i am a little surprised they are opening on a sunday. usually the fleet is kept back on weekends so the rec sector can have the area. i would think there is a fairly large surplus in order for the seins to go early. then again this is dfo we are talking about.
yes..the following if from Bob Cole July 02 sent to DFO too.
"Hello Bill,
The problem with the Dalai Lama’s statement is that it doesn’t hold true when the dialogue is just words.
A reliable source of mine told me Thursday, before our meeting, that they were to meet a particular seine boat anchored at China Creek Sunday evening if they wanted some Sockeye.
Obviously, as last week, the fishing times and locations had been pre-determined and our meetings are basically window dressing.
The same thing happened the week before where a notice of time and boundaries was issued by DFO before our meeting that was to discuss and define such times and boundaries.
Secondly, at this point last year there weren’t more than ten seine boats fishing and they were restricted to certain areas that allowed a reasonable area for the sport fleet to operate in. The seiners still caught their allocation over the season and a reasonable recreational fishery co-existed. It is obvious that the intention is to decimate the rec effort and the local economy.
When we asked for some consideration last week, we were told they would be in and out, no problem. When we asked for such an area and a Monday start because of the long weekend, we were ignored and were told by someone on the phone from one of the many processors that have somehow joined our committee (maybe we should have all the motels, hotels, restaurants and tackle shops in town join the conversation) that “we don’t recognize American holidays”. Well Sunday is still part of our long weekend and the 800 recreational boats fishing in the inlet and many of the hundreds fishing Barkley Sound are still likely to be fishing or travelling through on Sunday afternoon and even Monday morning. Compromise is a two way street and we are seeing only one direction from the seine sector.
To top this lunacy off, Diana Dobson’s and your option 1 and 3 don’t make basic arithmetic sense. To “catch up” and allocate more fish than are in the inlet and Barkley Sound according to your own test boat, even if you include ten to fifteen thousand recruitment a day, plans to take all of the fish. Do the math! That leaves few for escapement, few for First Nations and basically none for the sport fleet.
Undoubtedly, the local economy and the real taxpayers don’t factor into the process at all.
Therefore, and after discussion with my colleagues, I will not be participating any further in this sham process regarding Sockeye.
Best of luck,
Bob Cole"
And from Bob Cole July 05, it was send to DFO too
"Hello Chris,
Well my worst fears as to the results of having the seine area open all the way from Pocahontas to Polly’s has come to pass.
The seines are still here and the recreational fleet has caught diddly squat this morning.
Most of the tourists will be or already are packing up and going elsewhere.
A fleet of ten or so seiners could have fished as hard and as long as they wanted inside Dunsmuir Point and caught all the fish as they pass by without impacting the recreational fleet.
DFO is systematically ruining our fragile tourism economy.
Bob "
