Halibut Announcement

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Category(s):
RECREATIONAL - Fin Fish (Other than Salmon)


Fishery Notice - Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Subject: FN0100-Halibut: Further to FN0037 - Coastwide Opening and Limits

Further to Fishery Notice FN0037:

The department has completed its initial consultations with the recreational
sector and based on comments received, will implement a coastwide opening of
the recreational halibut fishery:

Coastwide:
---------
Effective at 00:01 hours March 1, 2009 fishing for halibut will be opened
coastwide. The daily limit at the start of the season is one (1) per day with a
possession limit of two (2).

The exception to this opening is:

Areas 121, 23 and 123:
---------------------
Effective 00:01 hours March 1, 2009 to 23:59 hours December 31, 2009:

- No person shall fish for or retain halibut, rockfish and lingcod in Area 121
outside the 12 nautical mile limit seaward of a line that begins at 48 degrees
34.000 minutes North latitude and 125 degrees 17.386 minutes West longitude and
continues south easterly at a bearing of 116 degrees True to a point at 48
degrees 28.327 minutes North latitude and 125 degrees 01.687 minutes West
longitude.

- Electronic licence conditions will be continued as follows:
"no person who is not a Canadian resident may fish for or retain halibut under
this licence in management Areas 121, 23 and 123."


In an effort to open the recreational fishery while some key issues with
respect to the 2009 management plan remain unresolved, the initial halibut
retention limit will be one per day, two in total possession. The department
expects to complete its consultations with the recreational sector on the
halibut management plan for 2009 before the end of February, including
examining the feasibility of increasing the daily limits. The plan will include
measures for monitoring and evaluating the catch in-season. Any changes in the
management plan following these consultations will be announced in a subsequent
Fishery Notice.


FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Bill Shaw 604-666-3271 and Gary Logan 604-666-9033.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada Operations Center - FN0100
Sent February 24, 2009 at 14:16
Visit us on the Web at http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
 
As written by one of our respected SFAB members, The notice should more properly have read;

"The department, in spite of objections received from it's SFAB advisory process, during what were minimal consultations regarding 2009 opening options for the recreational fishery, and in spite of the deep discount to the Canadian economy that this restrictive opening and decreased daily bag limit represents, has reluctantly chosen to implement a coast wide opening of the recreational Halibut fishery.

The fishery is going to open late, and with a daily limit designed to ensure that only the rich will be able to rationalize a day of halibut fishing. Further restrictions will be implemented if the department comes to believe that this fishery may prove successful. Advance notice of in-season changes is not contemplated."
 
The area 23, 1-23 and 1-21 license restrictions will work if our enforcement has the tools to do the job, ie) Gas for the Boat and Manpower etc.

This restriction was in place last year, and was reported to help with decreased catch of Canadian Halibut by U.S Charter boats.






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