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Halibut fishermen divided on how to divvy up the fish
Recreational anglers want to change quotas that see commercial section receive 88%
Robert BarronDaily News
Thursday, January 20, 2011
W ith fewer than two weeks to go before B.C.'s halibut season begins, an ongoing debate between commercial and recreational fishermen over how much they can catch this year has reached a crisis point.
At a packed meeting of about 400 people in Nanaimo on Tuesday, recreational halibut anglers were encouraged to write the federal government to change the halibut quotas that see the commercial sector receive 88% of the quota while the recreational anglers get just 12%.
The controversial quotas were established in 2003 by the department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, despite arguments from the recreational halibut sector that they require 20% of the quota to make the industry economically feasible. It makes up a significant part of the province's $650-million sport-fishing sector.
With halibut stocks becoming more depleted over the years, recreational fishermen fear their quota for 2011 could be as low as 430,000 kilograms for approximately 100,000 anglers.
They claim would need a quota of about 725,000 kilograms to round out a full season for the industry this year.
Recreational fishermen also take exception to the fact that the commercial halibut quotas in the province were "gifted free of charge" by the DFO to just 436 commercial fishermen in perpetuity, many of whom now lease their allotted quotas to other fishermen and make thousands of dollars from the industry without having to fish themselves.
Nanaimo-Alberni Conservative MP James Lunney, who attended Tuesday's meeting, said it's clear that the "situation is not tenable" and that he has written to Fisheries Minister Gail Shea, outlining his concerns.
But Bob Carpenter, a commercial halibut fisherman from Nanaimo who has worked in the industry for 50 years, said Canada's halibut fishery is one of the best-run in the world and accused the recreational fishermen of telling "blatant lies" to gain support for their crusade to change the quotas.
"Although nothing has been announced yet, we already know the recreational halibut season will be cut short this year, possibly as early as mid-July, and that would be a disaster for many charter companies, many of which typically plan their excursions up to a year ahead," said Clyde Wicks, an avid recreational angler and chairman of the Mid-Island Sports Fishing Advisory Committee.
"Most in the recreational fishery always believed their interests were being protected by their elected representatives and never thought that they would be stopped from fishing during the most busy time of their year."
In recognizing that there may be flaws in its quota system, the DFO began a roundtable discussion early in 2010 to try to develop acceptable solutions with all stakeholders, but the meetings ended without finding any consensus on how this halibut season should proceed.
Recreational fishermen claim the discussions were derailed when then DFO and the commercial sector became "fixated" on the option of fishing guides and lodges having to acquire a new level of licence and then purchase unused quota from the commercial sector.
Wicks said a better option would be for DFO to hold onto the quotas and "lease them out" at a fair price to recreational fishermen as the stocks warrant, rather than having to buy quota from the commercial sector at exorbitant rates that leave little for profit.
Carpenter said he has invested $1.5 million on boats and equipment over the years and employs 10 people, so he takes exception to claims that the province's commercial halibut fleet "got our business for nothing."
He also said the commercial halibut sector has seen its quota cut by about 47% over the last few years to protect halibut stocks as their numbers decline.
First Nations are also allocated 17% of the total commercial quota.
"The recreational sector wants a wild-west fishery in which they want it all," Carpenter said.
"It's time the government supports DFO at making the recreational sector more accountable and responsible for our valuable resources.
"Future increases in the total allowable catches of halibut will increase for all sectors when the stocks warrant it."
Wicks said more meetings are planned on the Lower Mainland to raise public awareness of the issue in the coming weeks and he believes the momentum for change is growing.
"The very real danger exists that small boats will be venturing out into rough seas early in the season to get a chance of catching a halibut before the season is shut down," Wicks said.
"This is the very reason that the commercial halibut sector was placed on a quota fishery in the first place, so that safety could be assured by not forcing their boats out in rough water."
- - -
HALIBUT NUMBERS
- There are 436 commercial halibut licences in B.C.
- Estimates are that just 137 of these licence holders still actively fish,
with the rest of the licences being leased out each year.
- The commercial halibut industry controls 88% of the halibut quota, while the recreational sector has just 12%.
- The recreational sector want their quota raised to 20% this year.
- About 100,000 recreational anglers take part in the halibut fishery each year.
Halibut fishermen divided on how to divvy up the fish
Recreational anglers want to change quotas that see commercial section receive 88%
Robert BarronDaily News
Thursday, January 20, 2011
W ith fewer than two weeks to go before B.C.'s halibut season begins, an ongoing debate between commercial and recreational fishermen over how much they can catch this year has reached a crisis point.
At a packed meeting of about 400 people in Nanaimo on Tuesday, recreational halibut anglers were encouraged to write the federal government to change the halibut quotas that see the commercial sector receive 88% of the quota while the recreational anglers get just 12%.
The controversial quotas were established in 2003 by the department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, despite arguments from the recreational halibut sector that they require 20% of the quota to make the industry economically feasible. It makes up a significant part of the province's $650-million sport-fishing sector.
With halibut stocks becoming more depleted over the years, recreational fishermen fear their quota for 2011 could be as low as 430,000 kilograms for approximately 100,000 anglers.
They claim would need a quota of about 725,000 kilograms to round out a full season for the industry this year.
Recreational fishermen also take exception to the fact that the commercial halibut quotas in the province were "gifted free of charge" by the DFO to just 436 commercial fishermen in perpetuity, many of whom now lease their allotted quotas to other fishermen and make thousands of dollars from the industry without having to fish themselves.
Nanaimo-Alberni Conservative MP James Lunney, who attended Tuesday's meeting, said it's clear that the "situation is not tenable" and that he has written to Fisheries Minister Gail Shea, outlining his concerns.
But Bob Carpenter, a commercial halibut fisherman from Nanaimo who has worked in the industry for 50 years, said Canada's halibut fishery is one of the best-run in the world and accused the recreational fishermen of telling "blatant lies" to gain support for their crusade to change the quotas.
"Although nothing has been announced yet, we already know the recreational halibut season will be cut short this year, possibly as early as mid-July, and that would be a disaster for many charter companies, many of which typically plan their excursions up to a year ahead," said Clyde Wicks, an avid recreational angler and chairman of the Mid-Island Sports Fishing Advisory Committee.
"Most in the recreational fishery always believed their interests were being protected by their elected representatives and never thought that they would be stopped from fishing during the most busy time of their year."
In recognizing that there may be flaws in its quota system, the DFO began a roundtable discussion early in 2010 to try to develop acceptable solutions with all stakeholders, but the meetings ended without finding any consensus on how this halibut season should proceed.
Recreational fishermen claim the discussions were derailed when then DFO and the commercial sector became "fixated" on the option of fishing guides and lodges having to acquire a new level of licence and then purchase unused quota from the commercial sector.
Wicks said a better option would be for DFO to hold onto the quotas and "lease them out" at a fair price to recreational fishermen as the stocks warrant, rather than having to buy quota from the commercial sector at exorbitant rates that leave little for profit.
Carpenter said he has invested $1.5 million on boats and equipment over the years and employs 10 people, so he takes exception to claims that the province's commercial halibut fleet "got our business for nothing."
He also said the commercial halibut sector has seen its quota cut by about 47% over the last few years to protect halibut stocks as their numbers decline.
First Nations are also allocated 17% of the total commercial quota.
"The recreational sector wants a wild-west fishery in which they want it all," Carpenter said.
"It's time the government supports DFO at making the recreational sector more accountable and responsible for our valuable resources.
"Future increases in the total allowable catches of halibut will increase for all sectors when the stocks warrant it."
Wicks said more meetings are planned on the Lower Mainland to raise public awareness of the issue in the coming weeks and he believes the momentum for change is growing.
"The very real danger exists that small boats will be venturing out into rough seas early in the season to get a chance of catching a halibut before the season is shut down," Wicks said.
"This is the very reason that the commercial halibut sector was placed on a quota fishery in the first place, so that safety could be assured by not forcing their boats out in rough water."
- - -
HALIBUT NUMBERS
- There are 436 commercial halibut licences in B.C.
- Estimates are that just 137 of these licence holders still actively fish,
with the rest of the licences being leased out each year.
- The commercial halibut industry controls 88% of the halibut quota, while the recreational sector has just 12%.
- The recreational sector want their quota raised to 20% this year.
- About 100,000 recreational anglers take part in the halibut fishery each year.
© The Daily News (Nanaimo) 2011
