More enforcement needed ?

[Money Well Spent]

I wasn't sure how to put the right title...so I used this one.
What I'm about to say will surely generate a bit of a fuss, that be said...been there...saw it....disgusted to say the least.
So here goes.

After a long awaited time and anticipation my wife and I arrived on the Island at an absolutely wonderful resort on the southern west coast.

Being sort of a social person, I love talking to different people and getting to know how to fish the area and of course what to use and where to go.

The conversation seemed to always sway towards some things that people where very upset about. (four years of being a fish and game club president)...gets your juice peaked to say the least.

Skip to day 3....Crab trap raided for a second time..as many others as well.
On the doc at cleaning station..

Wild coho being cleaned and more than allowed.
Rock fish.....way over the limits
Lingcod...way to small
Crab?....hmmm...


Day 4...people are now mad as hell.
Crab traps empty again...people seen checking them?
Non residents don't make waves...but there were some that would love to have looked after things there way.

Late afternoon of day four.

Took dog for a walk to the doc and passed some (people) dragging an igloo cooler that must have weighed 100 lbs

Seems as tho the general agreement was the cooler was full of rock cod and greenling.

Six people in a boat do not get to keep that many fish?....who checks?

Wild coho on the cleaning table?....mind your own business?

And the best of the best?...No understand English?

They have been caught and still nothing done?

You don't understand English and the rules?.....

One day they may learn the hard way.

Seems as tho I just missed someone pulling my trap by a few minutes.....the outcome would have been interesting to say the least..
I know they eat dogs where they are from...I would have taken the jacket off mine and let him enjoy the fruits of his enjoyment.


Scream and holler at me all you want...I am just pissed off at they way some people take advantage of our resources and nobody does anything.

We have RCMP reserve Cst...we have retired DFO(?)...Habitat conservation funds should chip in for people(peace officer status) to make a stand and stop all the **** that's going on?


Well..that's my rant for the day.


P.S

Sockeye fishery on Osoyoos lake yesterday was great.

 

[Lipripper]

 

[Sr SQ]

I completely understand your frustrations............can only imagine how the COs feel

 

[scott craven]

I spoke with one of the C/O's the other day, and he echoed your statement.
He said they had arrested a group of 3 (or 4) fishing Sooke area who had 33 rock fish in possession.
When the limit is one per day, that's pretty sad.

 

[rockdog]

I hear you money, I've seen it too. It can be very frustrating, especially when the no speak English card gets played. Call it in next time.

 

[fish4all]

Sitting in Nanaimo waiting to board the ferry listening to a group of guys brag about how they sent one friend home with the first 2 days possession and a handful of letters so they could limit out again.

 

[jeffywestcoast]

We need to start making these people accountable for their actions.. makes me sick hearing stories like this..my blood would have boiled over im sure..it's like Lipripper said!

 

[Jencourt]

Sitting in Nanaimo waiting to board the ferry listening to a group of guys brag about how they sent one friend home with the first 2 days possession and a handful of letters so they could limit out again.

This one is one I struggle with and here is why. If I live close to the fishing,I can go out every day and get 2 Chinook or even a combo equaling 4 salmon a day. I can do this all summer long if the fishing is good enough to actually get limits and I do not exceed my allowable chinook TAC for the area I am fishing. The fact is very few of us can fish 5 times a week and fishing is seldom good enough to limit day after day after day but the rules allow for it no matter how unlikely.

Now if I come from out of town and plan and save for an entire year for one ,oh say week long trip of which I will have a couple different people joining me on for a couple days each. I am paying for accommodations moorage ext ext you all know how it works. I am limited to 4 chi nook and a total of 8 salmon in my possession. I understand the reasoning for this and I am not disputing it.Nor am I denying that there was a need for it. I do find myself asking why so many think it is so bad to have your first couple days catch sent back to your residence and then go home with the max of your two day possession (if lucky enough) to repeat it during your stay. If I did this I would harvest a total of 16 salmon in my 1 week once a year trip. If I was the guy living here fishing 5 times a week I would potentially harvest 20 fish in that same week and no-one would have a problem with it cause I live here and they go home every night. Fact is I could do it week after week as long as the fishing held up.

Guess what I am saying is this argument (aside the fact that it is just Fish4all stirring the pot with some recycled used up Commie propaganda) has been a subject of debate amongst people for years. I know the reality is some will abuse the rules no matter what ya do but seems to me this one is judged based upon the visual affect it has when one sees or hears of a visitor keeping more than a 2 day limit on a trip.Where as the guy living here is just making hay while the sun shines and is not doing anything wrong as it is not as visual when people only see his 2 or 4 fish at the dock.

Like I said I find this one to be a bit less cut and dry

 

[absentfriend]

33 rock fish? that's insane

 

[finaddict]

Sitting in Nanaimo waiting to board the ferry listening to a group of guys brag about how they sent one friend home with the first 2 days possession and a handful of letters so they could limit out again.

Perfectly legal and nothing wrong with it.

 

[Big Green Machine]

Perfectly legal and nothing wrong with it.

Looks like Commercial fishers need to read upon the recreational regs. Lol