Local SFAC's need your input on Halibut

[ziggy]

Perhaps they should attend? or at the vey least talk to there area rep?

Yes but that would require posting names and contact info, which I understand some are not happy to do. Perhaps the solution rests in DFO publishing the names of the reps and providing them with a business type email account hosted by the government , much like that of DFO employees?

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Deryk, if I wasn't on the email list I wouldn't even know when meetings are or who my rep in the area is, that's just fact. Literally 8 of the 9 didn't even know who our rep was. The meetings nor info is not advertised at all, so unless you know the rep personally you probably wouldn't know who to talk to as ziggy pointed out.

 

[terrin]

Buffalo hunting nearly wiped out the species, why repeat that here.

It wasn't Buffulo hunting that nearly wiped out the species it was killing nearly all the Buffalo.

 

[Derby]

Deryk, if I wasn't on the email list I wouldn't even know when meetings are or who my rep in the area is, that's just fact. Literally 8 of the 9 didn't even know who our rep was. The meetings nor info is not advertised at all, so unless you know the rep personally you probably wouldn't know who to talk to as ziggy pointed out.[/QUOTE

beaning that you now know ..then ask your rep. if you can pass his info along... Ziggy if you want to PM me your e-mail address and which area you are in I would be happy to pass it along....

 

[bigbruce]

It wasn't Buffulo hunting that nearly wiped out the species it was killing nearly all the Buffalo.

Say what???

 

[terrin]

Say what???

Killing one buffalo (i.e. one halibut) will not wipe out the species. In the case of the Buffulo they nearly killed them all off in one generation even though the Indians hunted them for many generations without wiping out the species.

 

[searun]

Ya. I couldn't figure that out either BB. What I was getting at is we know those large fish are the spawning females. If one of the reasons why we have low TAC is the biomass is down, then perhaps the prudent thing to consider not targeting them because it is the right thing to do, not to use other users as our excuse for ignoring what we know is right.

 

[J-GLOBAL]

It wasn't Buffulo hunting that nearly wiped out the species it was killing nearly all the Buffalo.

Say what???

Hunting would suggest that Buffalo were being hunted / killed for meat or hides.
While many were killed for hides, millions more were simply slaughtered to deprive the plains Indians of their food source.

Thus they were killed, or more accurately slaughtered, not "hunted".

 

[searun]

Besides you ever eaten one. Not as good as the smaller chickens. Those hogs can be 20 plus years old. Who knows how much mercury they have in them too. That can't be good for you. I see any of u guys in a dark room glowing I will know right away who bonked an illegal fish last year.

 

[SerengetiGuide]

That's not true, they taste perfectly good too, Cuba Libre can attest to that. If people want to keep a big one, they should be able to, CHOICE.

 

[GLG]

So what's better to harvest... two thirty pound female or one 60 pound female?
Would it not be better to get a cross section of sizes and not single out one size?
Was there not an IPHC study on this topic a few years ago.
From memory didn't they find that keeping large fish did not damage the biomass.

Are we also targeting and keeping small females that have not spawned yet.
My info says the halibut need to get to 25 to 30 lbs before they mature.
That can't be good.....
A least when you keep a 60lb female she has spawned many times before harvest.

 

[searun]

I understand the average length at female sexual maturity is 103 cm. There is some merit behind leaving the larger fish.

 

[wolf]

You guys dont get it us as "sporties" taking a big fish doesnt effect it much remember its 85/15 i bet and WE didnt take ANY BIG last year your missing the mark BUT the commies are open to it WIDE OPEN to take as many monsters as they want.......be realistic how many on here have actually got many over 100 lbs??? saw on the other page where "us guides" aren't aloud to post!!!lol someone has been out 10 times and only got 5 halibut and biggest was 35 . not to knock a guy but ill be honest (hes not good at it). in 25 years of chasing these things and many many many trips I think ive gotten maybe 12 or so over 100 lbs its like finding a 5 pt blacktail buck on the island you know there there but rarely get one.

Point is its about harvest we only get 6 per year now so why restrict us more its getting worse and worse every year and we are bickering about these number its about us as Canadians and our rights we (if we were FN or commie there would be a united front) BUT no as sporties we point fingers to everyone else among us guides, lodges FN,Commie, other sporties except the finger should be pointing in one direction ...and thats the FEDS..........

But i know how it will go as some on here have never been to a meeting or looked into all aspects but they sure like to jump down someones throat..so drop your pant get lube and wait for it cause we will be getting the shaft here soon enough ....

Good luck Wolf

 

[halimark]

Thank you Wolf well said. We keep this up and a day will come when sporties and guides will not be allowed to retain hali.

HM

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Still waiting on someone to explain to me how they expect to get more TAC when as this year showed the size limit resulted in 7x (this according to IPHC numbers searun, over 8,000lbs was used) the amount of experimental quota to be used compared to shortened season...and as the years go on with this size limit there is NO DENYING that amount will go up. On top of that, we didn't use all our quota last year, so explain how you think DFO is going to give us more than 15%?? I'm curious.

 

[SophiaB]

They just will David, they just will. Don't worry its being worked on behind the scenes.

 

[searun]

So the lease number is more than the actual used number. It's more like 4800 pounds if memory serves correctly. If you are referring to the IPHC Blue Book they are reporting the net leased. A lot was turned in as soon as it was clear the season was not going to end suddenly. My understanding is people bought lease quota as a hedge against the early close experienced in 2012. Like I said before that is a weak argument in support any particular option under consideration. Those who lease quota will do so for a wide variety of reasons. We asked that question of the Guide Association members and they voted unanimously against experimental TAC. So I call bs to comments there are hundreds of guides lined up to buy quota.

In our area we value getting more opportunity to catch 2 fish on a multiple day trip. Our guys generally run out to their cabins or drag boats from the east coast of the Island on multi day trips. That's why they prefer other options. Last year I went into our meeting supporting 1/1 but after hearing what others felt and why was convinced this was a way better and fair use of the TAC.

The other point argued by guys was when you closely examine the average size catch data by area it became readily apparent that a 1/1 option gave more TAC to the north island and Queen Charlotte Island guys and they feared the South Island guys would pay the price because on average the catch up there is bigger.

We we heard the same concerns this year. Guys felt the regs last year worked fairly good and if we got a similar TAC they wanted to increase the slot size to ensure we come closer to using our TAC. But bottom line is they prefer 2/1.

What i want personally bears little in the overall option decision we put forward. I like what Wolf said. Really this process is about trying to find a compromise that generally works. That's why if we get a low TAC and have to dramatically cut back our rate of daily use to squeeze out a full season that I would be good with a 1/1 so long as we cap the upper size to address impacts of the large fish removals from the North Island and Charlottes and use that to control how fast we use up TAC. Bear in mind about half the catch comes out of QCI. This area has a large impact on TAC use.

I also personally believe we should be releasing the 100 plus pound fish for reasons previously stated, but what I believe is irrelevant to what our guys will support.

 

[Sculpin]

I'm all for just trying to stay within our TAC and if last years reg's worked, then like Islandgirl mentioned it should be close to the same this year (take the unused portion off of last years TAC). I just hope we see the same as last year with no further restrictions. I'm in the East Coast to West Coast for the weekend bracket and like a 1/2 scenario. I believe most sporties are in this bracket contrary to what others have been posting. This includes one hell of a lot of folks that come from all over Canada. I have lived on the Island my whole life. I don't close the door to other Canadians just because I'm local. I don't care about catching the biggest halibut and I'm all in it for the experience, not trophies. I'm really interested in learning about the breeding of these fish and how certain sizes impact the fishery in certain ways. I am conservation minded and want to see sports fishing continue in British Columbia for future generations.

Again I will post that I am a boat owner. If I did not own a boat I would hire someone to take me out halibut fishing. I really wish more non boat owners would post up. I could be in that position some day. I still would call myself a recreational angler (because that is what I am). Please get the boat ownership and cost thing out of your heads and think about where we would be separated. We have to stick together and get through this mess. Nobody likes it. Wolf's post was great and I agree with him completely.

Cheers,
John