SFI BC Update on Halibut Opening - More DFO Stalling

[Whole in the Water]

Latest update from the SFI of BC: We need to phone, email DFO Minister Ashfield to tell him to get off his "ash" and make an annoucement ASAP and/or contact Harper to remind him of his commitment to find a solution to the halibut allocation issue.

Ashfield's Contact Info:

Telephone:	613-992-1067
Fax:	613-996-9955
EMail:	keith.ashfield@parl.gc.ca

Harper's Contact Info:

Telephone:	613-992-4211
Fax:	613-941-6900
EMail:	stephen.harper@parl.gc.ca

Well it's the middle of January and we're still waiting. We told you in our last update that several SFI representatives had been told in the weeks leading up to Christmas that we could expect a formal decision and announcement from Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield and his Parliamentary Secretary Randy Kamp on the 2012 halibut fishery by the end of the year. Sadly, the end of the year has come and gone and we have no idea when to expect any news.

We're working the phones and talking to our contacts to try to find out what is going on. This week Vancouver Island MLA John Horgan and Vancouver Island MP Randall Garrison wrote Ashfield urging him to make a good decision and make it soon so that sport fishing businesses can get on with planning and selling trips.

Our colleagues at the BC Wildlife Federation have been telling government that they believe that there are solutions to the sharing of halibut while maintaining the quota system within the commercial sector. Like the SFI, the BCWF supports a recreational halibut season from February to December with a catch of 2 per day and a possession limit of three. The BCWF believes that the recreational fishery should be allocated sufficient halibut in lbs/kg to support this season and the remainder goes to the commercial fishery.

We shouldn't forget that last spring, Prime Minister Stephen Harper told Vancouver Island residents that "Our government recognizes the importance of the halibut fishery in BC. The jobs and regional economic impact of the commercial, recreational and related tourism in BC are substantial. We remain committed to finding a solution to BC's halibut allocation issue in advance of the 2012 season that strikes a fair balance between all sectors." We expect him to keep his commitment.

We will continue to press government for an early, positive decision. We encourage everybody in the sport fishing sector, to call their local MP or MLA and ask them to do the same.

We'll keep you posted through as-it-happens updates or by posting on the SFI website.

 

[scott craven]

I sent this email to Ashfield this morning, suggest we all jump on the bandwagon..


Dear Mr. Ashfield,

As a member of the sport fishing community I would like to voice my discontent
with the process in managing our Halibut fishery.
We as anglers have had to deal with increasing closures and restrictions for several years.

The sport fishing community understands and supports conservation issues, but does not
agree with the 88/12 split.
All we are asking for is a fair and equitable allowable catch, and a season defined well in advance
of each year end.

Please understand that sport fishing contributes huge revenue to all sorts of affiliated business
in the province of B.C.
There are many jobs and local economies relying on your decision to open the fishery.
When can we expect this decision ?

Sincerely,

Scott Craven
2535 Sinclair rd.
Victoria, B.C.
V8N-1B5

 

[chris73]

I think Harper has other more important commitments to follow through right now, I am thinking of oil pipe dreams. Good luck if you trust a politician.

 

[Dave S]

Email sent to Ashfield.

 

[casper5280]

Mine is also sent.

 

[lorneparker1]

Sweet that should do alot. Sending emails really works. I sent about 50 last year and look where that got us. This is in no way a shot to anyone that wrote an email or is going to write one. At least you are making an effort. But with risking to sound a little bit 'holmes..'ish. Its time to ******* start doing things a bit more drastically. This **** doesnt work. They laugh at us. I wonder how John duncan would react if 10 big poached flatties got walked into his office by sporties and thrown on the desk of his admistrators with the words " MAKE A FACKING DECISION, AND MAKE THE RIGHT ONE" on them would go over?

 

[Striper Sniper]

anyone else find it funny that the cons have majority but only one seat on the island,lol, effin BS...holmes

Hmmmmmmm, speaks volumes to me!

SS

 

[SerengetiGuide]

Buddy said he heard on vic radio yesterday it opens feb 1st...or that thats whats being said from the inside

 

[Dave S]

Buddy said he heard on vic radio yesterday it opens feb 1st...or that thats whats being said from the inside

Hope it's true.

 

[Aces]

Buddy said he heard on vic radio yesterday it opens feb 1st...or that thats whats being said from the inside

I'll be shocked if it's open before April

 

[Evenweight]

I sent my share of concerned emails today. would sugest that we all take a minute and send a note of concern in. I know it seems like a fart in the storm but preasure of any kind is better than none.

Richard

 

[Shepnoir]

Good day all,

So I made some phone calls today in regards to this matter. Called Ashfield..... his staffer couldn't give me any info outside of Ministry of Fisheries phone #. I called them, they gave me a general DFO # who couldn't answer my question let alone tell me what a halibut looked like.... I then was transfered to Pacific DFO who told me for sure it won't be tomorrow (gee thanks for that), and that it likely won't be until March in terms of an annocement!!!!!! "it is not our decision, you have to talk to Ottawa". After regaining consciousness from being spun in a total circle, I reminded all of these characters that there were campain promises that we would know by years end (2011) so that guides could make their plans etc. Everyone just told me to talk to our MP. Hmmmm... Been there done that Mr. Horigan was really the only one who seemed to give a rats a$$. Will call / email them again however.

Anyone else get the impression of a April opening? Wow! Really?! 5 month opening?! Curious if anyone else is getting the same spiel?

 

[SerengetiGuide]

To me that makes it sound like it is unlikely that we will be getting much in addition to the 12%.

 

[OldBlackDog]

I will be shocked if it is open more than three months.

I'll be shocked if it's open before April

 

[Islandgirl]

Maybe its time to get Christy Clark on this..

There is limited forestry, limited mining,not much oil and gas and not much to fill the provincial coffers anymore.
Another 1000 Vancouver Island jobs most likely gone with Catalyst in the pulp and paper industry.

The liberals have always pushed tourism. Hard to entice tourists here if they can go out and catch a fish!

 

[baddogg]

I posted this on another thread about when the season would end, not start.

"I play hockey with a guy that works for Fisheries, not in the regulation dept, and he figures maybe as early as mid August (ending) Not sounding good according to him. Hope he's wrong."

 

[Islandgirl]

It is not looking good baddog. Our TAC has been cut by 18% and the Harper Govt was only kissing our a... with the the promise to find a solution. His goal was to get anther seat in the west.
"HALIBUT COMMISSION COMPLETES 2012 ANNUAL MEETING
The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) completed its Eighty-eighth Annual Meeting in Anchorage, AK, with Dr. James W. Balsiger of Juneau AK presiding as Chair. More than 200 halibut industry stakeholders attended the meeting, with over 50 more participating in web broadcasts of the public sessions.
The Commission is recommending to the governments of Canada and the United States catch limits for 2012 totaling 33,540,000 pounds, an 18.3% decrease from the 2011 catch limit of 41,070,000 pounds."

Maybe those members of the forum better connected to the conservative party can make a difference? Letter writing only has gotten us a visit from Harper to get Duncan re- elected.
I tend to with Lorne. Sports fisherman need to get the media involved more.

 

[Whole in the Water]

I be willing to bet the season will be something like from April to August with the cuts to the BC TAC. Maybe ol' Ward and Darren know what they were doing when they set this years 'Just for the Halibut Derby' for May 12-13!

 

[IronNoggin]

2012 International Pacific Halibut Commission - SFI IPHC Report

The annual meeting of the International Pacific Halibut Commission took place last week in Anchorage Alaska.

As an indication of the importance Canada places on the issue of halibut management, Canada's delegation was led by Michael Pearson, the head of DFO's International Division in Ottawa (and the grandson of former Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson)
The Canadian recreational fishery contingent included SFI directors, Gerry Kristianson, John McCulloch, and Martin Paish, and SFAB groundfish chair Chuck Ashcroft.

Concerned by what it terms "uncertainty in the stock assessment process and future estimates of exploitable biomass", and troubled by retrospective indications that the model used in recent years to estimate biomass may be inaccurate, the IPHC staff switched to a new model (also know as the "Wobble SQ" should you want to demonstrate your technical expertise and impress your fishing buddies) and recommended a 20% overall decrease in harvest to a total of 33 million pounds compared with last year's 41 million.

In recognition that data from the Canadian zone shows a different trend than elsewhere, the staff recommendation for Canada's 2012 TAC was 6.63 million pounds, a 13% decrease from last year's 7.65 million.

The IPHC commissioners have two advisory bodies, the Conference Board, composed of commercial, recreational and First Nations harvesters and the Processors Advisory Group (PAG). Although the PAG endorsed the staff recommendations, all but one of the Canadian representatives on the Conference Board supported a higher number for Canada, citing the work done to reduce bycatch and account for all mortalities in our fisheries. This number of 7.04 million pounds was endorsed by the Commission, in what can only be considered as a tribute to Michael Pearson's leadership and the able support of Laura Richards and Gary Robinson. Canada's share of the total coastwide harvest increased to 21% from 18.6% in 2011.

Even this small improvement over the staff recommendations is a tribute to the fact that Canada has been working hard to present a united front in its halibut negotiations with the United States. One irony at this year's meeting was that the single Conference Board vote against an increase in the Canadian share came from the person representing the UFAWU. The rumble you felt last Wednesday afternoon was Homer Stevens turning in his grave as a Fishermen's union rep said he wanted fewer fish for Canada!

Another achievement for Canada was that the Conference Board unanimously endorsed a resolution from Gerry Kristianson calling on the commission to consider closing nursery areas where large numbers of juvenile halibut are being slaughtered in the Pollock trawl fishery, and a motion from the PHMA's Chris Sporer calling for continued action to deal with the bycatch in US waters which is significantly reducing the movement of mature fish into the Canadian zone- by as much as a million pounds of harvestable fish a year according to IPHC staff.

It is also worth noting that conspicuously absent from this year's meeting was any sign of the many Canadian environmental groups who have been quick to criticize recreational catch monitoring standards and support the "slipper skippers" and their commercial ITQs. While these groups are only too happy to criticize recreational halibut anglers, they seem strangely indifferent to the massive by-catch of juvenile halibut, Chinook and chum that is taking place in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. Indeed, in a recent story in Ketchikan's Sit News, Kathy Hansen, executive director of the Southeast Alaska Fishermen's Alliance said "It's a bit uncomfortable to be from Alaska where we supposedly have sustainable fisheries and the best management in the world,"

SFI will meet with Minister Ashfield

The SFI continues to work on the halibut issue at all levels possible. A meeting with Minister Ashfield has been arranged this week to discuss the Halibut allocation issue and the delay of the announcement.

Watch for news and updates on this issue.

For more information contact:

Sport Fishing Institute of BC
t: 604.270.3439
w: www.sportfishing.bc.ca.
e: info@sportfishing.bc.ca

The SFI Team,
Sport Fishing Institute of British Columbia

 

[Whole in the Water]

There was an execellent talk show on CFAX 1070 yesterday afternoon talking about the DFO hali opening waffling and the unfair allocation process with Chris Bos and Rob Parrish. Very good analysis of this issues. Hopefully this wil stir the pot more with more media coverage!