Sushihunter
Active Member
http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/Halibut+season+hurts+communities/5326728/story.html
Halibut season end hurts communities
By Lanny Sawchuk, Times Colonist August 30, 2011
http://www.canada.com/Halibut+decision+tramples+rights/5325995/story.html
Halibut decision tramples rights
By Larry Peterson, Comox Valley Echo August 30, 2011
I am absolutely stinking mad.
DFO is going to close down recreational halibut fishing as of Sept. 5?
This action is an attack on my rights as a taxpaying, law-abiding Canadian citizen.
Don't feel sorry for me, I have three halibut this year; one in May and two in July. I was hoping to try for a nice fresh one in late September or early October. Now that opportunity will be gone.
We are not talking about my opportunities, we are talking about our rights as Canadians. This is another example of government decisions that are high-handed, political and artificial.
An example of the opposite is that the Puntledge River is likely to remain closed for Chinook and Coho this fall. This is a decision arrived at by DFO in conjunction with Puntledge hatchery staff and your local Sportfishing Advisory Committee. It is based on a biological concern for the welfare of Chinook and Coho spawning populations this particular year.
I belong to eight different Comox Valley organizations concerned with the protection and enhancement of our natural ecosystems and resources. I protect far more than I exploit. I, like you, work hard for my Canadian rights and freedoms and opportunities.
The halibut decision is based on extrapolated numbers, political pressures and artificial, arbitrary and unfair timing.
The overall management of the halibut resource is very well and carefully done, based on sound biological principles and practices. The allocation to the recreational sector is horribly done; it amounts to an economic roadblock and an attack on the Canadian psyche.
So where do we go from here? Protest? Civil disobedience? I don't know, but these are our rights and this halibut decision is wrong.
Larry Peterson
Courtenay
© Copyright (c) Postmedia News
http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/Targeting+fish+threat+halibut/5326730/story.html
By Lanny Sawchuk, Times Colonist August 30, 2011
Last week's announcement of a shutdown of recreational halibut fishing is terrible news for coastal communities.
Our company operates businesses on the coast, including sports fishing resorts and marinas. Several will be severely impacted by this closure. Our employees will soon be dealing with guests unable to fulfil their plans to fish halibut, guests who in many cases travelled from great distances, at great expense, to have that experience. We're also dealing with cancellations. We'll be cutting back staffing accordingly, resulting in a ripple effect of lost economic activity for communities.
In difficult economic times, the DFO's policy is completely contradictory to the federal government's attempts to provide economic stimulus.
The recreational sector, based on its contribution to the economy, needs more than 12 per cent of the allowable halibut catch. We are not advocating higher catch limits. We just need a bigger slice of the pie to stay in business.
The commercial sector will also argue that they need to make a living. We agree. Unfortunately, the protection of this halibut quota has meant quota holders are making hundreds of thousands of dollars selling their quota (which was acquired for free) every year. Less than one-third of quota holders actually fish. The DFO is protecting big business and quota traders, not the commercial fishermen.
How could we interpret a perpetuation of the existing allocation policy to be anything other than DFO being influenced more by big business and quota traders than by the economic and social needs of thousands in coastal communities?
As for DFO's "experimental fishery," which is essentially the recreational sector paying big business and quota traders for a right to catch some of their "gifted" halibut quota - surely DFO can't be serious?
Lanny Sawchuk
Chief operations officer Oak Bay Marine Group
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/Halibut+season+hurts+communities/5326728/story.html#ixzz1WXPVWREN
Our company operates businesses on the coast, including sports fishing resorts and marinas. Several will be severely impacted by this closure. Our employees will soon be dealing with guests unable to fulfil their plans to fish halibut, guests who in many cases travelled from great distances, at great expense, to have that experience. We're also dealing with cancellations. We'll be cutting back staffing accordingly, resulting in a ripple effect of lost economic activity for communities.
In difficult economic times, the DFO's policy is completely contradictory to the federal government's attempts to provide economic stimulus.
The recreational sector, based on its contribution to the economy, needs more than 12 per cent of the allowable halibut catch. We are not advocating higher catch limits. We just need a bigger slice of the pie to stay in business.
The commercial sector will also argue that they need to make a living. We agree. Unfortunately, the protection of this halibut quota has meant quota holders are making hundreds of thousands of dollars selling their quota (which was acquired for free) every year. Less than one-third of quota holders actually fish. The DFO is protecting big business and quota traders, not the commercial fishermen.
How could we interpret a perpetuation of the existing allocation policy to be anything other than DFO being influenced more by big business and quota traders than by the economic and social needs of thousands in coastal communities?
As for DFO's "experimental fishery," which is essentially the recreational sector paying big business and quota traders for a right to catch some of their "gifted" halibut quota - surely DFO can't be serious?
Lanny Sawchuk
Chief operations officer Oak Bay Marine Group
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/Halibut+season+hurts+communities/5326728/story.html#ixzz1WXPVWREN
http://www.canada.com/Halibut+decision+tramples+rights/5325995/story.html
Halibut decision tramples rights
By Larry Peterson, Comox Valley Echo August 30, 2011
I am absolutely stinking mad.
DFO is going to close down recreational halibut fishing as of Sept. 5?
This action is an attack on my rights as a taxpaying, law-abiding Canadian citizen.
Don't feel sorry for me, I have three halibut this year; one in May and two in July. I was hoping to try for a nice fresh one in late September or early October. Now that opportunity will be gone.
We are not talking about my opportunities, we are talking about our rights as Canadians. This is another example of government decisions that are high-handed, political and artificial.
An example of the opposite is that the Puntledge River is likely to remain closed for Chinook and Coho this fall. This is a decision arrived at by DFO in conjunction with Puntledge hatchery staff and your local Sportfishing Advisory Committee. It is based on a biological concern for the welfare of Chinook and Coho spawning populations this particular year.
I belong to eight different Comox Valley organizations concerned with the protection and enhancement of our natural ecosystems and resources. I protect far more than I exploit. I, like you, work hard for my Canadian rights and freedoms and opportunities.
The halibut decision is based on extrapolated numbers, political pressures and artificial, arbitrary and unfair timing.
The overall management of the halibut resource is very well and carefully done, based on sound biological principles and practices. The allocation to the recreational sector is horribly done; it amounts to an economic roadblock and an attack on the Canadian psyche.
So where do we go from here? Protest? Civil disobedience? I don't know, but these are our rights and this halibut decision is wrong.
Larry Peterson
Courtenay
© Copyright (c) Postmedia News
http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/Targeting+fish+threat+halibut/5326730/story.html
Targeting big fish threat to halibut
By Steve Donaldson, Times Colonist August 30, 2011
Re: "Recreational halibut fishery faces earliest ever closure," Aug. 24
The article reports that that scientists are trying to figure out why there are so many small halibut. Could this be because for years everyone, be it a recreational or a commercial fisher, has targeted the big fish? This would over time reduce the percentage of larger fish.
This has another negative side effect. The big fish are mostly females who produce the eggs to keep the species going.
Why not prohibit the taking of the larger fish and offset the loss to the fisher by increasing the catch of smaller fish to two or even three fish? Hopefully, someone will figure out what's needed before its too late.
Steve Donaldson
North Saanich
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/techno...reat+halibut/5326730/story.html#ixzz1WXPr7uGa
By Steve Donaldson, Times Colonist August 30, 2011
Re: "Recreational halibut fishery faces earliest ever closure," Aug. 24
The article reports that that scientists are trying to figure out why there are so many small halibut. Could this be because for years everyone, be it a recreational or a commercial fisher, has targeted the big fish? This would over time reduce the percentage of larger fish.
This has another negative side effect. The big fish are mostly females who produce the eggs to keep the species going.
Why not prohibit the taking of the larger fish and offset the loss to the fisher by increasing the catch of smaller fish to two or even three fish? Hopefully, someone will figure out what's needed before its too late.
Steve Donaldson
North Saanich
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/techno...reat+halibut/5326730/story.html#ixzz1WXPr7uGa
