Important Mtg. Reminder: Nov. 6 Victoria & Area SFAB Meeting

[Bent-Tip]

Could someone please tell me who this Ryan guy is??

He owns and runs this http://www.vancouverislandlodge.ca/

 

[casper5280]

Thanks

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Know Ryan well. Great character and passion for the position. He will be a great chair regardless of age (again I’d look at that as a plus) and what place he owns or runs. He is passionate about sports fishing and wants to ensure the most for all sports fishermen, plus he has a vested interest in it to make a living, I don’t think that’s a negative. He also won’t be quiet in the corners.

 

[profisher]

Jerrod were you happy that the halibut season opened in March this year instead of April...especially now that it didn't cause an early season closure? So that local areas 19/20 anglers could take advantage of the great early season days with good long productive currents for halibut fishing. If so maybe give me a call and I can tell you a story that might make you think different.

 

[Last Chance]

I would encourage the people on here and you know how you are to give Ryan the benefit of the doubt. I realize most of you hate change, and this is a lot to take in.

One of the reasons and we on SFAB have been called out in is to be more transparent and open in our processes. The old guys club has been used over and over. I am not saying I agree with people leaving, but a lot has to do with miscommunication. For example we up in Area 17 have begun broadcasting across Facebook and now looking into Instagram and other avenues. These are places most people spend their time. They don't really hang out on forum. I know I didn't get any emails for meetings.

My guess with people leaving early is that it is that people don't go to the meeting regularly that showed up. This area took a nosedive in participation about 4 years ago, and I would like to see that number return. As for halibut meeting it make no sense to discuss in afternoon on weekday when most are working in my opinion. Not to criticize but we are often challenged to our halibut decisions so its best to get maximum participation if possible.

Area 19/20 actually should have two meetings on this if possible I believe it is that important, and I would show up too one since I mainly fish halibut in that area.

Lastly. There were several people on here that took to on the candidates Facebook just ahead of this meetings making false allegations that industry control to SFAB. I found it disrespectful in my opinion, and paints a negative shadow on other area reps. If you think that way you either are stuck in that 100 ft Victoria view looking at your own area, or you really don't know the process. I am looking forward to seeing more of a 1000 ft view from our SFAB Victoria team.

Lets see what happens, and I strongly hope that you guys that supported Chris will support Ryan as well. This isn't a paid position, and it took real guts to step forward.

I'm curious as to why in 10 years nobody has ever run for the position of SFAB are for area 19 and 20 if there were questions about transparency? Yes there have been very few people coming to the meetings as of late. But for 10 years, nobody was ever interested in running, and then all of a sudden, a group with very large interests in an area currently under threat of closure arrives with people who have never been to a meeting before, missing only pitchforks and torches to call for re-election.

Never have I attended one of these meetings where there was an election where anyone put their hand up to be chair.

The leader of the what I would call the Posse, was many orders of magnitude ruder and more belligerent than any comments made on a Facebook page. This includes yelling, speaking out of turn several times, and interrupting the meeting agenda to call for elections. Why call for elections, before old business is finished?

In any case, legal election or not, it is done now, and we have to see what the new chair will do. I am quite concerned, because our area takes probably the most heat in the early-season.

 

[Last Chance]

The atmosphere of this meeting was not about discussing fishing, it was 33 people out for blood against our former chair. No less than every 15 minutes, the person whom I would consider the leader of this group piped up and growled for elections. We were given the paperwork on the Halibut model, if said person was even remotely interested in this, would it not have been wiser to wait for the election after old business had been concluded? To anyone who was there, the only goal of this meeting was to toss the current chair.

Darn, I think we were hoping (asking) for the SFAC groups to gather in structured input from SFAC participants in all the meetings as to their preferences. We provided the decision options tables, and even went to point of modelling several new options choices plus also modelling what it would look like if we are forced at IPHC to go down in our TAC by 10% and 20%...we even modelled shorter seasons. The big ask was let us know your preferences so that when we are given our TAC decision Feb 1 that the SFAB Main Board can make a choice and provide DFO with a regulations recommendation at the Main Board meeting Feb 7 - 9.

Little disappointing that could not have been covered early in a 3 hour meeting so everyone could weigh in. We need to know people's preferences.

 

[searun]

The atmosphere of this meeting was not about discussing fishing, it was 33 people out for blood against our former chair. No less than every 15 minutes, the person whom I would consider the leader of this group piped up and growled for elections. We were given the paperwork on the Halibut model, if said person was even remotely interested in this, would it not have been wiser to wait for the election after old business had been concluded? To anyone who was there, the only goal of this meeting was to toss the current chair.

I would sure like to see you guys organize another meeting to gather in feedback on preferences. We face an even tougher set of decisions this coming year. Less TAC will limit our options further. At some point we will arrive at a place where there won't be enough TAC to run a full season as we have currently enjoyed - then what? All I can tell you is what I have heard so far from other areas - they are talking 1 fish, largest size possible (115 is not it - 124 to 126 is better) and longest season we can muster. Is there going to be enough TAC for that...probably not. We will do our best to fight for Canada at the IPHC though.

 

[SerengetiGuide]

People were leaving as it was getting late no?

And did you ever think because your area is under attack is why someone ran now? Maybe they didn’t like how it was being handled...certainly is due to actual care about the area...not whatever you’re implying

At the meetings I’ve been at every single one wanted 1 fish as large as possible and voted for a shorter season in order to largen the fish.

 

[Last Chance]

People were leaving as it was getting late no?

And did you ever think because your area is under attack is why someone ran now? Maybe they didn’t like how it was being handled...certainly is due to actual care about the area...not whatever you’re implying

At the meetings I’ve been at every single one wanted 1 fish as large as possible and voted for a shorter season in order to largen the fish.

If they hammered our Chinook salmon season to death because of our SFAB chair through 4 fisheries ministers and two governments, then please give me a bigger foil hat..... Seriously..

And it is in the minutes of our meetings we have been very clear, we need a tiny early season, Mar April May, we cant fish halibut outside that time. Especially during june to august, we have maybe 4 days then where we get an hour of bottom time due to currents.

Yes, in our area we have asked for one big fish as opposed to 1 and 2. The reason is our area is enjoyed primarily by resident anglers who would rather get a big one, as they can simply go fishing the next day as opposed to staying at a lodge where a two day posesion limit provides another potential day of fishing.

Our population of 400,000 in the South Island area runs on about 20,000 pounds of TAC for the whole season. We have no incidental yellow eye or signifigant bycatch, and I do not have an exact number, but I bet due to the sheltered nature of our water we have more small boat anglers fishing halis from 16 foot boats as opposed to larger guide boats. Think about it. 20k pounds runs an entire season in an area with only one lodge. Perhaps time to manage halibut areas differently, as I bet our entire season usage is the weekly burn rate on WCVI. Whereas for the heavy lodge/charter areas, 1 and 2 is a better fit.

 

[Last Chance]

I would sure like to see you guys organize another meeting to gather in feedback on preferences. We face an even tougher set of decisions this coming year. Less TAC will limit our options further. At some point we will arrive at a place where there won't be enough TAC to run a full season as we have currently enjoyed - then what? All I can tell you is what I have heard so far from other areas - they are talking 1 fish, largest size possible (115 is not it - 124 to 126 is better) and longest season we can muster. Is there going to be enough TAC for that...probably not. We will do our best to fight for Canada at the IPHC though.

Yep, first battle is the IPHC. Need more clout to deal with Alaskan bycatch.

 

[profisher]

Serengeti...there are usually two public SFAC meetings each year...one in the spring and one in the fall. With everything that is going on down here right now......yeh the agenda items required more time to get through. I go to every meeting and stay to the end...as I said before many there were first timers who never go and they weren't willing to stay to the end of a single meeting because...what bed time????..gimme a break. ..**** poor and obviously really don't care. They will get out of bed at 4am to go fishing every opportunity they get but aren't willing to get involved in making sure they continue to have a reason to get out of bed at 4am.

 

[wildmanyeah]

People use to fight like this at the Fraser river SFAB back when their was fish to fight about, now their is hardly any fish to fight about and more closure windows then runs.

Last time a meeting got hijacked the DFO sports rep said don’t worry none of them will show up at the next meeting, at the next meeting did any show up nope...

10-20 years later same few people involved.

 

[searun]

Yes, it will be a significant battle at IPHC. Our Commissioners are first class people. Let's do our best to support them.

Looking at the 2016 data (last year we had a full season), the south VI (area 19/20/21) used 172,475 pounds. Areas 19/20 alone used 97,820. That is 8.9% of the total provincial TAC for 19/20, and 15.7% of the provincial TAC for the entire South Island. March to May for Area 19 was 42,771 pounds, and 2,150 for area 20.

Interestingly Area 19 catches 44% of their catch between March and May.

So using the line of thought that we should somehow proportionally divide up the available TAC, the reason we don't go there is Areas such as 19 would quickly use up their TAC resulting in a spring closure. That would shift angler effort elsewhere into other Areas putting pressure on their TAC. Ultimately that would lead to Area to Area competition or in-fighting for those areas that are in close geographical proximity.

Perhaps that approach might work for a North v South where we have QCI and VI in geographically distinct areas. I'm still not sold on a divide up the TAC approach - this is Canada's TAC and it doesn't belong to a specific geographic area IMO.

 

[Last Chance]

Yes, it will be a significant battle at IPHC. Our Commissioners are first class people. Let's do our best to support them.

Looking at the 2016 data (last year we had a full season), the south VI (area 19/20/21) used 172,475 pounds. Areas 19/20 alone used 97,820. That is 8.9% of the total provincial TAC for 19/20, and 15.7% of the provincial TAC for the entire South Island. March to May for Area 19 was 42,771 pounds, and 2,150 for area 20.

Interestingly Area 19 catches 44% of their catch between March and May.

So using the line of thought that we should somehow proportionally divide up the available TAC, the reason we don't go there is Areas such as 19 would quickly use up their TAC resulting in a spring closure. That would shift angler effort elsewhere into other Areas putting pressure on their TAC. Ultimately that would lead to Area to Area competition or in-fighting for those areas that are in close geographical proximity.

Perhaps that approach might work for a North v South where we have QCI and VI in geographically distinct areas. I'm still not sold on a divide up the TAC approach - this is Canada's TAC and it doesn't belong to a specific geographic area IMO.

Does the data show area 20 east? That seems quite high, I think the Siftsure halis may be sneaking in that poundage. Not criticising, but asking. Good point on Divy of the quota. However the real issue (fair allocation of TAC) would appear out of reach..

 

[OldBlackDog]

Yes you are very correct, this is Canadian TAC. And must end up spread throughout the West Coast.

Yes, it will be a significant battle at IPHC. Our Commissioners are first class people. Let's do our best to support them.

Looking at the 2016 data (last year we had a full season), the south VI (area 19/20/21) used 172,475 pounds. Areas 19/20 alone used 97,820. That is 8.9% of the total provincial TAC for 19/20, and 15.7% of the provincial TAC for the entire South Island. March to May for Area 19 was 42,771 pounds, and 2,150 for area 20.

Interestingly Area 19 catches 44% of their catch between March and May.

So using the line of thought that we should somehow proportionally divide up the available TAC, the reason we don't go there is Areas such as 19 would quickly use up their TAC resulting in a spring closure. That would shift angler effort elsewhere into other Areas putting pressure on their TAC. Ultimately that would lead to Area to Area competition or in-fighting for those areas that are in close geographical proximity.

Perhaps that approach might work for a North v South where we have QCI and VI in geographically distinct areas. I'm still not sold on a divide up the TAC approach - this is Canada's TAC and it doesn't belong to a specific geographic area IMO.

 

[searun]

Data is only divided by statistical area unfortunately. Lots of people fish in 2 different areas or more. I fish in 3 to 4 depending on where the fish are, but we are asked to record catch by area fished not where our trip originated.

 

[scott craven]

Areas 19/20 alone used 97,820. That is 8.9% of the total provincial TAC for 19/20

I would be very surprised if that figure isn't inflated.
most guys i know didn't even catch one, or didn't put in much effort
after several skunks.

 

[Last Chance]

Do not know a guide that hit more then 30 this spring off Victoria

 

[scott craven]

Do not know a guide that hit more then 30 this spring off Victoria

30lbs or 30 Halibut ?

 

[Last Chance]

30 Halibut