Fishing Guide
Active Member
Cheers All,
Hypothetically speaking...I would be all in favour of a 'Commercial Sports Fishing License' for lodges and charter vessels - much like what is occuring in Alaska.
This would require the government to re-visit the original 88/12 "theft" errr...allocation. This scenario - as requested by the commercial fleet - would require the govenment taking back ALL halibut licenses WITHOUT compensation of any form to the current commercial halibut license holders. The total 100% TAC would then be distributed as follows:
25% to the sports community;
25% to the newly created "commercial sports fleet";
25% to First Nations;
25% to commercial fishermen.
This would provide the certainty to the sports fishery - including a 2/4 possession and a 20 fish annual limit.
This would provide the certainty to the First Nations fishery.
The commercial halibut fishermen would not own this fishery (or license) but would lease it from the government with all proceeds directed towards the sustainability of halibut/fishing on the West Coast. Slipper Skippers would be expressly forbidden and 50% of the catch would be directed towards a Canadian Market. The lease price would be set at 50% of the wholesale price of halibut so that the commercial operator could make some money rather than enrich his Slipper Skipper cousin.
The newly created "Commercial Sports" designation for lodges and guides would be allocated to specific lodges and guides. They would 'lease' their quota the same as the commercial with all proceeds directed towards the halibut/fishing on the West Coast. This quota would pro-rated depending on amount required and would be transferable with the company (which would make guiding company/license now a valuable commodity). Individual guides fishing limited companies without lodges would not be required to own commercial licenses but could participate if they wished to fall under this catagory.
Yup...the more I think about the commercial halibut fishermens idea of a "Commercial Sports" designation the more I see its merrit - but ONLY under the suggested guidelines. Under NO CONDITION would I ever support paying the commercials for their quota - it was given freely and would be redistributed under the same rules and then leased to the benefit of the entire fishery.
Hypothetically speaking...I would be all in favour of a 'Commercial Sports Fishing License' for lodges and charter vessels - much like what is occuring in Alaska.
This would require the government to re-visit the original 88/12 "theft" errr...allocation. This scenario - as requested by the commercial fleet - would require the govenment taking back ALL halibut licenses WITHOUT compensation of any form to the current commercial halibut license holders. The total 100% TAC would then be distributed as follows:
25% to the sports community;
25% to the newly created "commercial sports fleet";
25% to First Nations;
25% to commercial fishermen.
This would provide the certainty to the sports fishery - including a 2/4 possession and a 20 fish annual limit.
This would provide the certainty to the First Nations fishery.
The commercial halibut fishermen would not own this fishery (or license) but would lease it from the government with all proceeds directed towards the sustainability of halibut/fishing on the West Coast. Slipper Skippers would be expressly forbidden and 50% of the catch would be directed towards a Canadian Market. The lease price would be set at 50% of the wholesale price of halibut so that the commercial operator could make some money rather than enrich his Slipper Skipper cousin.
The newly created "Commercial Sports" designation for lodges and guides would be allocated to specific lodges and guides. They would 'lease' their quota the same as the commercial with all proceeds directed towards the halibut/fishing on the West Coast. This quota would pro-rated depending on amount required and would be transferable with the company (which would make guiding company/license now a valuable commodity). Individual guides fishing limited companies without lodges would not be required to own commercial licenses but could participate if they wished to fall under this catagory.
Yup...the more I think about the commercial halibut fishermens idea of a "Commercial Sports" designation the more I see its merrit - but ONLY under the suggested guidelines. Under NO CONDITION would I ever support paying the commercials for their quota - it was given freely and would be redistributed under the same rules and then leased to the benefit of the entire fishery.
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