2011 Sockeye Run Port Alberni

[Jencourt]

Lorne:
Although I agree with you on most points.Mainly that it would be unfair to the commercial fishers to stand in their way,and that it is DFO's fault..I would like to point out it is ONLY because of people who were willing to go so far as chain themselves to a tree that the rest of the world is truly made aware of what is being sacrificed to benefit big business.

I am in no way suggesting an all out attack on the commercial fishers. I am merely saying that if they must endure some disruption for a day to raise awareness to this then so be it. As far as I am concerned they have been made and will be in the future made victims of the greed from the top,and those entrusted to protect and mannage the resource.

A "Take all they will give me now because there might not be any next year" attitude is one that needs to be looked at by all sectors.

My opinion on it anyway.

 

[Jencourt]

Would this kind of thing be an exampled of what may have played a hand in helping produce some of the "tough years"

I know this has been well used but seems fitting.

http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/... 1991/SockeyeSeineFishery1991AlberniInlet.jpg

 

[eaglemaniac]

I'm a little confused, are the DFO aware of what they've accomplished this season? Do they even care? Does the city of Port Alberni care? Do the businesses that suffered care? Does the guide associations care? How have they gotten away with this without a thorough enquiry? Somebody please help me understand how something like this happens and nothing is done about it. eman

 

[lorneparker1]

Well the way I see it (again I might get raked over the coals) is the people with the money don't seem to be up to much. I will admit that I am out of the loop, but all I heard after the election was "things were in the works" regarding the halibut. Well I haven't heard a peep since. Where is obmg? Where is the guides assoc that was formed earlier this year on the west coast? Wtf is being done by the groups that have the money? I'm sick of hearing "stuff is in the works" cause now I call bs! I am in the lawncare business and when pesticide bans were the newest fad, our company was front and centre(as we are the largest) why? Because our lively hood was on the line and wasn't looking for joe blow to fight our battle.

 

[eaglemaniac]

I strongly feel that the powers that be in Port Alberni have missed a major opportunity to call DFO on the total mismanagement of a fishery where there mandate was to provide reasonable opportunities for all interested parties. And this fishbowl scenario in Port was perfect for a legal response. If this screw the Recs continues it's only going to get harder to call them to bare to justify this atrocious decion making. You have really dropped the ball Port Alberni. Shame on You. Sportsfishing Capital of Canada? Don't make me laugh. eman

 

[searun]

I'm a little confused, are the DFO aware of what they've accomplished this season? Do they even care? Does the city of Port Alberni care? Do the businesses that suffered care? Does the guide associations care? How have they gotten away with this without a thorough enquiry? Somebody please help me understand how something like this happens and nothing is done about it. eman

I can speak for the West Coast Fishing Guide's Association. We have stated more times than I could possibly state on this forum our objections to the way in which this fishery was run by DFO. We have 3 members on the Round Table. We have made many requests for open transparent data and facts from both DFO and the commercial sector. The commercial sector does not want transparency, nor can they provide it as they cannot account for all off vessel sales and detailed catch stats on location/timing of catch. Not a transparent system, because it has worked well for them to operate under the cone of silence. They did not really listen, nor did the commercial fishers at the table. Simply put, the excuses were levelled at the weather, rather than any real attempt to listen to our concerns and look for ways to mitigate conflicts with the sport fleet let alone realize the incredibly bad perceptions the fishery they allowed (when/where/how) was going to create for sport fishing and tourism. Only when the heat started melting this issue did the DFO and commie sector step back and admit that perhaps they should have listened more...too little, too late now.

As noted in my earlier posts, all that remains is we can regroup, seek proper data, then formulate an informed position for next season and ensure we rally the political support to ensure we are finally listened to.

Word of caution, both DFO and the commies have been at this for years....here's their usual mode of operation...attend meetings, pretend you are listening and consulting, say you considered the issues, and do what you were going to do anyway. So, don't expect much to change, and if you do then you are smoking something that isn't legal.

 

[chris73]

I'm a little confused, are the DFO aware of what they've accomplished this season? Do they even care? Does the city of Port Alberni care? Do the businesses that suffered care? Does the guide associations care? How have they gotten away with this without a thorough enquiry? Somebody please help me understand how something like this happens and nothing is done about it. eman

Hate to say it eagle, but it's Canadian complacency that got us here and will get us a lot further down that path I am afraid.

 

[lorneparker1]

I can speak for the West Coast Fishing Guide's Association. We have stated more times than I could possibly state on this forum our objections to the way in which this fishery was run by DFO. We have 3 members on the Round Table. We have made many requests for open transparent data and facts from both DFO and the commercial sector. The commercial sector does not want transparency, nor can they provide it as they cannot account for all off vessel sales and detailed catch stats on location/timing of catch. Not a transparent system, because it has worked well for them to operate under the cone of silence. They did not really listen, nor did the commercial fishers at the table. Simply put, the excuses were levelled at the weather, rather than any real attempt to listen to our concerns and look for ways to mitigate conflicts with the sport fleet let alone realize the incredibly bad perceptions the fishery they allowed (when/where/how) was going to create for sport fishing and tourism. Only when the heat started melting this issue did the DFO and commie sector step back and admit that perhaps they should have listened more...too little, too late now.

As noted in my earlier posts, all that remains is we can regroup, seek proper data, then formulate an informed position for next season and ensure we rally the political support to ensure we are finally listened to.

Word of caution, both DFO and the commies have been at this for years....here's their usual mode of operation...attend meetings, pretend you are listening and consulting, say you considered the issues, and do what you were going to do anyway. So, don't expect much to change, and if you do then you are smoking something that isn't legal.

Thanks for the reply Searun, I was hoping someone in the know would let us in on the backroom stuff.

Word of caution, both DFO and the commies have been at this for years....here's their usual mode of operation...attend meetings, pretend you are listening and consulting, say you considered the issues, and do what you were going to do anyway. So, don't expect much to change,

My question is, why do you except this? Why arent your lawyers banging on the doors? and not you personally but the guides association as a whole and PA's COC. It seems like we (the sport sector including G/O) try and then we get blown off, and are like " moh well, we'll try again next year". That is not an acceptable attitude IMO if my lively hood is on the line. Thats a side from how moraly wrong these fish are being managed. I mean How many businesses and G/o suffered during this debacle? how many $$$ in revenue? and no one is really doing anything that will amount to anything,

I am not giving anyone a hrad time just trying to understand. If threating oour resources and your livelyhood isnt enough to get you fired up and REALLY do something im not sure what is...

 

[Jencourt]

Thanks for the reply Searun, I was hoping someone in the know would let us in on the backroom stuff.



My question is, why do you except this? Why arent your lawyers banging on the doors? and not you personally but the guides association as a whole and PA's COC. It seems like we (the sport sector including G/O) try and then we get blown off, and are like " moh well, we'll try again next year". That is not an acceptable attitude IMO if my lively hood is on the line. Thats a side from how moraly wrong these fish are being managed. I mean How many businesses and G/o suffered during this debacle? how many $$$ in revenue? and no one is really doing anything that will amount to anything,

I am not giving anyone a hrad time just trying to understand. If threating oour resources and your livelyhood isnt enough to get you fired up and REALLY do something im not sure what is...

Now this along with a few others is the kind of dialog I was hoping to spur on by my blockade post. Honest questions and honest answers. It is time we start looking at more effective ways of dealing with this stuff.

The bottom line is the feds ,dfo, and the province for that matter are controlled by big business and big money. We can play politics by writing letters and threatening not to vote for so and so and asking mla's and mp's for support all we want . results will be the same forever as we do not put the dollars in the Right Pockets. We can ask for transparency all we want too. DFO loves hiding the real issues behind endless streams of data and numbers that give the allusion of transparency,satisfying the average person that cares but dose not live it and see it as we do.

The fact is greed is at the forefront of this thing.

I said in previous post that I thought the commies are victims as well. History has proven time and time again that wen the" machine" that is big money business takes control it spells the end for the honest guy trying to make a living. More importantly it spells the end of the resource that is being exploited. They will provide a perceived look of conservation and care,only until the well runs out .

This kind of aggressive harvesting has brought our somas Chinook to it's knees. I am sure some of you remember the Nahmint Chinook fiasco. How many of you remember how many blue backs we had in the Georgia straight before the big boats started fishing them,and all the herring.Up till then the troll fleet enjoyed consistent fishing and more over the fish they caught landed in the local communities they lived and raised their families in. Once the "Machine " arrived we never even laid eyes on the fish again. We know how fast they went through them. And so on and so on.

Once this resource is gone the machine will move on to the next thing without ever looking back. We will be left with no real rec opportunities and the commercial boats will sit idol and unemployed. But make no mistake the boys atop the machine and the ones that played along with them ( polaticion's and DFO brass) will be the ones who will have the fat pockets.

I think most of us appreciate very much the hours donated by folks who sit at the meetings and the effort that has been made.(I know I do) I just think a new and more aggressive, route needs to be explored.
The fact is, what is and has always been done is not and will not work. Even if we get them to time the fleet differently to provide a more fair opportunity for the rec sector it dose nothing to address the real concern.

I don't know what that route should be exactly, but I do think that public awareness is key. As long as we allow them to keep feeding the public a positive image of what is going on ,we will never get the support we need. That is why I made the post and that is why I hope more people chime in with ideas.

Once again I am sure this post is not without it's flaws ,but it dose begin to describe what I think the reel issues are and that we are in need of new ideas.

Cheers: Ray