IMPORTANT: Feb. 27 Fisheries Town Hall Mtg. in Langford

[SVIAC]

​

FISHERIES TOWN HALL MEETING​

Chinook, Conservation, Fish, Fishing Access, SRKW

Anglers, it’s Essential Your Attend!​

What: Fisheries Town Hall Meeting

When: Tuesday February 27, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.​

Where: Four Points by Sheraton Victoria Gateway Hotel, 829 McCallum Road, Langford, BC V9B 6W6​

Why: We are losing our opportunities to catch Chinook salmon in Southern British Columbia. Salmon anglers are growing increasingly frustrated with the defective management of our salmon fisheries. A problematic patchwork of Chinook salmon closures and frequently changing complex regulations that impede everyday Canadians from accessing abundant stocks, especially those of hatchery-origin.

It’s time to make this widely known!​

Anglers are the real conservationists. Combined, we give millions of dollars annually to conserving salmon and our gumboot army of volunteers provides hundreds of thousands of hours each year to habitat restoration, enhancement and stock monitoring. We are also agreeable to doing our part in support of the recovery of Fraser River Chinook stocks of concern, but not at the death of our fishery, when viable scientifically-defensible opportunities exist. And as for Southern Resident Killer Whales, we, like every Canadian should, hold these magnificent creatures in high esteem and want them to recover from their endangered status. However, we find salmon anglers have unjustly lost the most closed to fishing area, only because expansive closures make great optics on a map for bureaucrats so desperate to show something is being done regarding the recovery plan to their Ottawa superiors. It is our opinion that the Southern BC salmon fishery has become the scapegoat for an amateurish recovery strategy.

Town Hall Agenda (press this link)​

We simply ask for fair access to abundant Chinook salmon stocks and for government to stop putting up road blocks to a rapid roll-out of marked selective Chinook fisheries. It is time to stop using unproven science and kowtowing to anti-fishing ideologues. The Chinook salmon fishery in Southern BC is very important to Canadians who love to fish and the thousands of businesses that depend on the fishery for revenue.

South Vancouver Island Anglers Coalition has organized this Town Hall Meeting, with our friends from the Public Fishery Alliance, the Fraser River Sportfishing Alliance and the Port Renfrew-based BC Recreational Fishing Association. We want the public to hear about the injustice that is happening. Politicians, both federal MPs as well as provincial MLAs, are being invited to join us and the local media are all being notified of the event. We anticipate over 200 local anglers will attend in-person to show the level of discontent with the way our fishery is being managed.

PLEASE NOTE: There will be door prizes and a silent auction. The meeting room has a cash bar. Parking on the premises is free charge

If YOU want to help things change then we look forward to seeing you there!
Here is the link to the SVIAC site on this event: https://www.facebook.com/events/439119548545121/?ref=newsfeed
Here is the Facebook event listing: https://www.facebook.com/events/439119548545121/?ref=newsfeed

 

[Whole in the Water]

I for one will be attending this important meeting - who else is going?

 

[fish brain]

I will be there.
Will there be no representation from DFO?

 

[Whole in the Water]

Don't think they were invited. Seriously doubt they would come if invited. If they did send someone it would be a low level staff person that would say I hear what you are saying, but not result in much follow up action.

 

[rockdog]

I'm planning to attend.

 

[fish brain]

I am very much in support of all the groups putting this meeting on, and I still intend to go. But unless there is someone from DFO and the Ministers office is there to hear our thoughts, we might as well be speaking to the wind.

 

[Whole in the Water]

That is why local area, provincial and federal politicians and the news media have been invited.

 

[Whole in the Water]

Bump, meeting is tomorrow.

 

[Murry]

"Is there a way to attend a sports event virtually? Many sports enthusiasts do not live close to the coast during winter but would like to show their support and make their voices and views heard by the authorities. It would be beneficial to offer a virtual attendance option to increase participation and engagement among a wider audience who are unable to attend in person.

 

[Whole in the Water]

Good idea, but not possible for this event. Perhaps for ones in the future.

 

[SVIAC]

A huge THANK YOU to all who attended the town hall meeting last night! There were about 300 people in the room who heard from some great speakers and a well represented panel discussion.

A big thank you to all who financially supported the event last night by buying/renewing memberships, silent auctions, 50/50 and donations. Congratulations to all who won prizes - you support is much needed and appreciated.

Stay tuned for some follow up information and next steps actions in the next few weeks to be sent to all those who signed in at the event via email and social media.

The time to start to demand better fisheries management and fair access for the public fishery is now!

 

[cohochinook]

https://fb.watch/qvH4a70kQ2

 

[Derby]

https://www.timescolonist.com/local...could-be-devastating-for-port-renfrew-8373281

 

[PEETZcanada]

It was an honour to help provide some prizes for the participants of this very important community information meeting regarding the state of our fishing opportunities in the south Island and other areas of Vancouver Island. The groups that have come together in order to offer this public consoltation are made up of amazing, dedicated volunteers, whom like you and I have a deep roving passion for salmon and fishing and nature as a whole.

Thank you to everyone who helped to orchestrate this event and to absolutely everyone that was able to attend personally in the crowd.