Sushihunter
Active Member
http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_north/northislandgazette/news/114229349.html
Fishermen rally support
Demands to change regulations around halibut fishing are growing.
Local fishing charter companies have taken up the call, sending out an email to North Island businesses Jan. 14 through the Port Hardy Chamber of Commerce.
“There is a chance that our sport fishing for halibut may shut down late July, early August this summer,” said the email from Mike Kelly of Tides and Tales and Wade Dayley of Limit Out Charters. “This is due to that fact that 436 people own 88 per cent of the halibut that is allowed to be caught each year, us sports fishermen are only entitled to 12 per cent of what is a Canadian-owned product. The government did this in the mid 90’s and promised us that we would never have a closure ... halibut is closed right now and has been for months.
“You can see the impact these kind of closures will have on Port Hardy and the tourists that flood to town during the summer to fish and the businesses that rely on this flow of people,” continued the email. “A potential loss of tens of thousands of dollars not coming into Port Hardy”.
The BC Wildlife Federation has also joined the B.C. Sportfishing Coalition to fight for this years’ halibut fishing season.
“The current Minister has refused to correct the unfair, inadequate, and, we suggest, illegal quota system ... This unbalanced allocation will, for the third year, result in closure of the public fishery while commercial harvesters continue to fish,” said a press release from the BCWF.
“Halibut is not the only species to which DFO intends to unduly restrict public access. We are witnessing similar situations developing for prawns, crabs and salmon,” said the BCWF.
All groups involved are calling on the public to send letters and emails to their member of parliament and Fisheries Minister Gail Shea.
For more information on the halibut fishery and how to respond, consult www.sfibc.com or contact Mike Kelly at info@tidesandtales.com or Wade Dayley at info@bearcovecottages.com
Find this article at:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_north/northislandgazette/news/114229349.html
Fishermen rally support
Published: January 20, 2011 1:00 AMDemands to change regulations around halibut fishing are growing.
Local fishing charter companies have taken up the call, sending out an email to North Island businesses Jan. 14 through the Port Hardy Chamber of Commerce.
“There is a chance that our sport fishing for halibut may shut down late July, early August this summer,” said the email from Mike Kelly of Tides and Tales and Wade Dayley of Limit Out Charters. “This is due to that fact that 436 people own 88 per cent of the halibut that is allowed to be caught each year, us sports fishermen are only entitled to 12 per cent of what is a Canadian-owned product. The government did this in the mid 90’s and promised us that we would never have a closure ... halibut is closed right now and has been for months.
“You can see the impact these kind of closures will have on Port Hardy and the tourists that flood to town during the summer to fish and the businesses that rely on this flow of people,” continued the email. “A potential loss of tens of thousands of dollars not coming into Port Hardy”.
The BC Wildlife Federation has also joined the B.C. Sportfishing Coalition to fight for this years’ halibut fishing season.
“The current Minister has refused to correct the unfair, inadequate, and, we suggest, illegal quota system ... This unbalanced allocation will, for the third year, result in closure of the public fishery while commercial harvesters continue to fish,” said a press release from the BCWF.
“Halibut is not the only species to which DFO intends to unduly restrict public access. We are witnessing similar situations developing for prawns, crabs and salmon,” said the BCWF.
All groups involved are calling on the public to send letters and emails to their member of parliament and Fisheries Minister Gail Shea.
For more information on the halibut fishery and how to respond, consult www.sfibc.com or contact Mike Kelly at info@tidesandtales.com or Wade Dayley at info@bearcovecottages.com
Find this article at:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_north/northislandgazette/news/114229349.html
