I will jump in with my two cents! I agree with the opinion that Harper was a big problem for gutting the fisheries, especially in his last term. Liberals came in the first mandate with lots promises just look at the mandate letter to the Fisheries Minister. What we have seen under to Liberal mandates is a huge erosion of access for sport fishing despite enormous efforts by SFAB to find science and data based solutions to create opportunities.
Just look at Vancouver where we're pretty much closed to fishing Chinook April 1 to September 1. The Vancouver public chinook fishery is on the verge of collapse. Current regulations have created enormous social and economic impacts. Having been involved in multiple meetings with Liberal MP's, DFO staff and senior advisors to the Minister nothing has changed. In Howe Sound we have seen proposals and sponge reefs that will limit access even further during open times. We have money being spent by the Liberals to create Marine Protected Areas where fishing is going to be banned! Marked Selective Fishery has been supported by 25 MP's in BC none of which are Liberal in a letter to the Fisheries Minister. The current Fisheries Minister continues to drag her feet on MSF. A rampant illegal gillnet fishery continues to thrive on the Fraser taking the very Chinook and Sockeye stocks of concern and blind eye is turned on this.
As one well informed friend said recently after another SFAB proposal was rejected by DFO or I mean directly by the Prime Ministers office to create an opening in the Vancouver area in August for Chinook "The public is now very aware of the tens of thousands of chinook that were harvested by FN FSC gill net fisheries August 2019 and August 2020. I believe the combined total for the two years is in excess of 50,000 chinook, and let’s not forget the numerous endangered sockeye and sturgeon that were killed as a result. While these chinook were harvested the public had zero opportunity in the Vancouver area for the same chinook. I believe historical public retention of these fish is in the 3,000 range in August and early September around Vancouver and the Fraser Mouth. Nobody is debating FSC priority, but we need more balance, this not an exclusive resource for certain user groups. Government and DFO has a responsibility to manage the resource for all Canadians. We can achieve balance through well thought out opportunities such as the one presented above, minimizing impact and maximizing social and economic gain.
There is 0 balance here. DFO needs to provide some reasonable opportunity for the public to harvest chinook stocks of non-concern (Thompson 4.1) while FN FSC is harvesting tens of thousands in river in non-selective gill nets. We have the ability to limit our impact based on timing and not retaining fish over 80 cm. Gill nets do not. FN harvested about 23,000 chinook in the Fraser last year. The public has had and continues to have 0 opportunity to harvest selectively around Vancouver."
I know this is a saltwater forum but as keen freshwater fisherman as well many may not know that all rivers are closed to even catch and release salmon fishing unless otherwise opened by DFO in Region 2. Taking away Catch and release has been used as another pawn to appease certain NGO's and First Nations that want us off the water entirely! Another Liberal move to continue to remove access for the public fishery!
What I will tell you is 3 BC MP's in Bob Zimmer, Ed Fast and Mel Arnold have worked very hard to change things in the Conservative party with regards to Fisheries. They have come out strongly in support Mark Selective Fishery, Fish Traps rather then gillnets, targeted enhancement, increased enforcement especially on illegal fisheries and improved public access to harvest and fish for healthy salmon stocks. This message is being heard and the Conservative party is not the same approach that was under fisheries during Harper's time, despite some people wanting to play that card. I liken it to a more Brian Mulroney Progressive Conservative approach to fisheries or when my good friend John Fraser was the Fisheries Minister.
A vote for a Trudeau Liberal right now under their current framework that has not changed in two terms and means further cuts and less access for sport fishing! Is that what we all want???
