Derby
Crew Member
Update - February 1, 2012
2012 IPHC International Pacific Halibut Commission
SFI Meets with Minister Ashfield
Today, February 1: Tune into CFAX 1070 between 3:30 and 4:00 to listen to a discussion with SFI member, Martin Paish and SFAB local chair, Chris Bos regarding the impacts of the delayed halibut announcement to the Victoria fishery.
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
Thank you for your support. Your contributions helps us work on behalf of the industry.
2012 IPHC International Pacific Halibut Commission
SFI Meets with Minister Ashfield
Today, February 1: Tune into CFAX 1070 between 3:30 and 4:00 to listen to a discussion with SFI member, Martin Paish and SFAB local chair, Chris Bos regarding the impacts of the delayed halibut announcement to the Victoria fishery.
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
Thank you for your support. Your contributions helps us work on behalf of the industry.
