Next Year Halibut - Experimental

[vic-tory]

I'll probably get flamed hard for this but at this point, I don't really care. I don't get to fish an awful lot because of family and work, so when I do, I hope I can bring some fish back for the freezer. This year I'll probably get to go salmon fishing a dozen times, enough to definitely fill the freezer, but halibut fishing with my schedule and tides, maybe 3 times. So I went with my fishing buddy halibut fishing, we catch one halibut all day, and it is about 80lbs. So guess what, it has to go back. Might get another two times out, but two 25lb fish aren't going to feed my family all winter, those combined with an 80 would have though. It goes beyond words to explain how P***ED off this makes me.

So after talking about it over some beers with my buddy and looking into it, we decided next year should there be a size limit again, we are going to get an experimental license, purchase minimum poundage, then if we catch a big one, at least we can keep it and eat well all winter. I believe from what I found online it is $5/lb, that is still much cheaper than the grocery store. So either size limit goes, or I use experimental as I'm beyond ticked that I won't be eating halibut much all winter because of this jackass rule that we impose on ourselves. If you think I'm alone, I think you are naive as those of us that don't get to go out often, it is worth it, maybe not for those always on the water though (aka those making the dumb rule decisions). Rant over, tell me how horrible of a person I am now for wanting to feed my family halibut all winter.

 

[Fish Assassin]

Time to get me some popcorn........

 

[Big Green Machine]

I'll probably get flamed hard for this but at this point, I don't really care. I don't get to fish an awful lot because of family and work, so when I do, I hope I can bring some fish back for the freezer. This year I'll probably get to go salmon fishing a dozen times, enough to definitely fill the freezer, but halibut fishing with my schedule and tides, maybe 3 times. So I went with my fishing buddy halibut fishing, we catch one halibut all day, and it is about 80lbs. So guess what, it has to go back. Might get another two times out, but two 25lb fish aren't going to feed my family all winter, those combined with an 80 would have though. It goes beyond words to explain how P***ED off this makes me.

So after talking about it over some beers with my buddy and looking into it, we decided next year should there be a size limit again, we are going to get an experimental license, purchase minimum poundage, then if we catch a big one, at least we can keep it and eat well all winter. I believe from what I found online it is $5/lb, that is still much cheaper than the grocery store. So either size limit goes, or I use experimental as I'm beyond ticked that I won't be eating halibut much all winter because of this jackass rule that we impose on ourselves. If you think I'm alone, I think you are naive as those of us that don't get to go out often, it is worth it, maybe not for those always on the water though (aka those making the dumb rule decisions). Rant over, tell me how horrible of a person I am now for wanting to feed my family halibut all winter.

No one is going to begrudge you for wanting to feed your family. Ask yourself though if buying quota to feed your family is worth putting the entire fishery at risk for privatization down the road? If that happens, you really won't be able to feed your family with sport caught fish unless you pay for it. Think bigger picture my friend.

 

[trendsetter]

Think about the long term. The more people that buy quota, the more justification DFO has to keep the program in place. It's wrong to have to purchase a public resource from a private corporation that doesn't own it in the first place. The current limits suck but buying quota will only make things worse.

 

[El Capitan]

If the lease was $5 / pound, 80 lbs would cost you $400 . I could go fishing with my friends and family 3-4 times for the same cost. Maybe in the fall because it will still be open and the Hali fishing is good close to Hardy. Why pay for lease, it's a ripoff! Not to mention it basically sells out our future!!
There is half as many halibut in the ocean as there was 10 yrs ago. If me releasing a few big ones helps the stocks recover, than I don't mind doing my part. Especially if I can have the freedom to choose when I want to fish during a good long season. Hopefully one day we are back to 2/day 3/possession no size limits, until then desperate times call for desperate measures. At least we still have the opportunity to go fishing when we want.

 

[fogged in]

No one is going to begrudge you for wanting to feed your family. Ask yourself though if buying quota to feed your family is worth putting the entire fishery at risk for privatization down the road? If that happens, you really won't be able to feed your family with sport caught fish unless you pay for it. Think bigger picture my friend.

Please explain to me how someone like Vic buying some quota to be able to keep a big hali will contribute to privatization of the fishery?
Lodges are buying quota as are some individual guides.
The regulations for the rest of us WORK.
So I say go for it.

 

[El Capitan]

Because the halibut allocation to the recreational sector is inadequate, there is not enough TAC to have a normal length season without restrictions during times of low abundance. So to make up for the short fall, DFO decided we should just lease it from the commercial sector. This sounded great to the PhMA and a couple yahoo's in DFO, until the rec sector got peaced off and lobbied so hard the Minister reallocated 3% to us ......hence the commies suing the minister ( aka: the Malcolm trial). So we won that twice, why not ask the minister for more poundage. Perhaps ask a few politicians during the lead up to the next election.

 

[fogged in]

Because the halibut allocation to the recreational sector is inadequate, there is not enough TAC to have a normal length season without restrictions during times of low abundance. So to make up for the short fall, DFO decided we should just lease it from the commercial sector. This sounded great to the PhMA and a couple yahoo's in DFO, until the rec sector got peaced off and lobbied so hard the Minister reallocated 3% to us ......hence the commies suing the minister ( aka: the Malcolm trial). So we won that twice, why not ask the minister for more poundage. Perhaps ask a few politicians during the lead up to the next election.

thanks for the explanation but...
I don't see Sporties buying a much quota and don't see it having any impact on sport TAC if they were to buy a few thousand pounds.

 

[searun]

I think guys are saying step back and look at the bigger long term picture. We really do not want to legitimize the commercial sale or transfer of a "common property" resource to the recreational sector from commercial sector. The danger there is simply that when we start parting out halibut, then that same principle applies to all other species such as salmon, prawns etc. We already have harvest quotas for salmon - you just haven't been held to fishing to them like we have been with halibut. Right now it's officially called an "expected catch." This issue is the slippery slope that leads us into a hard cap quota system. Once there is no barrier to DFO promoting sale of quota from the commercial sector to the rec sector, the risk should be fairly obvious. As stated, the recreational catch is a common property right and we should never be paying for something Canadians own. The Malcolm case was hard fought, and thankfully the courts have upheld the Minister's right to make those allocation decisions.

That said, if you as an individual angler or guide wish to support this, more power to you. That is your choice.

 

[Big Green Machine]

Please explain to me how someone like Vic buying some quota to be able to keep a big hali will contribute to privatization of the fishery?
Lodges are buying quota as are some individual guides.
The regulations for the rest of us WORK.
So I say go for it.

What lodges are buying quota? What guides?

 

[searun]

There was very little quota actually purchased last season. I keep hearing wild rumours and almost every time you chase them down it is a dead end. Most of the "hot tips" ended with quota that was purchased and held "just in case", and then when the season actually did not end as many feared, they returned the experimental quota un-used. I personally totally do not support any guide or individual purchasing experimental quota for reasons previously stated, however also respect that it is a personal or business decision. Therefore, no business of mine to single out anyone.

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Wasn't going to chime in until I read above. I know of at least 5 lodges that actually used the quota...pictures of slabs hanging from scales on their websites and blogs. Because bigger fish matter to many despite your continued ranting and raving it does not. So that's not true. And that's just the ones that posted the pictures on the brag board. And guests will only take "it's a one year thing" a couple times before they say, Alaska here we come to chase and keep a once in a lifetime fish. 3 years in a row of it will give many business owners (and apparently rec anglers to considering OP) something to think about. Keep reading think long term, yet the numbers showed more quota was purchased AND used with a size limit than a September closure...hmmm....numbers don't support that position much.

 

[Aces]

Maybe you could post which 5 lodge are purchasing quota for us

 

[gamechanger]

Searun is right, it's not a lot of fish, not nearly as much as you think it is. Somewhere between 5-10k annually is leased
The rec TAC is over a million so that's less than 1%, not really a lot of people doing it which is good because all it does is privatize a common property...think about this long term guys...do you really want our sector to get divided to a point where the people who have the most money get to go halibut fishing, and the people who don't have as much money don't get to go...
Because that's where this will lead if it takes off and stocks keep dropping. So don't support it and tell people why, all it does is cater to people who don't want to play by the rules that are in place so we can all fish halibut.

 

[ziggy]

Am I missing something here? Isn't it already divided into commercial and recreational quota? Doesn't the experimental quota come from the commercial quota? If you are using big fish to sell expensive fishing vacations, isn't that commercial?

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Maybe you could post which 5 lodge are purchasing quota for us

Pm'ed you the list. Feel free to post.

Numbers don't lie. More quota used and purchased when size limit than September closure.

And that's a whole different debate ziggy

 

[mikep]

Naden lodge in masset has bought and is using quota.......big Alberta money so the boys can carry on their trophy hunt.......

 

[Sculpin]

Naden lodge in masset has bought and is using quota.......big Alberta money so the boys can carry on their trophy hunt.......

Kinda sounds like what Serengeti Charters WANTS to do (if they haven't already).

The OP is trolling IMO.

Gamechanger, Searun, mikep, and others have posted great replies.

I am not going to pay a single red cent to fish halibut knowing that the money is going into someones pocket that sits on their azz doing nothing because they THINK they own it. Nuff said.

There have been and will be a few side lines posts and threads made on here from commercial fishers and family members trying to divide us. That is their plan all along. They want us to give in to the experimental program. We have to fight it with everything we can.

If the sport sector starts buying quota we are screwed period. It is the end of the low income, everyday joe blow, just scrapin' by fisher. PERIOD. The commercial sector want's nothing more then for us to buy into this thing. So they can make as much money as possible and push us off the water so they can make even more money!!!

Others have posted it and I will post it again. Look at the big picture please.

Prawns and crabs are next.........

Do you really want to have to pay some guy that sits on his azz because he own's commercial quota for halibut, prawns, and crab?

What about lingcod? what about rockfish?..........

I hope those reading get it. If we buy into the experimental halibut quota proposal we are going down a very dark road that we can not back out of. Please get involved and join your local SFAC group.

Together we have stopped the insanity and together we will still fish .

Cheers,
John

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Have not and will not this year, period. I'm just pointing out the major flaw in some ppls logic on here...

 

[Rum Buddies]

Might get another two times out, but two 25lb fish aren't going to feed my family all winter, those combined with an 80 would have though. It goes beyond words to explain how P***ED off this makes me.

And why do you feel you deserve to go fishing one time and feed your family all winter off that fish? To F*cking bad if you can't get out fishing again, you aren't owed anything.

You're what I'd call a classic meat hog, just go out and enjoy fishing without the expectation to fill the freezer. You're attitude grosses me out.