish shops and ultimately to the plates of Canadians.

The sports catch of halibut in Alaska now exceeds Canada ’s yearly take of halibut. This year in Area 2C, the Alaskan halibut regulatory area immediately adjacent to BC waters, the sports catch of halibut is on track to exceed the commercial catch there for the first time ever. In the thirty years I have fished in the Haida Gwai area where most of the BC lodges are located, the sports catch of BC halibut has gone from virtually nothing to in excess of 12 % of Canada ’s total allowable catch of pacific halibut.

The same thing is happening with other species. I fish for chinook or spring salmon in this area. The sports catch for these salmon, the mainstay of the commercial troll fleet, has risen to about one half of the total allowable catch for the area. This re-allocation has happened without any form of compensation and has denied the Canadian consumer access to these fish. As well, this reallocation has helped to put many commercial fishermen out of business. The same process could occur with BC halibut.. Interestingly, in contrast to the situation with halibut, salmon and other marine species in BC, there is no sports catch of lobster in Atlantic Canada.

The commercial halibut industry in BC is one of the world’s best regulated and most sustainable. BC Halibut can be eaten without guilt by those of us who love seafood. Let us hope Canadians can continue to have that opportunity.

James Nightingale
4420 Maple Lane
Delta, B.C.
604 946 0947

 

[Little Hawk]

Interesting. But flawed.

1) Who the hell has halibut 'rotting in their freezers'?
2) Don't dare suggest that I have no right to go out and drop $25/k on a boat, tackle, gear, licenses, BEER then risk my life to go out and catch a fish that, in the end while it lays on the bottom of your boat, appears a large pile of elephant **** looking up at you.

 

[wolf]

YEAH got to love his perspective what about the 2 million or so lbs that are in the freezers now that have not been sold some has been there for almost a yr now, thats why they didnt take the last 900,000 lbs becasue they have too much in the freezer so the price dropped dramatically, ohhh but thats ok they get to take it next yr, yep good system.

or makes it to the display cases of Canada’s fish shops and ultimately to the plates of Canadians.

Wonder how this happens??? we cant sell sport caught fish to a store????just more lies from another sector..

wolf

 

[profisher]

Roy, you misread the last comment. He is suggesting you have a choice of giving the fish to us where it will sit in the bottom of our freezers...or to them where it will make it to public markets.

 

[wolf]

hhhhhhmmmm maybe but he has it lumped in that paragraph with all sportfishers and lodges didnt say anything about bommercials taking it...and I dont know about you but im not a "WEALTHY SPORTFISHERMAN" and the little halibut I do have does not ever get used up,they make way more money than I could ever dream of.....

Wolf

 

[Tailspin]

Talk about the Pot calling the Kettle Balck!
Oddly enough, their prices for the early 2010 season guttered due to to much frozen stock leftover from 2009 in buyers freezers. How is this practical allocation distribution?
I know this for a fact, as many topgun boats barley covered fuel costs to fish there hali quota, some switched over to Dogfish or Springs until prices inflated due to demand.

 

[profisher]

Well someone should write a rebuttal in the globe and mail, directly responding to his letter. If they are challenged on the facts then they may be less inclined to print false and misleading statements.

 

[fisher69]

YEAH got to love his perspective what about the 2 million or so lbs that are in the freezers now that have not been sold some has been there for almost a yr now, thats why they didnt take the last 900,000 lbs becasue they have too much in the freezer so the price dropped dramatically, ohhh but thats ok they get to take it next yr, yep good system.

Wonder how this happens??? we cant sell sport caught fish to a store????just more lies from another sector..

wolf

Wolf;
At least do the reasearch http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/contractordata/rptsectorcatch summary.pdf .

And her are some true facts for ya
32295 lbs left at the end of the season and record high prices from July until closing.
Even after leasing fish the sports are 50k over their limit
a 9milion lb reduction in Alaska slated for 2011 (15% reduction coastwide)
Alaska about to cut the total # of charter boats by 33%(I wonder why they are doing this??????)
SFI and Canadian charter boats still crying for more fish

..... honestly it makes me want to puke.

 

[wolf]

I was refering to the 08/09 season AND I do know the facts as I have a buddy who manages freezers and he had halibut in his freezer for close to 2 yrs ... although i do like all the numbers still dont see the so called 32295 you posted??.... still see the have 186,903 lbs they left in the water ohhhh why beacaue they market fell off and it wasnt worth going out to get it $$$$$$.
cmon man its not we are "crying" for more we want our fair share. I brought up this same arguement the last meeting and you can quote me ok "3 yrs ago we went over??? right???of only 300,000 lbs (the figure I was told)
ok so how could we have gone over AGAIN with a %50 reduction???? how is that even possable?? answer"NO COMMENT" dont know how???
weird very weird???

Can you imagine under the current commercial status if we were to cut them to from there %88 down to %44 ohhhh you would see sparks then cause the "slipper skippers" who were given "FREE" quotas that would cut into the leisure time on the beach instead of 3 months sitting on there @sses collecting money from the people who really fish their quota it may be cut to 2 months.

Also you want to bring up facts its a know fact that sportfishing creates over 300,000 jobs coastwide with WAY more money brought into local communities to support local people with jobs commercial ahhhh cant even come close, i think the number I heard was roughly 130 boats fished last years commercial times that by 4 or 5 guys... per boat not very may people.....

I will add I only go out mabye 20 trips at the most depending on weather tides etc It is not the basis for my business but an important one Ill fight for all the others who rely on it, that spend the most and the basis for ther season that the one Ill fight for and what they can tin boat fisherman who go out maybe a few times a year to enjoy the chance of getting a halibut...


Wolf

 

[profisher]

If you really want to get into why the Alaska halibut fishery is being cut back, I'll start. Maybe if the Alaskan State government took the advice of the IPHC and adopted the commercial by catch system in place in BC they might have avoided the problem. The amount of wasted halibut and Chinook salmon in the Alaskan pollack trawl fishery is disgusting. They should be made to keep that fish and buy quota and it would be included in the the overall TAC. Only then would there be real incentive to stay away from "DIRTY" sets. Don't try and pin Alaska's halibut problems in 2C on the sport or sport commercial sector. There are a few videos shot on board these draggers that tell a very clear story as to why they have problems with halibut and Chinook stocks. That said, I still believe there should be more restrictions on the sport halibut fishery, including an annual limit. (10 per year would be generous) In addition guides should not be able to retain halibut for themselves while on a paid charter.

 

[Dogbreath]

...The amount of wasted halibut and Chinook salmon in the Alaskan pollack trawl fishery is disgusting. They should be made to keep that fish and buy quota and it would be included in the the overall TAC. Only then would there be real incentive to stay away from "DIRTY" sets.

Good point!

.....In addition guides should not be able to retain halibut for themselves while on a paid charter.

It's been my experience that very few guides retain Halibut-they have enough to do cleaning client's fish and their own boat for the next charter and couldn't be bothered processing their own to freeze.

 

[SpringFever552]

That said, I still believe there should be more restrictions on the sport halibut fishery, including an annual limit. (10 per year would be generous) In addition guides should not be able to retain halibut for themselves while on a paid charter.

just posted on another link regarding this before I read this/your post, I do agree with this idea...and regarding guides, I would go as far, to add other spieces of fish Not be retained by guides "while on a paid charter" (for themselves/clients)

 

[Downchild]

just posted on another link regarding this before I read this/your post, I do agree with this idea...and regarding guides, I would go as far, to add other spieces of fish Not be retained by guides "while on a paid charter" (for themselves/clients)

Ya right.
Last year there was no Personal fishing where I worked so how ele's would I have gotten my Hali?
I also feel that this 1 per day leads to "Tunnel Vision"
Guests "Need" their Hali, I know but when I say It aint safe, It aint safe. Period.
I am sure I don't need to remind anyone of what happend in Winter last year.
That one still bugs me.

I get guys that wanna fish Hali in this stuff.
Bhahahahahaha!

 

[wolf]

So If I cant retain any fish .... why should i have to buy a fishing lic then???? that is just plain DUMB.
WE are all pooled togther like I said before in the eyes of DFO you being a sportfisherman and myself being a guide we AREA ALL the same and when we all fianlly figure it out and stop fighting among us maybe then we can have results quit trying to confuse the issue anymore..

 

[profisher]

You are being paid to provide a platform, equipment, an experience and hopefully a catch fish for the clients..period. What you are suggesting is like working for someone "say building a house" and while you have a hammer in your hand going and banging a few nails into your own home.... while on the bosses time.

 

[wolf]

so if i work as a chef i cant taste the food im serving? sure nice try...let me guess nobody uses a work computer for anything personal either, cmon man lets stay focussed and be realistic here, the battle in front of all of us huge, one thing at a time folks

LMAO LOL right on holmes.... I can tell you one thing too the chance of getting a "LIMIT" these days then mine is few and far but it does happen once in a while, Im sure what rollie is talking about is further north where the guides "give" there catch to clients if we stopped that then no problem but we need enforcement , oh wait what is that anyways?????

 

[profisher]

I would compare tasting the sauce, playing on the pc to rigging the gear and basically doing everything except actually play the fish. We are doing the fishing on a charter; run the boat, rig the gear, clean the gear etc etc. Legally you can only catch "your" limit. So your customers are going to stay out and wait for you to catch and play your halibut or 2 springs? Or are you going to let them play your fish, making it worth their while to stay out? There by catching more than their limit! I would have less problem with myself or other guides taking their fish (especially halibut) if an annual limit was in place. Then it would be a finite number and when or how you got them wouldn't matter as much.

 

[Derby]

A fine salmon sliced, steamed and canned is worth a few dollars a pound at most. When caught by a sports angler, it may cost several hundred dollars a pound. Economic rationality would suggest that, beyond the needs of conservation and the constitutionally guaranteed Indian fishery, the entire commercial fishery should give way to serving those vast hordes of fellows who spend like sheikhs on boats, guides, lures, gear, accommodations, and even, it has been hinted, potable fluids - to the considerable enrichment of all in the province. An equitable buy-out could increase jobs and income for all.

 

[profisher]

I agree hat the sport fishery contributes more to the BC economy than the commercial fishery does hands down. But as individuals (which is just as important)....who is contributing more by way of tax dollars going into general revenue? General revenue is presently the only mechanism by which some government monies make their way back to all salmon rehab projects. The money collected by hotels, guides, gas stations etc doesn't end up in the bank accounts of societies working on fish projects. Would you say that the average sport fisher gives more to the cause than say Jimmy Patterson does? I would bet a good real estate agent in Victoria contributes more to general revenue and there for more to fish than I do. (if I didn't voluntarily donate my own money or time) Helping the economy is one thing, helping rebuild fish stocks is another. More work needed on the latter!!!

 

[wolf]

What creates income and spending is money brought into communities all you have to do is look what happened in just 3 weeks of a spring salmon closure last year. sooke was a bit of a ghost town. it brings in recession people get scared and dont spend anything, every business was feeeling it. And i admire you spending time with the creek thing keep it up.someone has too.


Wolf