Sovereignty of our waters and resource

[floored]

Can someone please explain the purpose of allowing US citizens free/unchallenged use of our waters?
And why on earth are we allowing such easy access to the fish that are here, without any hope of any financial (or otherwise) benefit, except for the cost of a license? I appreciate that in truth it is a shared resource, but are we being given such free and easy access to their waters and resources?
Anyone?..... Please explain.

https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/...-changes-for-anglers-fishing-canadian-waters/

 

[Dogbreath]

It seems you failed to read the article it has nothing to do with Canada.

 

[floored]

It seems you failed to read the article it has nothing to do with Canada.

Pardon?
"Under the new Canadian law, boaters and anglers may cross into Canadian waters without first registering with Canada’s customs officials."

 

[saanauk]

Can someone please explain the purpose of allowing US citizens free/unchallenged use of our waters?
And why on earth are we allowing such easy access to the fish that are here, without any hope of any financial (or otherwise) benefit, except for the cost of a license? I appreciate that in truth it is a shared resource, but are we being given such free and easy access to their waters and resources?
Anyone?..... Please explain.

https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/...-changes-for-anglers-fishing-canadian-waters/

Because some of us US citizens spend thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars supporting small local WCVI communities. And not just the summer time but year round. Even someone that does a 5 day trip: ferry ride ($500 to $1000), fuel for tow vehicle and boat ($1500-$2000), random food and maybe some tackle from River Sportsman ($250), lodging ($1000-$1500). It adds up quick.

Oh and then there is the state and federal money spent on Washington and Oregon hatcheries that provide fish to be caught on the WCVI from May to September.

 

[Clint r]

Because some of us US citizens spend thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars supporting small local WCVI communities. And not just the summer time but year round. Even someone that does a 5 day trip: ferry ride ($500 to $1000), fuel for tow vehicle and boat ($1500-$2000), random food and maybe some tackle from River Sportsman ($250), lodging ($1000-$1500). It adds up quick.

Oh and then there is the state and federal money spent on Washington and Oregon hatcheries that provide fish to be caught on the WCVI from May to September.

Well, that's a two way street so why such a hassle to get into the states?

 

[calmsea]

Who wants to fish in the US other than for tuna maybe? Their salmon are all up here and their hali season lasts a full 3 days. No thanks, I'll pass.

 

[salmonkiller01]

Well, that's a two way street so why such a hassle to get into the states?

Protecting their border, they have concerns with all the bad hombres up here, that and we are suspiciously too polite, all the "please" and "thank you"....

 

[ziggy]

Because some of us US citizens spend thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars supporting small local WCVI communities. And not just the summer time but year round. Even someone that does a 5 day trip: ferry ride ($500 to $1000), fuel for tow vehicle and boat ($1500-$2000), random food and maybe some tackle from River Sportsman ($250), lodging ($1000-$1500). It adds up quick.

Oh and then there is the state and federal money spent on Washington and Oregon hatcheries that provide fish to be caught on the WCVI from May to September.

This law would apply to someone who fished out of , for example,Port Angeles as well would it not? In fact any day tripper? I can see this benefit a fisher who spends no money in Canada other than the fee for a license as opposed to a guest here. As I read it this benefits an American who leaves an American port,fishes in Canada and then returns to that American port without touching Canadian soil. I doubt they would contribute a dime to the economy? The way I read nothing has changed for the person who spends money in small WCVI communities. Once you touch land the old rules apply.

 

[fishchaser]

As a US person that spends 5 weeks annually fishing in BC and spending 15K each summer on fuel, goods and licensing I am happy to see our countries working together to help simplify things, however this new law only takes away revenue for Canada and will hurt the Canadian fish stocks. For people like me the new law doesn’t really help as I always stay or anchor in Canadian waters and still require to clear customs by phone using our NEXUS passes. The new law only applies for the day fisherman that never touch or anchor in Canada. I guess our countries realize part of the Salmon caught on these types of day trips in Canadian waters contain fish heading to US tributaries such as Puget Sound and Columbia.


I chose to spend my summers fishing in Canada annually because Canada has great resource management policy’s for both Fish and Wildlife as well as Land management. My fear is that if our countries open up this fishery to day fishermen and the US Charter fleets it will only further derogate the Canadian fish stocks and drive people like me to find new areas of opportunities. This is not a good thing for Canada as it takes money from your local economies as well as hurt the fish stocks.


Washington Fish and Wildlife have restricted our seasons for good reasons, the fish stocks are in trouble. Letting the weekend warriors and charters fish short distances from protected waters in lunacy. This will only further reduce our US fish returns. For every fish caught now, it reduces the future returns by 3 later, where’s the reasoning?


Exemptions for clearing customs by boat:

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/pb-pp-eng.html


Washington Fish and Game Salmon caught in Canadian waters:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/canadian_catch.php

 

[floored]

Because some of us US citizens spend thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars supporting small local WCVI communities. And not just the summer time but year round. Even someone that does a 5 day trip: ferry ride ($500 to $1000), fuel for tow vehicle and boat ($1500-$2000), random food and maybe some tackle from River Sportsman ($250), lodging ($1000-$1500). It adds up quick.

Oh and then there is the state and federal money spent on Washington and Oregon hatcheries that provide fish to be caught on the WCVI from May to September.

Thank you for highlighting the attitude that underlines the importance of exercising our sovereignty in our waters.

 

[floored]

As a US person that spends 5 weeks annually fishing in BC and spending 15K each summer on fuel, goods and licensing I am happy to see our countries working together to help simplify things, however this new law only takes away revenue for Canada and will hurt the Canadian fish stocks. For people like me the new law doesn’t really help as I always stay or anchor in Canadian waters and still require to clear customs by phone using our NEXUS passes. The new law only applies for the day fisherman that never touch or anchor in Canada. I guess our countries realize part of the Salmon caught on these types of day trips in Canadian waters contain fish heading to US tributaries such as Puget Sound and Columbia.


I chose to spend my summers fishing in Canada annually because Canada has great resource management policy’s for both Fish and Wildlife as well as Land management. My fear is that if our countries open up this fishery to day fishermen and the US Charter fleets it will only further derogate the Canadian fish stocks and drive people like me to find new areas of opportunities. This is not a good thing for Canada as it takes money from your local economies as well as hurt the fish stocks.


Washington Fish and Wildlife have restricted our seasons for good reasons, the fish stocks are in trouble. Letting the weekend warriors and charters fish short distances from protected waters in lunacy. This will only further reduce our US fish returns. For every fish caught now, it reduces the future returns by 3 later, where’s the reasoning?


Exemptions for clearing customs by boat:

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/pb-pp-eng.html


Washington Fish and Game Salmon caught in Canadian waters:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/canadian_catch.php

Thank you Fishchaser, for your support over the years, and for explaining some of the other problems that come with this change in our laws.
As someone that enjoys access to this resource, I can appreciate that many in the US are upset because they feel their part of it hasn't been returning to them for harvest. And as we've seen, there is lots of finger pointing about who has been taking all these fish. But what I'm trying to get across is that with all the different ways of dealing with the problem, giving up our sovereignty over our waters shouldn't be one of them.
Clearly the US (and rightly so) doesn't feel like they should open up their waters (particularly in Alaska) so Canadians can go after the fish that come from our rivers, so why are we opening up ours to them?

 

[Ringo]

I suspect the recent changes are in light of the planned NAFTA negotiations and are rather driven by the politics of the deal.

 

[Franko Manini]

I have an issue with anyone, from any foreign country, visiting for any reason and not checking in with border services. The reason we open our borders to other countries is to encourage trade, tourism, immigration, and cultural exchange. Purchasing a fishing license, then coming across the JDF Strait to haul a few halibut out of Canadian waters does not achieve any of these objectives.

Personally, I have absolutely no desire to visit the US, but I have met some wonderful Americans on our waters. I can honestly say that in all my years of living in Victoria I have only met two Americans that were rude, entitled, narcissistic, ba$stards, and I don't at all attribute that to their nationality.

 

[Dogbreath]

Purchasing a fishing license, then coming across the JDF Strait to haul a few halibut out of Canadian waters does not achieve any of these objectives....

FWIW-Halibut is a special case US citizens can't buy a Halibut licence for those areas online they must visit a licence vendor in country.

• 
  

• Only a Canadian resident may fish for halibut under an electronic licence in Areas 121, 23 and 123. Non-residents wishing to fish and retain halibut in Areas 121, 23 and 123, must obtain their licence from a licence vendor in Canada (Independent Access Provider).

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/licence-permis/index-eng.html

 

[wildmanyeah]

How long of a boat ride is it from the closest port in Washington state Blain to the mouth of the Fraser?

 

[Franko Manini]

FWIW-Halibut is a special case US citizens can't buy a Halibut licence for those areas online they must visit a licence vendor in country.

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/licence-permis/index-eng.html

I never mentioned electronic licenses. I guess I just don't see the purchase of a ferry ride (and by the way, the Blackball Ferry Corporation that runs the Coho between Victoria and Port Angeles AND Clipper Navigation Inc who operate the Clipper between Victoria and Seattle are both US firms) and lunch as contributing to trade, tourism, immigration, and cultural exchange. My point still stands even if you have to walk through Canadian Border services before you buy a hot dog at the inner harbour and suck it into your food hole on the way to picking up your paper license.