2015 Halibut Regulations

[SpringVelocity]

I want a longer season and for us to start fighting about getting big halibut.. having it open Feb-Dec should be the goal so every area can fish for them..

If there is more allowed than maybe increase to a second one... like what we had in sept.... Not one area is the center of the universe and with a longer season it allows everyone in each area to catch there halibut.

I am not if favor of having increases so we close beginning of sept. A lot of anglers on island and mainland areas fish all year round not just summer. Having halibut open is a plus.

The big halibut fight well that has to come from a % TAC increase...Which I can't see unless Ottawa adjusts it...

 

[SpringVelocity]

I know the number one mandate is a full season from Feb1 to Dec 31st WITHOUT going over the TAC. So if you don't go over then you will always be under. I think later season adjustments are the way to go to ensure we get as close to the bullseye as possible. Making adjustments at the start of the season only increases the chances of having to close it down early.

I agree also...

 

[SerengetiGuide]

I agree Sv. But we have plenty of room to work to increase and not close sept 1st. That's the point

 

[vic-tory]

You're more than welcome to jump in there if you don't like how things are

Typical answer back, no justification of your own actions. Curious how keeping the same regulations could even be fathomable as an option to you. Also, I Go to meetings, and I'd actually love to jump in there. How can I go about doing that?

 

[profisher]

It is obvious that 140,000 pounds to some of you is a big number to be under our quota and not acceptable. What would you say is we went 140,000 pounds over. Would it be holly f%ck we only went 140,000 pounds over? No it would be wow we got that close and 140,000 pounds over. Be honest!

 

[vic-tory]

That's not true at all pro fisher, 144,000lbs is almost 14000 fish, either way its quite a ways off. Plus two different scenarios...one of which is OVER REGULATING ourselves.

Put it this way...if we were 144,000lbs over would you say, oh wow, we definitely need to change the regs to get closer to the actual TAC or would you think, that's pretty close, could go down next year due to angler behaviour? Exactly, shows upper size can be upped (exact same situation reversed as angler behaviour is just as likely to make it go up as down!!).

 

[profisher]

It's only 700- 200 pound fish or 1400 - 100 pound fish. Why are you using a 10 pound average? If the size went up would you keep some of these 10 pounders to use up the lost quota?

 

[vic-tory]

That's the most ridiculous fear mongering thing I've heard. How does a 200lb fish have anything to do with this debate?!?! 139-142cm is a 80-83lb fish, not a 200lb fish. Avg size around 12lbs, so 12,000 fish, whatever! You can't say it's 1400 hundred lb fish when that's not the average size the dfo uses in their calculations. Stop misleading people. The lower slot (which may have a larger effect on DFO calc)went up 8lbs last year, upper went up 10lbs...and still only used another 100,000lbs of quota. **And as that upper slot goes up, it will have less of an effect as the amount of fish in the ocean as sizes go up become less and less and therefore caught less and less.** So you're telling me going off last year's results with two significant size increases and only 100,000lbs extra used and the fact with no size limit (including those 100-200lb fish you speak of) on one fish we only used up 130,000 (100,000 by sept 5th, add in 30k or so for september onward) more pounds than our quota is now for a full season...think about that!!!!

 

[Percy Stipec]

Maybe there's just one 14000lb fish lurking around down there...

 

[profisher]

I just used the larger fish to show that we are not talking about 14,000 fish as that is a fictional number as well. 140,000 pounds divided by the present 70 pounds legal fish is 2,000 fish of that size. I only followed your lead with pie in the sky numbers that were used to fit your arguement with my own. You are adding poundage to a fish that has already been caught not the full weight of an additional fish of 80 pounds. The true number is somewhere in between.

 

[SerengetiGuide]

The avg size halibut in the ocean is not going to change because of a regulation change in Canada. So yes use the avg sized fish not some random number you think up. You're fear mongering to advance your agenda. Explain to me how there is not enough room in 144,000lbs to up the 70lb limit? Also didn't address vics comment about how no size limit and fish 85-300lbs were allowed to be kept and we were only 130,000lbs over, closer than how far away we were under this year. (Good pt Vic)

 

[profisher]

Don't make it personal David...it is not my agenda. I just happen to sit in the camp that understands that it is important that we do not go over our quota. We have finally built up some confidence within DFo that we do understand our fishery more than anyone else. This has allowed our reps to craft a fishing plan and have it adopted as presented. It would only take a single season where a fishing plan crafted by our reps and that resulted in an overage to destroy some of that hard won priviledge. I've been told the other sectors were amazed that our reps were able to put together a plan that allowed a full season and yet kept us under our TAC. Especially in year one.

 

[bigbruce]

Well said, Profiteer. Frankly, I suspect the vast majority of folks who fish for halibut are quite satisfied with the current limits and fishing season. I know I am and I think that the folks who are representing the recreational fishery in this regard are serving us very well.

 

[trophywife]

one of six fish any size, because they are our fish first... 85lb/20lb,, as much as i HATE the regs.....

 

[Whole in the Water]

I'd like to hear some good ideas on how we can work to make the experimental halibut quota disappear permanently...

IMHO this is an affront to both fair and good management and our common property resource access as citizens!

 

[SerengetiGuide]

x2 on 85lbs/20lbs. Although I have a feeling most they'll go is 80/20lb...still better than 70lbs

Enjoyed that post pro fisher. I have no wants to make it personal either, I'm just very passionate about this subject as over regulation to me is just as bad as under regulated especially when we do it to ourselves. It's been two years with size limits and I've called over reg each year and been right, not looking for a pat on the back or anything but this year with same regs or even a 75lb max will be once again over regulated. I understand all that for sure and realize that approach is necessary, but there's cautious then overly cautious to a point of over regulation which has been happening. I think we can both agree staying within is important and should be a priority, but not to a point where the over regulation occurs. Curious as to your answer, as well as searuns, to this question; If you kept the same regs and next year we left 180k in the water...would you still call the regs successful or that you messed up and over regulated again?

Because chances of it going down are just as likely as going up due to angler behaviour and weather.

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Won't happen Whole...government program, even after this year it was halved, they brought it back. Won't happen, period.

 

[fogged in]

The avg size halibut in the ocean is not going to change because of a regulation change in Canada. So yes use the avg sized fish not some random number you think up. You're fear mongering to advance your agenda. Explain to me how there is not enough room in 144,000lbs to up the 70lb limit? Also didn't address vics comment about how no size limit and fish 85-300lbs were allowed to be kept and we were only 130,000lbs over, closer than how far away we were under this year. (Good pt Vic)

It seems to me that when looking at Halibut restrictions, it's all about your personal perspective.
A guide, using serengiti as an example, designs his web site around trophy fish and he is good at catching them...lots of them... that's why he is in business....that's where the photo above came from.
Most sport fishermen focus on the "experience" and if a trophy fish comes along once in a while they are thrilled.
I know many many sport fishermen and not one of them would trade opening trophy halibut fishing in exchange for a shorter season.
I am of the opinion, you can't have one without the other.
The present system works for the majority...lets keep it until we can wrestle more quota from the commercial sector.....and don't hold your breath on that one.

 

[Whole in the Water]

Won't happen Whole...government program, even after this year it was halved, they brought it back. Won't happen, period.

No offence meant, but I disagree. Most anything can be changed if people put their minds, money and will to it. History is full of examples. I realize that there are those that feel the experimental quota can't/want change but my post is to hear ideas from those that think it can and must. So let's hear some...

 

[SerengetiGuide]

If you'd look at my posts I'm not saying to open it up to trophies this year...80-85lb limit...which is completely doable under our TAC. Stop mincing words. And of course you'd advertise the fact that guests have a shot at a once in a lifetime fish, if not, then you're a bad/stupid businessperson. That's one of the best things about fishing in BC is you never know when you'll get that once in a lifetime fish on your line. That excitement is what brings so many anglers to the coast.