Haida Gwaii-2019 Commercial Sports Fishery Full Swing

Do you believe that Haida Gwaii lodges should have their limit numbers curtailed

  • Ye

    Votes: 8 44.4%
  • No

    Votes: 10 55.6%

  • Total voters
    18

Dannyboy

New Member
I live in Haida Gwaii and watched a 737 land last weekend full of fishermen. They were spirited off to a number of lodges by HeliJet to enjoy a fully open Chinook fishery. Haida Gwaii does boast an amazing abundance of fish for a short period of time before they travel south to their spawning grounds, but I cannot understand how this fishery is still open and the southern ocean and river recreational fisheries are closed and or curtailed in the name of conservation? Are the fish being caught by the hundreds of rich patrons of these lodges ($6,000 per week) not the same fish that the DFO is looking to preserve down south? Each of these lodges takes in between 20 and 100 guests a week and the local airport literally has shipping container coolers Sitting in the airport parking lot keep the boxes of fish that the lodge guests haul out (almost all take their full limit home) cool before they fly home. As residents, it is not uncommon to be bumped from your flight to accommodate the lodge guests and their 50lb boxes of salmon fillets that they are packing out to fly home with. Last year, these lodges harvested over 25,000 Chinook. I would like to know if anyone has brought this up with their local representatives?
 
I live in Haida Gwaii and watched a 737 land last weekend full of fishermen. They were spirited off to a number of lodges by HeliJet to enjoy a fully open Chinook fishery. Haida Gwaii does boast an amazing abundance of fish for a short period of time before they travel south to their spawning grounds, but I cannot understand how this fishery is still open and the southern ocean and river recreational fisheries are closed and or curtailed in the name of conservation? Are the fish being caught by the hundreds of rich patrons of these lodges ($6,000 per week) not the same fish that the DFO is looking to preserve down south? Each of these lodges takes in between 20 and 100 guests a week and the local airport literally has shipping container coolers Sitting in the airport parking lot keep the boxes of fish that the lodge guests haul out (almost all take their full limit home) cool before they fly home. As residents, it is not uncommon to be bumped from your flight to accommodate the lodge guests and their 50lb boxes of salmon fillets that they are packing out to fly home with. Last year, these lodges harvested over 25,000 Chinook. I would like to know if anyone has brought this up with their local representatives?
 
Would like to see a tax on non Canadian residents who buy a license. 100$ extra minimum on a non resident license with all proceeds going towards hatcherys and habitat restoration.
Would also have no problem paying a lot more money for our annual license, if the money went towards hatcheries and restoration.

If Haida Gwaii is going to be kept open because of the cash cow that it is, then there should be a huge tax on it to benefit our fisheries. People have no problem paying 6k plus. What’s another couple hundred dollars.
 
Not sure but I think the lodges areas got reduced last year at start of season when they were worried about Skeena and nass chinook numbers.
 
I live in Haida Gwaii and watched a 737 land last weekend full of fishermen. They were spirited off to a number of lodges by HeliJet to enjoy a fully open Chinook fishery. Haida Gwaii does boast an amazing abundance of fish for a short period of time before they travel south to their spawning grounds, but I cannot understand how this fishery is still open and the southern ocean and river recreational fisheries are closed and or curtailed in the name of conservation? Are the fish being caught by the hundreds of rich patrons of these lodges ($6,000 per week) not the same fish that the DFO is looking to preserve down south? Each of these lodges takes in between 20 and 100 guests a week and the local airport literally has shipping container coolers Sitting in the airport parking lot keep the boxes of fish that the lodge guests haul out (almost all take their full limit home) cool before they fly home. As residents, it is not uncommon to be bumped from your flight to accommodate the lodge guests and their 50lb boxes of salmon fillets that they are packing out to fly home with. Last year, these lodges harvested over 25,000 Chinook. I would like to know if anyone has brought this up with their local representatives?
Ask the Minister. Good luck getting him to answer that or any other question.
 
Dannyboy ... get some facts straight ...

See my comments in bold ... (I don't know how to add colour here)

I live in Haida Gwaii and watched a 737 land last weekend full of fishermen That plane full of "rich" fishermen pay the airline and the airline pays Massett airport a landing fee which goes to enhancing the airport and employ locals. That plane full of "rich" fishermen often cabs into Massett for lunch and to explore thus injects additional revenue into the local economy - again employing locals. I have been going to HG fishing for 14 years and see the local artisan vendors doing a brisk business in the Massett airport selling to these "rich" fishermen - again pumping money into the local economy. I suggest you ask the artisans, airport employees and vendors in Massett (all locals btw) if you'd like them to see a closure of the fishery and thus the loss of their jobs and revenue. They were spirited off to a number of lodges by HeliJet to enjoy a fully open Chinook fishery deemed to be sustainable by DFO. Don't get me wrong ... I don't particularly like the DFO theories sometimes but if you agree that they are correct to shut down some areas then they are correct to keep open others.. Haida Gwaii does boast an amazing abundance of fish for a short period of time before they travel south to their spawning grounds, but I cannot understand how this fishery is still open and the southern ocean and river recreational fisheries are closed because the population based fishing pressure down south is different than waaay up in HG and or curtailed in the name of conservation? Are the fish being caught by the hundreds of rich patrons of these lodges ($6,000 per week "fake news" ... $ 3 500 - $ 5 800/week, I know because I have paid it) not the same fish that the DFO is looking to preserve down south? Each of these lodges takes in between 20 and 100
show me one seperate lodge that hosts 100 fishermen at a time ... the lodge I go to holds 24 max and some less ... and yes a few more
but none 100.

guests a week and the local airport literally has shipping container coolers Sitting in the airport parking lot keep the boxes of fish that the lodge guests haul out (almost all take their full limit home Fake news ... almost all the lodges encourage you to throw back tyees and many have programs to give you rewards if you take no fish back. Many many times I see my fishing peers leave with much less than their allowable quota. cool before they fly home. As residents, it is not uncommon to be bumped from your flight to accommodate the lodge guests and their 50lb boxes of salmon fillets that they are packing out to fly home with. Last year, these lodges harvested over 25,000 Chinook Where is the evidence of this data?. I would like to know if anyone has brought this up with their local representatives?
 
Just shows how government caters to big business.
If it was really a conservation issue, they would close it coast wide
till August 01.
 
And one more thing ... these "rich" fisherman and the "evil" lodges up in HG spend well over $ 100 000 each year combined toward stream and watershed enhancements to support the resource - all, where possible employ locals and a number of them offer financial burseries and educational scholarships to residents.

There is a sincere effort to give back ...
 
Are the fish being caught by the hundreds of rich patrons of these lodges ($6,000 per week "fake news" ... $ 3 500 - $ 5 800/week, I know because I have paid it) not the same fish that the DFO is looking to preserve down south? Each of these lodges takes in between 20 and 100


We were there last year and it was $5800 + ++
which is pretty damn close to $6K
 
And you can find alot of dates under $ 5 000 ... often in the $ 3.5 K - $4.5 K range - a bit misleading to state $ 6 000 creating the perception that ALL trips are that high.
 
Been there a few times, fully guided in a nice resort
you would be hard pressed to find anything under $5K
for a 4 day trip
 
So how is lobbying to close/'limit the chinook fishery areas with more restrictions going to get us out of this mess?

I'm simply saying if conservation was truly the issue then shut it down
so the salmon can rebound coast wide.
selective openings based on who can pay more isn't fair.
 
Current self guided last minute rates at WCFC:

  • June 21 to 24 (Friday to Monday)
    4 days / 3 nights
    2
    Guided
    $3,500
  • June 21 to 24 (Friday to Monday)
    4 days / 3 nights
    2
    Self-Guided
    $3,000
 
I'm simply saying if conservation was truly the issue then shut it down
so the salmon can rebound coast wide.
selective openings based on who can pay more isn't fair.

Yes but each area has different stocks and timing. Why should we shut down fisheries that say are impacting other healthy runs? I get what you are saying but we don't want any angler to have no options or opportunities. That seems to be more" not fair".
 
Last year the early season was 1/2 for Chinook until mid July or so to protect Skeena fish.

I also believe they had a few years in the mid 90s with non retention for Chinook.

So they will face closures / restrictions if warranted as well.
 
I am pretty sure the lodge areas are more governed by skeena and nass stocks.
 
You are taking the entirely wrong approach to this situation. Keep in mind that these lodges also faced restrictions to chinook retention last year when the northern stocks had a terrible return. The lodges and charter guests out of Prince Rupert and surrounding areas took an even bigger hit with zero retention of chinook for over a month in prime season.

The facts are, closing the south coast as DFO has done will do almost nothing to help the endangered Interior Fraser Chinook runs. It was a purely political move by DFO to try and keep the rivers free of nets (which it hasn't). A mark select fishery in the south would have been an equally as efficient measure without the devastating economic effects currently being felt in the region.

Punishing healthy fisheries because other regions are being curtailed in their retention makes no sense if the science does not back it up. This province needs the economic benefits of the sport fishing sector. I know more than a few charter operators that have taken jobs in the HG this summer because their area is closed down south. Are you willing to tell them they should not be able to work anywhere?

If there were any science to suggest that limiting these fisheries would help the endangered stocks I would be all for it but that simply is not the case. In fact the science does not even support shutting down the south coast.
 
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