Derby
Crew Member
Sport fishery going strong after a slow start to season
Saltwater and freshwater recreational anglers contribute more than $1.1
billion to the provincial economy, employing an estimated 7,800 people each
year
By James Kwantes, Vancouver Sun August 16, 2011
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Fishing guide John Geraghty of Salmon King Fishing Charters hoists a freshly
caught pink salmon at the Granville Island dock Monday in Vancouver.
Photograph by: Ian Lindsay, PNG, Vancouver Sun
Guide John Geraghty had cause to worry early in the fishing season.
Vancouver's "bummer summer" was cutting into business at Salmon King Fishing
Charters, where he is operations manager. And the doublewhammy of a high
Canadian dollar and weak U.S. economy wasn't helping put American boots in
boats.
But the fish are jumping and business is now hopping for the small charter
company that runs a 28-foot Bayliner and a 50-foot luxury fishing boat from
Granville Island.
"The last couple of weeks have been really good," Geraghty said in a
cellphone interview from the dock as he prepared for a scouting expedition
on Monday morning. "We had a really good bite yesterday, so we're going out
to see if we can hit the same bite."
Despite troubled economic times, the more expensive boat is in higher demand
these days, he said. The last group to charter it were New Yorkers in
Vancouver for a conference.
"There's a lot of high-end money around," Geraghty said. "When you get
inquiries for the smaller boat, the first question is 'How much is it?' With
the big boat, that's the last question."
U.S. economic woes notwithstanding, the number of B.C. fishing licences sold
to nonresidents rose 10 per cent (to 8,635) from April 1 to July 26 compared
to the same period in 2010. The number of fishing licences sold to B.C.
residents also rose, 7.5 per cent to 104,795.
Freshwater and saltwater anglers are providing plenty of economic punch for
a recreational fishery that is thriving. The recreational fishery accounts
for about 39 per cent of total revenues and GDP for all B.C. fishing and
aquaculture, according to the Sport Fishing Institute of B.C.
The recreational fishery contributes more than $1.1 billion to the
provincial economy and employs about 7,800 people annually, according to a
2009 report by fisheries economist Gordon Gislason. That breaks down to $642
million for saltwater angling (3,950 person years) and $479 million for the
freshwater fishery (3,875 person years).
As for this year's catch, it's difficult to compare early statistics with
prior years because the unstable weather delayed the start of this fishing
season, said Devona Adams, recreational fisheries coordinator for Fisheries
and Oceans Canada. But early glimpses in areas less affected by poor weather
showed strong returns, she said.
In June, for example, the chinook salmon catch in the Strait of Georgia was
nearly double the five-year average and the halibut catch was up about 40
per cent, according to Fisheries and Oceans estimates.
"The salmon fishery has been strong and holding despite some of the economic
situations with some of the folks that come to visit here," Adams said.
"There's a pretty strong baseline of residents and folks coming from Alberta
or from Washington state coming to participate in the fisheries."
Anglers are now fishing on the Fraser after Friday's opening of the sockeye
sport fishery, she said. The catch is limited to two per day. The halibut
fishery started slowly due to weather, but has picked up and will likely be
comparable to last year's, Adams said.
And the chinook and coho fishing off the west coast of Vancouver Island has
been stellar, she said.
Rob Alcock concurs with that assessment. The president of the Sport Fishing
Institute of B.C. recently returned from a week of productive salmon fishing
off Port Renfrew, where the population swells from just under 200 people to
more than 5,000 in the summer.
"The fishing was just phenomenal," said Alcock, who is also chief operating
officer for Gibbs-Delta Tackle in Ladner. "If you wanted to have a sandwich
or a drink, you had to leave your line out of the water.
"Some guides are saying it's the best they've ever seen."
The irony is that many American fishers are missing out, not only because of
economic factors but also due to the unpopular one-per-day halibut limit, he
said.
The reduction of the limit in 2003 has harmed the sport fishery, Alcock
contends.
"A lot of the guides have room in their boats, they're not booked up," he
said. "There's 400 commercial fisherman getting 88 per cent of Canada's
total allowable catch, and 300,000 anglers get 12 per cent. People can go to
other places like Alaska and catch more halibut in a day."
The sport fishery, however, continues to be a huge boost to small coastal
communities all the way up to Haida Gwaii, Alcock said.
jkwantes@vancouversun.com Twitter.com/jameskwantes Last of a series on
fisheries in B.C.
(c) Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Read more:
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Sport+fishery+going+strong+after+slow+s
tart+season/5260232/story.html#ixzz1VCVgwf3Q
<http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Sport+fishery+going+strong+after+slow+
start+season/5260232/story.html>
Saltwater and freshwater recreational anglers contribute more than $1.1
billion to the provincial economy, employing an estimated 7,800 people each
year
By James Kwantes, Vancouver Sun August 16, 2011
* Story <javascript:void(0);>
* Photos ( 1 ) <javascript:void(0);>
<javascript:void(0);>
Fishing guide John Geraghty of Salmon King Fishing Charters hoists a freshly
caught pink salmon at the Granville Island dock Monday in Vancouver.
Photograph by: Ian Lindsay, PNG, Vancouver Sun
Guide John Geraghty had cause to worry early in the fishing season.
Vancouver's "bummer summer" was cutting into business at Salmon King Fishing
Charters, where he is operations manager. And the doublewhammy of a high
Canadian dollar and weak U.S. economy wasn't helping put American boots in
boats.
But the fish are jumping and business is now hopping for the small charter
company that runs a 28-foot Bayliner and a 50-foot luxury fishing boat from
Granville Island.
"The last couple of weeks have been really good," Geraghty said in a
cellphone interview from the dock as he prepared for a scouting expedition
on Monday morning. "We had a really good bite yesterday, so we're going out
to see if we can hit the same bite."
Despite troubled economic times, the more expensive boat is in higher demand
these days, he said. The last group to charter it were New Yorkers in
Vancouver for a conference.
"There's a lot of high-end money around," Geraghty said. "When you get
inquiries for the smaller boat, the first question is 'How much is it?' With
the big boat, that's the last question."
U.S. economic woes notwithstanding, the number of B.C. fishing licences sold
to nonresidents rose 10 per cent (to 8,635) from April 1 to July 26 compared
to the same period in 2010. The number of fishing licences sold to B.C.
residents also rose, 7.5 per cent to 104,795.
Freshwater and saltwater anglers are providing plenty of economic punch for
a recreational fishery that is thriving. The recreational fishery accounts
for about 39 per cent of total revenues and GDP for all B.C. fishing and
aquaculture, according to the Sport Fishing Institute of B.C.
The recreational fishery contributes more than $1.1 billion to the
provincial economy and employs about 7,800 people annually, according to a
2009 report by fisheries economist Gordon Gislason. That breaks down to $642
million for saltwater angling (3,950 person years) and $479 million for the
freshwater fishery (3,875 person years).
As for this year's catch, it's difficult to compare early statistics with
prior years because the unstable weather delayed the start of this fishing
season, said Devona Adams, recreational fisheries coordinator for Fisheries
and Oceans Canada. But early glimpses in areas less affected by poor weather
showed strong returns, she said.
In June, for example, the chinook salmon catch in the Strait of Georgia was
nearly double the five-year average and the halibut catch was up about 40
per cent, according to Fisheries and Oceans estimates.
"The salmon fishery has been strong and holding despite some of the economic
situations with some of the folks that come to visit here," Adams said.
"There's a pretty strong baseline of residents and folks coming from Alberta
or from Washington state coming to participate in the fisheries."
Anglers are now fishing on the Fraser after Friday's opening of the sockeye
sport fishery, she said. The catch is limited to two per day. The halibut
fishery started slowly due to weather, but has picked up and will likely be
comparable to last year's, Adams said.
And the chinook and coho fishing off the west coast of Vancouver Island has
been stellar, she said.
Rob Alcock concurs with that assessment. The president of the Sport Fishing
Institute of B.C. recently returned from a week of productive salmon fishing
off Port Renfrew, where the population swells from just under 200 people to
more than 5,000 in the summer.
"The fishing was just phenomenal," said Alcock, who is also chief operating
officer for Gibbs-Delta Tackle in Ladner. "If you wanted to have a sandwich
or a drink, you had to leave your line out of the water.
"Some guides are saying it's the best they've ever seen."
The irony is that many American fishers are missing out, not only because of
economic factors but also due to the unpopular one-per-day halibut limit, he
said.
The reduction of the limit in 2003 has harmed the sport fishery, Alcock
contends.
"A lot of the guides have room in their boats, they're not booked up," he
said. "There's 400 commercial fisherman getting 88 per cent of Canada's
total allowable catch, and 300,000 anglers get 12 per cent. People can go to
other places like Alaska and catch more halibut in a day."
The sport fishery, however, continues to be a huge boost to small coastal
communities all the way up to Haida Gwaii, Alcock said.
jkwantes@vancouversun.com Twitter.com/jameskwantes Last of a series on
fisheries in B.C.
(c) Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Read more:
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Sport+fishery+going+strong+after+slow+s
tart+season/5260232/story.html#ixzz1VCVgwf3Q
<http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Sport+fishery+going+strong+after+slow+
start+season/5260232/story.html>
