Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
You have a good point. And I appreciate the intelligence behind your argument. Thanks for taking the time and effort.
I'll debate you on numbers = facts: You say - "From DFO, from Charlie's Web site sources, from anywhere, but we need the numbers." That statement does not build my confidence that the numbers are at all meaningful. There are liars, damned liars and then there are the DFO number crunchers and their statistics. I do not believe there is much veracity behind their numbers - How can they get the forecasts so incredibly wrong, year after year? And yet we want to give them the benefit of the doubt, thinking what they provide will be any more accurate this year than in the past? We cling to faint hope. As Profisher says* - working with what we may have is not good enough, anyway. We need to rebuild the stocks to abundance.
Numbers and statistics do not equal truth. They don't matter anymore to the general public or the media - it's all too often been massaged, spun and manipulated for political and corporate ends. Stand a room of forecasters end to end and they will never reach a conclusion. We've been tricked too many times with bogus numbers. We are all sceptics around the numbers, statistics and forecasts - for fish, the economy or the weather. And whether it's politics or public opinion, the group with the most compelling story will always win the hearts and minds.
Right now we do not have that ace. When the media portrays us as "angry sports fisherman" versus a pleading Ernie Crey, who only "wants to get us into a room - to cooperate on fish and conservation", etc. any argument from us, informed, even replete with numbers, is inconsequential. We need to build a constituency and some credibility in the media / public arena first, through being viewed as cooperative, reasonable men. Then, maybe, our numbers might mean something.
*Profisher said: "I'm not satisfied with just protecting the fish that are left. That is far short of what any conscientious angler should accept from DFO. The time is long overdue for positive change by what ever means that will work to get these runs numbers back up to sustainable and healthy numbers. Obviously it is not just restricting the catch that will achieve this. But there has been enough talk and band aid BS for too long now. It is now time for action and results, or I fear it will be too late."
I believe it is a combination of using the best data available to base decisions as much as we can in facts and logic, but Foxsea is also right that we have to also play the political and media game to show people we are not just bunch selfish, angry, sports fisherman. We need to act and be seen by the general public as cool headed, cooperative team players willing to work with all stakeholders for a fair decision that promotes conservation. Now the fact is us sportfisherman have been doing this for some time, but we must continue to do it and be seen doing in the public eye. This is why smart organizations hire public relations and media consultants to manage their public image. Like it or not in the world of public opinion; image, perceptions and opinions trump fact, figues and truth just about every time!