FishNmemories
Member
I posted about our last boating/prawning/camping adventure that was...well not upbeat in nature or explained how fortunate we felt about our bounty of prawns, the nice weather, exploring some new areas with our new-to -us starcraft boat , and just enjoying our waterfront campsite.
Yes, I was disappointed that the 1st prawn spot had been over-fished as evidenced by the small size of prawns in the traps, but the 2 fish farm workers who were fishing the area hard, would now have to deal with this fact for some time to come before the prawns would grow big enough or adequate numbers to substantiate fishing there anytime soon. And yes, I am also to blame for the decreasing number and size of prawns, as we fished this spot 3-4 times a year: but we will leave this area alone for the next year and hope the stocks rebounds.
The loss of this prawning spot and the subsequent search for another location, resulted in us witnessing 2 boats actively jigging for cod in the shallows in an area that is closed until May 1, 2012, this did bring my spirits down.
In the past I have spoken with DFO enforcement officer directly regarding poaching (unmarked longline gear) and being told that he would not be able to do anything about it due to being stationed too far away and the offender would probably be gone by the time he got there. The DFO Officer also felt that the gear could belong to First Nation and he had no jurisdiction over them.
Given this fact, I decided not to confront or ask what these 2 boats were fishing for. Yes in the past I have not told other boaters that they are fishing in a Rock Cod Conservation Area (RCA) or in one case fishing in a Provincial Marine Park. I wasn't belligerent or confrontational, but choose a educational approach that informed these boaters that if rock cod stocks do not improve, DFO would be forced by the Species At Risk Act (SARAs) to close all inside Vancouver Island waters to all forms of hook related fisheries, yes that would include salmon as well. This approached seemed to work well and hopefully the boaters understood the long-term consequences of their actions.
Perhaps, I worry too much... But my Gal and I are thankful for the prawns and 2 dungeness crabs that we took home. Additionally, the magnificent presence of the Killer whales pod was a blessing as well. We also watched a large Seal-lion kill and then eat an unfortunate Dogfish. Going through some narrows with large whirlpools, with my Sweetheart at the wheel, scared and delighted us both. Oh yeah, she slammed into a chunk of wood that got wedged in front of the outboard, but there was no damage. And she wasn't too happy when I insisted she continue steering the boat...( this helped to re-build her confidence), but we both survived . And yup, I will let her take the Captain's Chair again (she loves as much as I do).
We did indeed have a good time, but we promised each other to slow down next time and try to enjoy ourselves more, as we often try to pack too many activities in at one time.
So Thank You Mother Nature for sharing your bounty from the sea and the scenery, too!!
Yes, I was disappointed that the 1st prawn spot had been over-fished as evidenced by the small size of prawns in the traps, but the 2 fish farm workers who were fishing the area hard, would now have to deal with this fact for some time to come before the prawns would grow big enough or adequate numbers to substantiate fishing there anytime soon. And yes, I am also to blame for the decreasing number and size of prawns, as we fished this spot 3-4 times a year: but we will leave this area alone for the next year and hope the stocks rebounds.
The loss of this prawning spot and the subsequent search for another location, resulted in us witnessing 2 boats actively jigging for cod in the shallows in an area that is closed until May 1, 2012, this did bring my spirits down.
In the past I have spoken with DFO enforcement officer directly regarding poaching (unmarked longline gear) and being told that he would not be able to do anything about it due to being stationed too far away and the offender would probably be gone by the time he got there. The DFO Officer also felt that the gear could belong to First Nation and he had no jurisdiction over them.
Given this fact, I decided not to confront or ask what these 2 boats were fishing for. Yes in the past I have not told other boaters that they are fishing in a Rock Cod Conservation Area (RCA) or in one case fishing in a Provincial Marine Park. I wasn't belligerent or confrontational, but choose a educational approach that informed these boaters that if rock cod stocks do not improve, DFO would be forced by the Species At Risk Act (SARAs) to close all inside Vancouver Island waters to all forms of hook related fisheries, yes that would include salmon as well. This approached seemed to work well and hopefully the boaters understood the long-term consequences of their actions.
Perhaps, I worry too much... But my Gal and I are thankful for the prawns and 2 dungeness crabs that we took home. Additionally, the magnificent presence of the Killer whales pod was a blessing as well. We also watched a large Seal-lion kill and then eat an unfortunate Dogfish. Going through some narrows with large whirlpools, with my Sweetheart at the wheel, scared and delighted us both. Oh yeah, she slammed into a chunk of wood that got wedged in front of the outboard, but there was no damage. And she wasn't too happy when I insisted she continue steering the boat...( this helped to re-build her confidence), but we both survived . And yup, I will let her take the Captain's Chair again (she loves as much as I do).
We did indeed have a good time, but we promised each other to slow down next time and try to enjoy ourselves more, as we often try to pack too many activities in at one time.
So Thank You Mother Nature for sharing your bounty from the sea and the scenery, too!!
