Sushihunter
Active Member
http://www.timescolonist.com/sports...reat+avenue+voice+concerns/3903813/story.html
</H1>
By D.C. Reid, Special to Times Colonist November 30, 2010 1:14 AM
Most sport anglers find themselves frustrated with the DFO on one or many issues. One example is the current halibut closure, several months before the usual winter hiatus. The body you should join to voice your frustration and to understand the issues before they happen is the Sport Fishing Advisory Board. Formed 30 years ago, there are now 20 sub-boards around the coast that funnel motions into the main board that deals with DFO.
The minister wanted advice and that is what is provided. In return, the body agreed not to be a lobby group -- though anyone else may do that if they wish. I send about two dozen letters to minister Gail Shea every year: Shea.G@parl.gc.ca, and you can too.
The SFAB met on Wednesday last week, and the meeting carried on for several hours of good, hard information from a sport fisher's point of view. Chris Bos was/is the chairman and does a great job; Martin Paish spoke knowledgeably on halibut and there were several members of DFO to speak to various issues -- please note we like the individuals, it is DFOism we are not keen on.
HERE ARE A FEW AGENDA ITEMS:
Preliminary Catch Data. With about 35,000 boat trips in the local areas 19 and 20 -- Saanich Inlet to Bonilla Point, some 7,551 chinook were retained from March to and including September. Surprisingly, only 676 coho were taken, and the astonishingly high number of 4,691 halibut. We feasted on sockeye, too: 10,565.
Halibut. Sport angers are more than a tad upset with the short halibut season this year of Feb. 1 to Oct. 18 -- it usually goes to Dec. 31 -- particularly as in our area most of the fishing is in the shoulder seasons. This happened for a decade's worth of reasons, but making the limits one per day and two possession was the current reason. DFO did this to keep the public to only 12 per cent of their own halibut taken this year -- 88 per cent to the commercial sector. Our reps want to do away with this and make it what it used to be: two and three.
Early Chinook. The early Fraser Chinook migrate past Victoria in the March to June period. Despite about only two tagged heads turned in, Fraser aboriginals would like the Victoria area fishery closed to let all the fish past. While the jury is out on this, it may be put to them that if they don't fish, we won't fish. The alternative is better science.
Sooke Creel Survey. One young audience participant (24 years old) made the novel suggestion that Sooke students, as part of high school education, man the docks to check the creel surveys and see whether they find the same info. Good idea. We all might have taken biology to get out of school, er, on the dock.
Cowichan Chinook. The agency charged with listing animals in threat of extinction turned down the Cowichan group's request for protection; however, the suggestion has increased the official gaze at all southern Chinook stocks. Do note that "listing" eliminates fishing, so a lesser specification like "special concern" that does not, is what we want. It also pushes DFO to take action.
Prawn Fishing Regulations. To not unduly disrupt LM's prawning, Saanich Inlet prawning is closed from Jan.1 to April 1.
Join the SFAB to learn more.
dcreid@catchsalmonbc.com
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/sports...ice+concerns/3903813/story.html#ixzz16lODCx8b
<H1>Sport Fishing Advisory Board a great avenue to voice DFO concerns
By D.C. Reid, Special to Times Colonist November 30, 2010 1:14 AM
Most sport anglers find themselves frustrated with the DFO on one or many issues. One example is the current halibut closure, several months before the usual winter hiatus. The body you should join to voice your frustration and to understand the issues before they happen is the Sport Fishing Advisory Board. Formed 30 years ago, there are now 20 sub-boards around the coast that funnel motions into the main board that deals with DFO.
The minister wanted advice and that is what is provided. In return, the body agreed not to be a lobby group -- though anyone else may do that if they wish. I send about two dozen letters to minister Gail Shea every year: Shea.G@parl.gc.ca, and you can too.
The SFAB met on Wednesday last week, and the meeting carried on for several hours of good, hard information from a sport fisher's point of view. Chris Bos was/is the chairman and does a great job; Martin Paish spoke knowledgeably on halibut and there were several members of DFO to speak to various issues -- please note we like the individuals, it is DFOism we are not keen on.
HERE ARE A FEW AGENDA ITEMS:
Preliminary Catch Data. With about 35,000 boat trips in the local areas 19 and 20 -- Saanich Inlet to Bonilla Point, some 7,551 chinook were retained from March to and including September. Surprisingly, only 676 coho were taken, and the astonishingly high number of 4,691 halibut. We feasted on sockeye, too: 10,565.
Halibut. Sport angers are more than a tad upset with the short halibut season this year of Feb. 1 to Oct. 18 -- it usually goes to Dec. 31 -- particularly as in our area most of the fishing is in the shoulder seasons. This happened for a decade's worth of reasons, but making the limits one per day and two possession was the current reason. DFO did this to keep the public to only 12 per cent of their own halibut taken this year -- 88 per cent to the commercial sector. Our reps want to do away with this and make it what it used to be: two and three.
Early Chinook. The early Fraser Chinook migrate past Victoria in the March to June period. Despite about only two tagged heads turned in, Fraser aboriginals would like the Victoria area fishery closed to let all the fish past. While the jury is out on this, it may be put to them that if they don't fish, we won't fish. The alternative is better science.
Sooke Creel Survey. One young audience participant (24 years old) made the novel suggestion that Sooke students, as part of high school education, man the docks to check the creel surveys and see whether they find the same info. Good idea. We all might have taken biology to get out of school, er, on the dock.
Cowichan Chinook. The agency charged with listing animals in threat of extinction turned down the Cowichan group's request for protection; however, the suggestion has increased the official gaze at all southern Chinook stocks. Do note that "listing" eliminates fishing, so a lesser specification like "special concern" that does not, is what we want. It also pushes DFO to take action.
Prawn Fishing Regulations. To not unduly disrupt LM's prawning, Saanich Inlet prawning is closed from Jan.1 to April 1.
Join the SFAB to learn more.
dcreid@catchsalmonbc.com
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/sports...ice+concerns/3903813/story.html#ixzz16lODCx8b
