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Halibut decision slammed
Courier-Islander August 31, 2011
The Sport Fishing Institute of British Columbia (SFI) slammed DFO's decision to force an early end to the Pacific recreational halibut fishery. "By forcing an unnecessary closure to the recreational halibut fishery, while Canada still has more than two million pounds of available catch, DFO has demonstrated that it is beholden to the commercial halibut lobby and indifferent to the economic impacts on residents of coastal communities," said SFI President Robert Alcock. "DFO will have to explain to the hundreds of workers in the sport fishing industry who will be affected by this decision why their continued employment is of little importance."
DFO announced that it will close the recreational halibut fishery at midnight on Sept. 5th because the recreational sector will have caught 12 per cent of Canada's total allowable halibut catch. While Canadians can still catch in excess of two million pounds of halibut this year, DFO believes that the remainder of the halibut is part of the 88 per cent of the Canadian halibut allocation that is "owned" by 436 commercial halibut quota holders.
According to a recent release from the commercial halibut sector, only 156 quota holders actually fish halibut, the rest simply lease their quota and collect royalty cheques. Over the past two decades, halibut quota holders have earned a greater share of their income from leasing arrangements and employed fewer and fewer people.
"This closure will not conserve halibut or increase employment in coastal communities. In fact, it will ensure that Canadian taxpayers will receive less value for their halibut resource," said Alcock. "Recreational anglers who want to catch one or two of the fish that they own as Canadians should be outraged at this high-handed decision."
The tidal recreational fishery produces 40 per cent of the gross domestic product for all fisheries and aquaculture in British Columbia.
More than 100,000 anglers participate in the recreational halibut fishery every year and the sector creates more than 3,400 person-years of employment.
© Copyright (c) Postmedia News
Halibut decision slammed
Courier-Islander August 31, 2011
The Sport Fishing Institute of British Columbia (SFI) slammed DFO's decision to force an early end to the Pacific recreational halibut fishery. "By forcing an unnecessary closure to the recreational halibut fishery, while Canada still has more than two million pounds of available catch, DFO has demonstrated that it is beholden to the commercial halibut lobby and indifferent to the economic impacts on residents of coastal communities," said SFI President Robert Alcock. "DFO will have to explain to the hundreds of workers in the sport fishing industry who will be affected by this decision why their continued employment is of little importance."
DFO announced that it will close the recreational halibut fishery at midnight on Sept. 5th because the recreational sector will have caught 12 per cent of Canada's total allowable halibut catch. While Canadians can still catch in excess of two million pounds of halibut this year, DFO believes that the remainder of the halibut is part of the 88 per cent of the Canadian halibut allocation that is "owned" by 436 commercial halibut quota holders.
According to a recent release from the commercial halibut sector, only 156 quota holders actually fish halibut, the rest simply lease their quota and collect royalty cheques. Over the past two decades, halibut quota holders have earned a greater share of their income from leasing arrangements and employed fewer and fewer people.
"This closure will not conserve halibut or increase employment in coastal communities. In fact, it will ensure that Canadian taxpayers will receive less value for their halibut resource," said Alcock. "Recreational anglers who want to catch one or two of the fish that they own as Canadians should be outraged at this high-handed decision."
The tidal recreational fishery produces 40 per cent of the gross domestic product for all fisheries and aquaculture in British Columbia.
More than 100,000 anglers participate in the recreational halibut fishery every year and the sector creates more than 3,400 person-years of employment.
© Copyright (c) Postmedia News
