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.