So Let’s Talk About It, Halibut 2013

Duffer-- what are you talking about?? so go to your meeting and propose Gifting Hali and Salmon be illegal. Are you not going to bother going to the next meeting??? You want your voice heard-- then maybe consider attending (which will be announced soon)
 
Maximum size limit- 50lbs, fish bigger than that are wormy and not great eating. not to mention most fish over 40 are female

Individual annual limit - 5-10 fish perhaps it could be associated with weight

Daily and total possession limit - 1/2 or 1/1 until the biomass increases

Season length - April 1 - Sept 30

Time and Area closures - impossible to regulate

Area allocations - impossible to regulate

Restriction on the “Gifting” of halibut by service providers - ban it

Other suggestions - I agree with higher fees and lower limits for out of province guests. I don't see why this province should give away it's natural resources to all of Canada. No free oil flowing our way. No lobster fishing on the east coast. That just appears to be an argument put forward by the guide sector.

Mandatory log books for guides and lodges. Place on license to record date and weight of halibut. Mandatory reporting of all catch. That is turn in your license or risk not being eligible the following year.
 
I'm definately going to be there I just figured u guys could save time and get the wording and stuff like that done that would save time u know. Gifting is a non issue to me but it sounds like some guys do it. I just don't know where the proof is that its a prob .What percentage of our Quota Cuba goes out from Guides gifting do you know? If this would help us get a longer seaon giv er make it illegal. What else can we do? You know gifting in our area definately isn't a issue cause there's not enough resource Hali or Salmon. I go to those meetings mostly for local concerns Hali I'm happy with getting my couple a year personally. I know lots of folks depend on this more than we do here. Vic Guides Hardy Guides and West Coast Guides I support there opinions as well as Sportys Concerns as long as it makes sense. My main worry is Herring Stocks being depleted, not too much concern and science about that these days. But that's for another thread. Oh yeh and fn Seals. See ya there.
 
Oh yay, fish4all is back...let's definitely listen to what he has to say :p Totally for banning gifting but I think that you can kill two birds with one stone with making annual limit of 10-12 and then you bet your butt guides won't gift as they like to enjoy some hali over the off season too!! For annual limit of 10-12 and dead against max size limit unless its like this yr with one over one under.
 
Duffer-- what are you talking about?? so go to your meeting and propose Gifting Hali and Salmon be illegal. Are you not going to bother going to the next meeting??? You want your voice heard-- then maybe consider attending (which will be announced soon)

Nice re-set...precisely what needs to happen. Hope everyone takes your advice and attends their local SFAC meetings. Gamechanger's advice should be heeded also. Hopefully we can come up with some constructive recommendations to deal with the situation we find ourselves in for 2013.
 
Hey Searun I hope there's more people at the meeting also. The last 2 have been terrible for turnout. Its good if you go there and the proposals are already on the table, have a quick vote and move on. That's all I meant. There's usually a lot of info to cover.
 
Hey Searun I hope there's more people at the meeting also. The last 2 have been terrible for turnout. Its good if you go there and the proposals are already on the table, have a quick vote and move on. That's all I meant. There's usually a lot of info to cover.

Well ill be making a motion of no halis gifted off kitty coleman
 
Yep, Brian is dead right on getting people to attend. Would be nice to see people get involved in their local SFAC's. Not always easy for people to participate, but there's usually good information presented so well worth the sacrifice of time. Best meetings are usually those where DFO science comes and shares some of the technical research.

By the way, I find myself agreeing with quite a few of the ideas fish4all posted - scary, I guess that makes me a commercial fisherman now.;)
 
Maximum size limit- 50lbs, fish bigger than that are wormy and not great eating. not to mention most fish over 40 are female

Individual annual limit - 5-10 fish perhaps it could be associated with weight

Daily and total possession limit - 1/2 or 1/1 until the biomass increases

Season length - April 1 - Sept 30

Time and Area closures - impossible to regulate

Area allocations - impossible to regulate

Restriction on the “Gifting” of halibut by service providers - ban it

Other suggestions - I agree with higher fees and lower limits for out of province guests. I don't see why this province should give away it's natural resources to all of Canada. No free oil flowing our way. No lobster fishing on the east coast. That just appears to be an argument put forward by the guide sector.

Mandatory log books for guides and lodges. Place on license to record date and weight of halibut. Mandatory reporting of all catch. That is turn in your license or risk not being eligible the following year.

I see our commie spin doctor is back. I knew it would only be a matter of time given all the previous efforts to work against the interests of anglers and perpetuate the grossly unfair allocation of most Halibut to the Commercial/corporate sector so that 95 % of it can be export for the profit of the few.

Thanks greatly for your willingness to join a discussion of anglers and give your view on how the sport sector catch can be reduced. We of course greatly value the opinion of one who has worked so tirelessly to undermine anglers and protect the grossly unfair commercial Halibut allocation and quota system.

It seems only fair that we offer the same for the commercial sector. I will get the ball rolling but others may want to offer a few.

- That after the first nation’s allocation, the commercial sector be allocated 20% of the remainder. Since I understand that only what 3 to 6% of commercial caught halibut actually goes to the Canadian market, 20% is more than fair and should allow for any increased demand in the Canadian market for many years. We are not unreasonable, once the needs of the sport sector are met for a full season of 2 and 4 in possession, I propose that any remainder superfluous to the needs of the sport sector be allocate to the commercial sector. This will vary on a year to year basis and as the sport sector, the economy and well being of our coastal communities grows, less will obviously be available to the commercial sector above their baseline of 20%. Economically and culturally this by far provides the best use and benefit to the greatest number of British Columbians. On 2nd look, as the commercial sector spin doctors like to try and confuse this allocation issue as a conservation issue at least as it comes to anglers getting a fair share. I would consider that perhaps the first 20% superfluous to the needs of the sport sector simply be left in the water so that Canada under utilizes it’s TAC. This should help rebuild the stocks that the Commercial sector has decimated for decades.

- Since fish-4-all would like to force anglers to release Halibut over 50 lbs because they are of low quality, wormy and females, I would propose that the commercial sector do the same. In fact, the way he makes it sound, perhaps there should have been warning labels added to commercially sold Halibut over 50 lbs in the stores. Personally I have found them delicious and am prepared to risk it. Now in terms of being a little less tongue in cheek, the truth is that the commercial sector always takes the big females as they get paid by the pound. Anglers do release very large Halibut as they are often hard to deal with sport fishing in small boats; but this should be voluntary. Given that we only have a ridiculously low 15%, and tend to release bigger ones, the facts are that it is the commercial sector that has impacted the big halibut female spawners. Why punish the sport sector who only gets 15% for the poor conservation practices of the commercial sector.

- I would also propose that ‘Halibut Commercial Fishing Exclusion Zones’ be developed to protect the much more economically valuable Halibut sport fishery. For example I understand we do not allow commercial salmon fishing competing with sport fishing in JDF. Why do we allow commercial Halibut fishing at all in JDF? Leave these more sheltered waters close to major population centers to sport Halibut fishing and our much smaller boats. There are also a few other locations on the coast of BC that perhaps should also be closed to commercial Halibut fishing and promoted as Halibut sport fishing only zones.
 
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First of all,
I find through this discussion that a lot of people on here still believe the problems lie amongst the user groups to come up with plausible conclusions to the halibut issue.
I find it hard to believe that everyone thinks discussions/meetings will change anything for 2013.
The truth is we can only make change through a political or radical movement.
I don't believe any recreational fishermen on this coast should
have to concede to any slot/size/length unless the commercial sector does the same.
The bottom line is the 3% last year wasn't enough to meet the needs fairly under the structured TAC so simply go get some more.
It's not like the commercial sector paid for it to begin with and if your dumb enough to borrow out on equity you don't really own.... To bad.
On one other topic that needs some clarification.
Until the federal government changes how guides and guide boats are regulated in Canada..... Any blame or responsibility can simply be left unchallenged.
I don't make the rules so don't hate the messenger but my whole platform is governed under Transport Canada.
Until this is changed DFO has no regulatory body in making us do anything.
Everything we do now is simply volunteer
 
From the meetings and documentation I have read through July and Aug is when the bulk of the halibut are taken. Opening the season later will have neglibile effect on us staying within our quota.

DFO is holding SFAB to stay within out tac this year. We won't be getting a bigger piece of the pie for 2013 that is for sure.

I personally am ok with the following.

-Annual limit must be recorded on the lic. of 5-8 halibut

-No retention of a recreational fishing possession limit of any fish while a person is engaged in guiding

-Halibut season March 01- Sept 30

-Possesion 1/2 ( No size restrictions) EXCEPT July and August Possession 1/1
 
Wow. Someone has sure changed thier tune over the last 12 months......

No Lorne,

We are not going to get any more quota before 2013.
I was appalled last year when this slot size came into effect and was rammed down our throats. Many people were very vocal about only a few select people/ user groups having any input into it. Let's change that this year and have the average rec fisherman have input and not just guide/ outfitters.

This is our chance to be heard and have input.


This slot size did not work, and it was a complete joke IMHO.

If everyone had an annual limit of 5 fish without size restrictions I am sure we could fish year round as well.
 
The annual limit will already take care of the gifting. And 1/2 in July and August

The problem is the bulk of Rec fish ( 90-95%) is taken during July and Aug.

Do the math any way you want but that is the time that needs to be cut back.
I would hate to see 1/1 all season, it may be the way DFO is headed unless we can figure something else out.
 
How do you think the slot didn't work? It kept the season open when it would have closed at the end of July
 
Sounds to me Islandgirl u have it out for Guides, your ideas are your entitlement but they seem to support more the Commie side of things and are taking a step backwards. Sad to hear. Give them what they want, hey why not propose giving back the 3 percent quota while your at it.
 
If we were to go 1/1 we would mostly likely have enough fish for a full season and perhaps some left over.....
 
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