Sickening Halibut Announcement

[Tofinofish]

-Just to let you know what the "Minister" of Fisheries announce today.
Makes me want to puke!!!! She feels that the only way to move forward is to pay the quota holders for access to this common property public resource.
Sickening..........

Ministerial Statement on Pacific Halibut Feb 15, 2011

Our Government understands the value and significance of the Pacific halibut fishery to British Columbians. The current sharing formula, which allocates 88% of the harvest to commercial fishermen and 12% to recreational harvesters, has been in place since 2003. Since then there have been a number of attempts by representatives of each sector to develop an acceptable way to transfer allocation between them.

The most recent round of discussions took place throughout 2010. I’m disappointed to report that those discussions have reached an impasse and stakeholders have been unable to reach a consensus. Because of this, a ministerial decision is required to move forward for the 2011 season.

As Canada’s Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, I have been entrusted with managing our precious marine resources responsibly and sustainably. This responsibility includes ensuring that we meet our various international obligations with regards to conservation. All fish management decisions are made to meet the following three priorities: conservation, sustainability of the fishery and economic viability. It is with these in mind that I announce the following:

The 2011 Pacific halibut recreational fishing season will open March 1st. Recreational anglers with a tidal license will be able to catch one halibut per day with two in possession.

Our Government recognizes the value of the recreational fishery to British Columbians and the economic opportunities it provides. Therefore, for the 2011 season only, we will undertake a trial to make available to interested recreational stakeholders experimental licenses that will allow them to lease quota from commercial harvesters. This will provide access to halibut beyond the limits of the standard recreational license, giving those who choose to participate greater stability for business planning purposes.

As for the future, clearly it is in the best interests of all sectors to come to a long-term solution that recognizes the important contribution each makes to British Columbia. To achieve this, I have asked my Parliamentary Secretary, Randy Kamp, Member of Parliament from Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge-Mission, to work with my officials to develop options for my consideration prior to the start of the 2012 season. These options will need to meet the following objectives:

o Conservation of the resource through enhanced monitoring of the recreational fishery, thereby keeping all halibut fisheries accountable for maintaining catches within the total allowable catch.

o Economic prosperity through predictable access for all users.

o Flexibility through an effective mechanism for transfers between the sectors.

I have long held the belief that those who participate in and depend on a fishery to make their living need to be able to provide input into how that fishery is managed. Ideally, that happens in a collaborative and constructive manner. Many stakeholders from both sectors have clearly articulated their current positions, but I encourage continued dialogue about new approaches between interested parties and my officials. The sooner a permanent solution is found, the sooner British Columbians can put uncertainty behind them and look forward to a viable future for this fishery.

[The Elkster]

I find it incredible that they aren't working hard to dissolve the conventional commercial fishery altogether. When you look at the dollars and spin off dollars created by guided and sport fishing its hard to fathom how they can justify the wack 'em and stack'em/blow them out at wholesale prices approach. Stupid comes to mind. Pay out the commercial licenses and move on. Sheesh how hard is that. If a commie wants to stay in business then convert the boat to guiding. Like it or not change is just part of life.

There aren't that many commercial guys I thought...what gives them so much bargaining power? Is it a select few at the top that have an ear with the top politicians? I just don't get it.

[Tofinofish]

I find it incredible that they aren't working hard to dissolve the conventional commercial fishery altogether. When you look at the dollars and spin off dollars created by guided and sport fishing its hard to fathom how they can justify the wack 'em and stack'em/blow them out at wholesale prices approach. Stupid comes to mind. Pay out the commercial licenses and move on. Sheesh how hard is that. If a commie wants to stay in business then convert the boat to guiding. Like it or not change is just part of life.

There aren't that many commercial guys I thought...what gives them so much bargaining power? Is it a select few at the top that have an ear with the top politicians? I just don't get it.

You're right, there aren't that many "Active" commercial Halibut Quota owners, but we are now faced to pay these individuals for continued access.

Your comments above are exactly opposite of the direction the CURRENT Fisheries Minister is pushing. She wants this to lead straight down the same path as East Coast Fisheries, where there is virtually no Recreational Fishery.
She has to go and we need at the very least, a western Fisheries Minister who actually gives a Shyyyyte about Canadian citizens access to a fishery.

Sickening to have volunteered to work with DFO for the past 15 years that I won't get back, missing my kids Hockey etc. Man I feel stupid and never again....... Never

Enjoy your early season Halibut Fishing. There is nothing in the letter saying that our season will not close, in fact it is a ultimatum situation if anyof the larger lodges (or others) want to stay open for Halibut later, they will have to enter into the Quota leasing process that we have avoided all along.

[dss44]

I can't believe I'm saying this...but I'll be voting NDP next election...and doing everything I can to ensure my MP John Duncan is not re-elected.

[Topwater]

So how is that going to work then? Are you going to have to pay xyz commercial guy 20 bucks for every extra halibut you harvest?

So how does it work in BC? Can any Tom, Dick or Harry with a boat run charters for money?

The rec qoutas are for the whole industry? Tofinofish do you not have your own qouta as a charter/outfitter? In Saskatchewan every outfitter has a set number of angling days for that body of water which is basically like there own qouta.

Can they just shut the season down at any time?

[Rockymtnx]

That really sucks for you guys.
Of course I haven't seen any dollar amounts yet, but I'm sure it sure wont be feasible for the smaller outfits. :(

[Tofinofish]

So how is that going to work then? Are you going to have to pay xyz commercial guy 20 bucks for every extra halibut you harvest?

Not 20 bucks, more like $100-$300 plus per fish.

So how does it work in BC? Can any Tom, Dick or Harry with a boat run charters for money?

In the past it was possible for some to fly under the radar and charge for "Guiding" services. Now there is Federal Gov't creditation for guides, Transport Canada vessel regulations, municiple business licences etc. that all hinge on obtaining insurance to operate.

The rec qoutas are for the whole industry? Tofinofish do you not have your own qouta as a charter/outfitter? In Saskatchewan every outfitter has a set number of angling days for that body of water which is basically like there own qouta.

The recreational ALLOCATION (not quota) is for all recreational anglers, guided and unguided. We do not have our own quota. It is outlined in a Supreme Court process that an individual can't claim ownership on an uncaught species. There are "Rod Days" for Freshwater Fishing certain bodies of water.

Can they just shut the season down at any time?

They can and they have more than once, though they guaranteed that this would never happen as a condition of the process that DFO adopted in 2003. This is the same process that recreational representatives have been fighting since day one, trying hard to prove how it is not working for Canadian citizens.

[Tofinofish]

That really sucks for you guys.
Of course I haven't seen any dollar amounts yet, but I'm sure it sure wont be feasible for the smaller outfits. :(

Rockymtnx, You're right about that, Minister Shea has given us a rotten old commercially caught East Coast Cod to Suck on! Because that is exactly how she wants to manage the West Coast, Commercial Style.........

The huge problem is that she knows there may be one or more of the largest guided fishing operators on the coast who will feel the pressure to cave in and lease quota, setting precident for the whole process to "look like it works" when it will not.

Who will be able to afford to pay for a $6000.00 package at one of the high end resorts, and then the guy is out on the water, just battled a nice 70 lb Halibut to the boat and then the guide says "Hang on" while he/she gets out the calculator and Wireless Satellite Credit Card machine. You then have the option of choosing to buy your fish on the spot for an extra $500 or so........one fish.
Remember, the cost of this fish doesn't then go to general tourism, wages, Lodge upgrades, Safety, marketing, insurance etc. It will be directly beneficial to the original commercial quota holder who now gets to sit at home and not actively fish there own quota.

"Fish it or lose it" seems to have conveniently slipped past the B^$#tch in Ottawa....

So much for the 1 Billion dollar recreational Fishery in BC meaning anything to the gov't.

[crazyfish]

sounds like the "early" dates at lodges will get booked sooner, just to ensure the option to keep a hally ! OUch the pay on the spot option sounds crazy and very unsportsman like, bait-n-switch to the extreme. 'm glad i'll be heading out early season, but for those that already have plans , that could be very dissapointing !

[Okotokian]

This is why allotments, quotas, LEASES, etc. related to publicly owned resources should be for relatively short terms. That way when circumstances changes the leases can be allowed to lapse, and then the owner of the resources (the people, represented by govt.) can bring in a new system.

Right now my town has had to spend millions of dollars to buy up water licences from private individuals and companies so they can provide drinking water to the population. The town asked if we could get a credit given we treat and put clean water back into the system, where industrial and agricultural users don't. The province said "No".

Seems to me that an allocation owner shouldn't be able to NOT fish and then sell rights. For example, if the allocation is to catch 1000 fish and they only catch 500 in a season, then the govt should be able to reallocate 500 fish to the recreational sector next season. Use it or lose it.

[browning375]

Another decision from Ottawa with no vision on what will happen to local economies!
I think they really under estimate on how much recreational fishing brings to the province. Myself i spent close to $4000-5000.00 a year on the island fishing. I know dozens of other guys as well that live in the same town that do the same.
I just shiver thinking about what's next on their list of cut backs?

I just don't undersand why a small industry like halibut fisherman get power over 99.9% of the public? Recreational fisheries bring in 100 times more business to the island than just yanking the fish out of the water and selling it. Makes no sense to me?

[Tofinofish]

Seems to me that an allocation owner shouldn't be able to NOT fish and then sell rights. For example, if the allocation is to catch 1000 fish and they only catch 500 in a season, then the govt should be able to reallocate 500 fish to the recreational sector next season. Use it or lose it.

Happy to agree with you wholeheartedly on this one Okotokian, Fish it or lose it should be the case, but now the case has been further entrenched to protect those very few Canadians who get to continue to lease it and not fish it for an undetermined time to come, and are laughing at us even harder.
Sad day to be Canadian, ironically almost exactly 1 year ago Canadians felt more harmonius patriotism when Canada scored the 3rd goal in O.T. to win GOLD. Now we are sitting here with a sore Ass thanks to our own Gov't.

[Jwood 456]

I heard that announcement too, and was also very outraged.:mad3:, so I decided to write my fourth letter to the fisheries minister. I have the letter posted below.

Dear Honorable Gail Shea:
I am writing to you again to express my current thoughts on this BC halibut fishery debate. I heard the decision that was made today and I wasn’t content. I just find it very wrong that it should be the status quo for more than two thirds of a small interest group to own our rights to a common property resource that us tax and license buying Canadians own. I could not even reconcile paying one of these quota-holding, non-active fishers “fish lords” outrageous prices for a resource that they think they all own to themselves. The profit these “fish lords” make does not go towards helping Canada at all, but simply just adds to their pocket. If I bought a fishing license, and didn’t use it all, could I sell the rest of it to someone else? NO. Could a “fish lord” sell their unused license? Yes.
This current policy seems to not be much different than fascism. In Fascist Europe, certain lucky people were chosen to be rich and prosperous while the majority of the citizens were poor from paying all the taxes to pay the minority group of the rich chosen people (nobles). With this current halibut policy, 465 lucky citizens are chosen to “own” 88% of the Common Canadian property resource which is halibut. More than half of these “halibut nobles” then choose to reap huge profits off of the majority group (hundreds of thousands of fed up sport fishers and also the non-quota -holding commercial fishers who hardly make a profit afterwards) instead of the “fish nobles” getting out there and actually fishing like they are supposed to. Again, I think any quota-holders who do not agree to use their quota, should have it withdrawn from them and then it should be evenly divided between non-quota-holding commercial fishers and the sport sector.
I became misguided at one point thinking this short season was because of conservation, but now I know that it just happens to be a natural low-abundance year due to a natural cycle. The IPHC (International Pacific Halibut Commission) does a great job of managing the halibut stocks. However, ling cod and rockfish stocks may start dwindling on the BC coast. This is due to the fact that ling cod and rockfish are slow-growing reef fish and cannot handle heavy fishing pressure. When the halibut season likely closes in the peak of the halibut season, the hundreds of thousands of anglers will target the rockfish and ling cod instead.
Lastly, I think there should be just enough quota to sustain the ever important and quickly growing BC halibut sport fishing industry with halibut limits of 2 per day and 3 in possession. I understand that both the commercial and sport industry are very important. I think it would be evenly fair and square for the sport sector to have 50% of the allocation and the commercial sector to have the other 50%, though I don’t think the sport sector would even need 50% to keep the sport industry prospering.
As long as this policy remains unchanged, I will continue to write letters. If this policy remains unchanged by the next federal election when I’m at a voting age, I will not be checking off the conservative box.

[Tofinofish]

I heard that announcement too, and was also very outraged.:mad3:, so I decided to write my fourth letter to the fisheries minister. I have the letter posted below.

Dear Honorable Gail Shea:
I am writing to you again to express my current thoughts on this BC halibut fishery debate. I heard the decision that was made today and I wasn’t content. I just find it very wrong that it should be the status quo for more than two thirds of a small interest group to own our rights to a common property resource that us tax and license buying Canadians own. I could not even reconcile paying one of these quota-holding, non-active fishers “fish lords” outrageous prices for a resource that they think they all own to themselves. The profit these “fish lords” make does not go towards helping Canada at all, but simply just adds to their pocket. If I bought a fishing license, and didn’t use it all, could I sell the rest of it to someone else? NO. Could a “fish lord” sell their unused license? Yes.
This current policy seems to not be much different than fascism. In Fascist Europe, certain lucky people were chosen to be rich and prosperous while the majority of the citizens were poor from paying all the taxes to pay the minority group of the rich chosen people (nobles). With this current halibut policy, 465 lucky citizens are chosen to “own” 88% of the Common Canadian property resource which is halibut. More than half of these “halibut nobles” then choose to reap huge profits off of the majority group (hundreds of thousands of fed up sport fishers and also the non-quota -holding commercial fishers who hardly make a profit afterwards) instead of the “fish nobles” getting out there and actually fishing like they are supposed to. Again, I think any quota-holders who do not agree to use their quota, should have it withdrawn from them and then it should be evenly divided between non-quota-holding commercial fishers and the sport sector.
I became misguided at one point thinking this short season was because of conservation, but now I know that it just happens to be a natural low-abundance year due to a natural cycle. The IPHC (International Pacific Halibut Commission) does a great job of managing the halibut stocks. However, ling cod and rockfish stocks may start dwindling on the BC coast. This is due to the fact that ling cod and rockfish are slow-growing reef fish and cannot handle heavy fishing pressure. When the halibut season likely closes in the peak of the halibut season, the hundreds of thousands of anglers will target the rockfish and ling cod instead.
Lastly, I think there should be just enough quota to sustain the ever important and quickly growing BC halibut sport fishing industry with halibut limits of 2 per day and 3 in possession. I understand that both the commercial and sport industry are very important. I think it would be evenly fair and square for the sport sector to have 50% of the allocation and the commercial sector to have the other 50%, though I don’t think the sport sector would even need 50% to keep the sport industry prospering.
As long as this policy remains unchanged, I will continue to write letters. If this policy remains unchanged by the next federal election when I’m at a voting age, I will not be checking off the conservative box.

Good on you for the immediate follow up letter Jwood. This issue will have huge effects on the conservatives on the coast, and your local Alberta MP's need to realize this issue will provide nothing but a strain on their party's future. What is next, Moose? Whitetails? Pike? Whitefish?.............

[DuckBrat]

Sad circumstance...

I can't believe the government would sell off the Halibut as a resource to foreign interests.

Also expecting the recreational angler as a group to lease a slot of the quota. Sick.

Quote from Gail Shea Fisheries minister - "Therefore, for the 2011 season only, we will undertake a trial to make available to interested recreational stakeholders experimental licenses that will allow them to lease quota from commercial harvesters."

Canadians leasing Canadian harvest from foreigners, WTF??

Foolhardy to try and manage a fishery like oil/gas, forestry, and mining, etc.

[caver77]

Wow, that's kinda disheartening to hear. Sure sounds also like a sign of some bad things to come.

[Gust]

Sad circumstance...

I can't believe the government would sell off the Halibut as a resource to foreign interests.

Also expecting the recreational angler as a group to lease a slot of the quota. Sick.

Quote from Gail Shea Fisheries minister - "Therefore, for the 2011 season only, we will undertake a trial to make available to interested recreational stakeholders experimental licenses that will allow them to lease quota from commercial harvesters."

Canadians leasing Canadian harvest from foreigners, WTF??

Foolhardy to try and manage a fishery like oil/gas, forestry, and mining, etc.

Last year I lived on the Sunshine coast and had a fishin talk with one of the natives running a hatchery,, he brought up an interesting point; if you wanted to drill for oil off Haida Guai, what would be your biggest obstacle? (rhet),
The most productive wild salmon run in the world. Phenomenal Halibut.

It's not that farfetched when you think of the ill-logic of making an oil port at Kitimat, or placing fishfarms right at the delta of the Fraser.

No fish, no obstacle, simple.

[browning375]

How early do we expect the Halibut season to close this year? I plan on making a trip out there in the middle of July to hopefully catch a couple if possible!

[Jimboy]

I can't believe I'm saying this...but I'll be voting NDP next election...and doing everything I can to ensure my MP John Duncan is not re-elected.

Now your voting properly , NDP is a govt for joe six pack , not Mac the Multi millionaire , good for you

[Tofinofish]

Thanks for bringing this up again guys.

Halibut is becoming a major election issue on the coast, and we will be pushing it harder than ever, especially in ridings like Vancouver Island North.

MANY Coastal AND inland Communities, Elected Councils, Business Associations as well as Chambers of Commerce have written strong letters of support for recreational Halibut access.
As an example, a letter this week from the the city of Vanderhoof, (not on the coast ) has more heads turning....

Many coastal communities have been rallying to bring this issue forward to the UBCM -Union of BC Municipalities as well as the Vancouver Island Coast Community Network. The UBCM can bring forward a resolution to support our issue, and have had "success" in the past with issues regarding Steelhead on the Skeena system and gov't awareness and subsequent action.

I am again asking any and all of you to bring this issue up with your local MP's as they WILL be hearing about it in the very near future. Hopefully it will be on their own election platform in support....

This is a recent article printed this week:

It's a fish tale that could sway the outcome of a federal election, its sponsors say.
The BC Sportfishing Coalition has launched an advertising campaign to protest the amount of halibut legally available for recreational fishermen to catch.
"This issue could cost the Conservatives the next election," the ad reads.
The ad, entitled The Great Canadian Halibut Heist, was printed in newspapers in Victoria, Vancouver and Ottawa.
It suggests Gail Shea, minister of fisheries and oceans, believes Canada's halibut stock should be privately owned.
Under the current regulations, established in 2003, commercial fishermen are allowed to fish 88 per cent of the national quota, while recreational fishermen are allowed to fish for the remaining 12 per cent.
If those fishing recreationally reach their quota before the end of the season, they can either stop for the season, or buy more quota from commercial fishermen.
Paul Rickard, of the British Columbia Wildlife Federation said the current system is ... fishy.
He called the regulations an "illegal and blatant privatization of the fish in the ocean, which is a common property resource for the people of Canada."
He said the impact to the charter and guide fishing industry has been negative, because fishermen are not able to book trips for clients far in advance, since they don't know when the season will end.
The coalition comprises 10 organizations close to the recreational fishing industry.
The coalition is calling for a "fair fishery" for the recreational fishing industry. It wants the federal government to set aside enough quota to let fishermen fish for the entire season.
Rickard said the purpose of the ad was to inform the public and to make halibut allocation an election issue.
He identified one Conservative riding, Vancouver Island North, which he said could be won or lost on the halibut issue.
Indian Affairs and Northern Development Minister John Duncan is the MP for the riding.
"We have made this clearly an issue in that riding," Rickard said.
"Its going to have an impact on (Duncan's) re-election potential."
A statement from Shea's office, said Randy Kamp, her parliamentary secretary, is working toward a solution with all the partners involved.
"The sooner a permanent solution is found, the sooner British Columbians can put uncertainty behind them and look forward to a viable future for this fishery," the statement said.

[pope]

I have a coho trip booked in September, and was going to book a halibut charter - kind of difficult not knowing if there is a season.

[Redfrog]

Now your voting properly , NDP is a govt for joe six pack , not Mac the Multi millionaire , good for you

Right!!!! And who pays for all those fuzzy NDP programs Bud?

There is no free lunch.



BTW I was at Costco. Halibut was $45 a kilo.:thinking-006:

[Serengeti Charters]

I'm positive John Duncan won't be re-elected...and as a former (before Shea's announcement) card carrying Conservative, it pains me to say I will do everything in my power to ensure he does not get re-elected...Vancouver Island North is my riding, and I'll do what it takes to make sure this guy realizes his political tenure is OVER!

[Tofinofish]

I'm positive John Duncan won't be re-elected...and as a former (before Shea's announcement) card carrying Conservative, it pains me to say I will do everything in my power to ensure he does not get re-elected...Vancouver Island North is my riding, and I'll do what it takes to make sure this guy realizes his political tenure is OVER!

David,

We are learning more and more that there are strength in numbers, and you are part of a strong Army of concerned BC residents that are very focused on getting that snake Duncan out of Ottawa....Randy Kamp in another one...

Go hard and don't quit..

[ssyd]

So basically if I wanted to take more than two halibut home I have to go to a greedy commercial fisherman or corporation and ask, "please sir may I have some more?" And then compensate them for their lost income (which is a much larger percentage of my salary than theirs) for the chance to legally increase my limit to a reasonable number for a once a year fisherman? I'm sure there's going to be no government program to facilitate this either so we'll just have to take a piece of paper and wander around the docks until someone agrees to sign it?

That's my understanding of it.

And what happens if I don't limit out on my new quota? Do I just lose my money?

Even more reason for me to dislike the Conservatives. Yet most of Alberta vote for them "because I'm Albertan and I'm supposed to" and for no other reason.

[walking buffalo]

If fisheries and the commercial quota holders are successful with privitizing halibut, crab, shrimp and salmon will be next. This is a Canadian issue. Please voice your opposition to the feds.

Some new info. Government officials are going to be ducking for cover. The legal fight begins.

These are letters from a HuntingBC.ca forum member, IronNoggin.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?p=884963#post884963

Letter to PM Harper re: Halibut

Last Friday:

"Dear Prime Minister Harper,

I am writing to appraise you and your cabinet of an impending Scandal that has a very good chance of effecting the outcome of the pending election:

At this point in time I am reasonably certain you are aware of the growing concerns regarding the Fair and Equitable Allocation of the Halibut Resource in the Pacific. The matter to which I refer is directly related.

In this Country, it is fact and Legal Prerequisite that a properly "Licensed Commercial Vessel" is required to own or procure halibut quota.
However an investigation of the Public Records of the "Vessels" these Licenses have been, and continue to be issued to today, leads to many questions. (Reference: http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Op...portSelect.cfm )
Many are registered with simple "K" or "BC" number registrations, which are very much NOT commercial fishing vessels (which require a CFV - Commercial Fishing Vessel assignment). And many are far to small in size, as little as NINE Feet, to realistically fall into the range of Legal Classification.

The majority of the "vessels" that fall into this non-compliant category are held by absentee Quota Holders as a method of eliminating related operational expenses. "Absentee" in that these individuals do not set foot on a working fishing vessel, preferring to lease their quotas at grossly inflated prices to those who actually do engage in active fishing. All of the "vessels" that are associated with the above noted discrepancies fall outside the scope of the Legal Description of Licensed Commercial Fishing Vessels, and as such are ILLEGAL under Canadian Law. Thus, any and all Halibut Quota assigned to those same "vessels" have been issued inappropriately, and therefore contravene the Legal Mechanisms in place regarding the terms of procurement and ownership of the same. This is not simply a limited case of a singular incidence nor a one time occurrence. In fact the number of "vessels" that fall into the Illegal Classification are numerous, and a review of the relevant Public Records well indicate this practice has been in effect for many years.

While at this point it is somewhat difficult to decidedly prove collusion between the related Quota Holders and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in this matter, one would think that even a cursory inspection by anyone within the Department with an understanding of the Legal Requirements would have noticed these discrepancies well before now. Thus, DFO, whether by collusion or gross dereliction of duty, is actively involved in the commission of ongoing illegal activities relating to the issuance of Halibut Quota to non-conforming "vessel" owners.

One would tend to perceive that this matter should be of grave concern for a Government facing the distinct possibility of an impending election. The ensuing scandal would obviously not add to your cause of re-election, and in fact quite obviously would have the reverse effect.

The issue of Allocation regarding the halibut resource has become a very heated matter, with a great many noting extreme displeasure with your Minister's ruling that the General Public may now purchase rights of access to their own resource (according to the Supreme Court of Canada) from those same absentee owners, many of which are directly involved in the above noted illegal acts of procurement. The angst amongst the Recreational Sector is growing daily in British Columbia and spreading eastward in a rapid manner. The level of that angst has not perhaps been overly noticeable in Ottawa, but is extremely likely to cost your Party seats in numerous ridings were an election to be called forthwith. A related scandal regarding the matter described above carries serious potential of costing even more.

As with all such matters, timing plays a significant role. I would tend to believe that a Statement from Yourself regarding the Conservative Party's position regarding returning the halibut resource to its' rightful owners, All the People of Canada, would go a long way towards diffusing the current situation in Western Canada. And may well preclude the necessity of this significant matter regarding illegal Licenses of Convenience and related inappropriate quota assignment to the same from going public until such time as an election has been completed. Alternatively, there are several investigative reporters poised to introduce this matter to the Canadian Public immediately, whether or not an election is forthcoming. The decision of just how this now proceeds is very much in your hands.

In the past, inquiries related to these matters have been redirected from your Office to that of Minister Shea's. I am directly requesting that at this juncture a reply be forthcoming from your own Office in alternative.

I look forward to your timely response. Given this is a time sensitive issue and in recognition of your overly busy schedule, I am affording you two days hence to reply before pursuing this matter any further.

Sincerely,
Me"

And the reply:

Dear Mr. Stabler:
On behalf of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, I would like to thank you for your recent e-mail.

Please be assured that your comments have been noted and that they will receive due consideration from the Minister, who has already received a copy of your correspondence.

M.F. Bustos
Manager/Gestionnaire
Executive Correspondence Services
for the Prime Minister's Office

WRONG ANSWER!

Re: Letter to PM Harper re: Halibut

In response, the following was submitted to the RCMP Commissioner William Elliot, the Attorney Generals of Canada and BC, the Auditor General, Justice Minister and the Chief Supreme Court Justice this date. Now being circulated to the media, and members of the Opposition:


"Notification of Federal Department of Fisheries & Oceans Direct Involvement in Illegal Licensing Scheme

I am writing to inform your Organizations of DFO's involvement in an Illegal Licensing Scheme related to the issuance of Halibut Quota, and to request an Investigation of this matter be conducted by the Proper Legal Authorities immediately.

In Canada, it is fact and Legal Prerequisite that a properly "Licensed Commercial Vessel" is required to own or procure halibut quota.
However an investigation of the Public Records of the "Vessels" these Licenses have been, and continue to be issued to today, leads to the conclusion that certain commercial operators are openly non-compliant with the related Legislation and are supported in this action by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. (Reference: http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Op...portSelect.cfm )
Many are registered with simple "K" or "BC" number registrations, which are very much NOT commercial fishing vessels (which require a CFV - Commercial Fishing Vessel assignment). And many are far to small in size, as little as nine Feet, to realistically fall into the range of Legal Classification.

The majority of the "vessels" that fall into these non-compliant categories are held by absentee Quota Holders as a method of eliminating related operational expenses. "Absentee" in that these individuals do not set foot on a working fishing vessel, preferring to lease their quotas at grossly inflated prices to those who actually do engage in active fishing. All of the "vessels" that are associated with the above noted discrepancies fall outside the scope of the Legal Description of Licensed Commercial Fishing Vessels, and as such are ILLEGAL under Canadian Law. Thus, any and all Halibut Quota assigned to those same "vessels" have been issued inappropriately, and therefore contravene the Legal Mechanisms in place regarding the terms of procurement and ownership of the same. This is not simply a limited case of a singular incidence nor a one time occurrence. In fact the number of "vessels" that fall into the Illegal Classification are numerous, and a review of the relevant Public Records well indicate this practice has been in effect for many years.

Your Organizations represent the Proper Legal Authorities for investigating collusion between the related Quota Holders and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in this matter, so it is for that explicit reason I am contacting you today. When informed of these findings, DFO has provided disparate and convoluted replies ranging from This procedure is addressed in a Private In-House Manual not available to the General Public, to requests for specific Vessel and related Licensing Information, even going so far as to indicate that a plank, flower pot, row boat, or smaller sport fishing boat is fine with DFO, if it is registered. It was noted that "Vessels" that are de-commissioned, sunk, or sold to foreign interests would result in suspension of quota. However there exists no communication protocol between DFO and Transport Canada in this regard. Thus DFO is not aware of the number of existing Licenses that may have been issued to vessels falling within this non-compliant description.

The Department's assertions aside, the existence of an In-House Policy Manual nor the in-house mindset amongst those involved in DFO forgives them the requirement to ensure their actions are compliant with existing Legislation directly intended to govern their responsibilities and resultant actions. Simply put, acting outside of that Legislation, as they are in this matter, would require an Act of Parliament or Supreme Court Ruling to proceed. Thus, DFO, by collusion and gross dereliction of duty, is actively involved in the commission of ongoing illegal activities relating to the issuance of Halibut Quota to non-conforming "vessel" owners.

It is an extremely serious matter when a Federal Ministry takes upon itself the determination of their compliance of Legislation and Rule of Law specifically in place to govern their very operations. In this particular matter, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has intentionally chosen to ignore the Rule of Law that specifically sets forth what is, and what is not allowable regarding the holding and procurement of Commercial Halibut Quota in the Pacific Region. As those actions are well outside of their own mandate, and well outside of the pertinent Legislation, I am hereby requesting a Formal Investigation be conducted to determine the extent of non-compliance from DFO in this matter.

I am available at your convenience to discuss this matter, any related clarification and/or issues of concern.
I am looking forward to hearing from each of you that this matter will be afforded the attention it deserves in a timely manner.

Sincerely, "

Awaiting their responses...
Nog

[Tofinofish]

Here Here!!!!

Nog knows exactly what he is talking about on this issue, and has brought a new twist to the flawed decision making of our "soon to be ex- "Fisheries Minister Shea.

The more MP's that get on side of the facts for Canadian anglers, the better it will be for us, and for their own upcoming campaigns.

J.

[Pudelpointer]

While I applaud "IronNoggin" for his researched and apparently well supported letters, I can't help but see them as nothing more than attempted blackmail.

He suggests to the PM himself that his silence could be bought, and then gives him a two day deadline to do so. My response would likely have consisted of two, short, words, regardless of the validity of the information.

Stupid move, if you ask me.

[SNAPFisher]

Yep, I applaud him to. Just wish he could have left our reworded those couple of sentences. Oh well, cheers to him! He certainly did a nice job on all the rest.

I hope things can change. If not this year then hopefully a killed pilot by next year.

[Jwood 456]

How early do we expect the Halibut season to close this year? I plan on making a trip out there in the middle of July to hopefully catch a couple if possible!

It was proposed that the season could end as early as mid July or early August.

[Jwood 456]

The letters I wrote to the Prime Minister, I got a response from. The response is posted below.

Dear Mr. Wood: On behalf of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, I would like to thank you for your e-mail, in which you raised an issue that falls within the portfolio of the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. Please be assured that the statements you made have been carefully reviewed. I have taken the liberty of forwarding your e-mail to Minister Shea, so that she too may be made aware of your comments. I am certain that the Minister will give your views every consideration. P. MonteithExecutive Correspondence Officerfor the Prime Minister's OfficeAgent de correspondancede la haute directionpour le Cabinet du Premier ministre >>> From : justin wood fishing_finatic@hotmail.com Received

: 13 Feb 2011 12:52:40 AM >>> >>> Subject : Improved and Better Revised Letter on the BC Coast Halibut Crisis >>>>

Dear Honorable Prime Minister Stephen Harper : I am writing to you now as an avid sport angler from Carvel, Alberta, Canada. I have many concerns over DFO,s current and flawed system on the BC halibut fishery. There are approximately one hundred thousand plus Canadian citizen sport anglers that are suffering from this system one of those anglers likely to be me. All of these anglers are suffering just so a couple hundred business owners can reap huge profits off of a common public resource that every tax paying and license buying Canadian already has the right to access and owns. These private business owners control more than half of the 435 quota holders and didn't even have to pay for it. These non fishing quota holders then exploit their granted quota by making an easy profit off of it. These exploiters that were supposed to use quota to fish, make an easy profit by choosing to stay home and sell their quota to Canadian citizens that wish to use it to sport fish or commercially fish for halibut. These exploiters are nicknamed "slipper skippers" or "fish lords."

The current DFO system allows 88% of the halibut TAC (Total Allowable Catch) to be allocated to 435 quota holders; many of whom don't even use their quota. The other measly 12% is allocated to the sport sector. Many anglers that halibut fish the BC west coast, generally are Canadian citizen tourists. These tourists pay thousands of dollars each towards restaurants, gas stations, tackle shops, and lodging just to name a few. It is predicted that the halibut fishery on the BC coast will close as early as July. This is the height of the halibut sport fishing season. If the halibut season were to close as predicted, it would be a disaster to the coastal sport fishing industry, the coastal economy, and possibly even to towns on the route to the coast. This loss on economy and governmental tourist dollars would be all due to the loss of many of tourists that likely each contribute at least thousands to the economy. I feel that the 12% allocation is not enough allocation to sustain the sport industry which is very important to the BC economy and is still growing very quickly. In the U.S.A, the government allows 20% of the halibut TAC to be allocated to the sport sector in Alaska and 36% of the TAC to be allocated to the sport sector in Washington State.

This current system just doesn't hurt the Sport fishing industry but also average Canadian citizens that like to eat halibut and quota buying commercial fishers "real commercial fishers". Quota buying commercial fishers that actually work hard to make a profit make a very low profit after having to pay for the lease prices from the "slipper skippers."I have also wondered for much of my life why the price of halibut was so high that my family and average Canadian citizens would eat it less than once a year. I found out that after the Quota buying commercial fishers pay the "fish lords" astronomical quota lease prices, these quota buyers then have no choice but to make the price of their halibut high so they can at least make a measly profit.

The other concern I have about this system is its effects on the halibut, lingcod and rockfish stocks. I think more anglers are going to feel pressured to keep the bigger halibut to make up for the extra halibut they could not keep and to make up for the greatly reduced season. These bigger halibut happen to be the big spawning females carrying millions of eggs. The more of these spawning halibut that are kept, the much lesser halibut there will be in the future. I also wanted to point out that if the halibut season closes early, then anglers that were originally targeting halibut then may focus strictly on fishing for ling cod and rockfish. Ling cod are a reef fish and grow fairly slowly. If there was a sudden increased shock of fishing pressure on this species, then it may greatly harm the health of the ling cod stocks. I think this sudden switch over would be very devastating to the rockfish stocks. From what I understand, rockfish grow very slowly and usually live on the same reef their whole lives. If there was a sudden increase of fishing pressure on the rockfish reefs, they would likely become overfished and it would take many years for the stocks to recover.

I and many sport anglers have already tried to get Fisheries Minister Gail Shea to amend this flawed DFO system, but it doesn't seem like her or the fisheries sector plans on to. They still seem to support the interest of a couple hundred private business owners.

Again, I am greatly opposed to this current DFO system because over 100 000 tax paying and license buying Canadian Citizens are suffering just so a couple hundred business owners get rich from not even having to work or invest. The profit that these "slipper skippers" make, won't contribute to the Canadian economy, but will just contribute to their own pockets. I think any quota holder who does not agree to use their quota should have it resigned from them and evenly 50/50 split between the sport sector and the people wishing to commercial fish. The resigned quota should be given to the two groups for free.

If it was not for these "fish lord's", then sport anglers and food fishers would be able to keep their way of life, and commercial fishers that actually work hard and invest could make a fair profit again. Perhaps the rockfish and ling cod stocks wouldn't be at risk as much either and perhaps even the average Canadian citizen could also afford to buy halibut more than once a year.

Lastly, Honorable Prime Minister, could you envision over 1 000 000 of your Canadian citizens losing their way of life, many of your hard working quota buying Canadian citizen commercial fishers making a mediocre profits and your average Canadian citizen not being able to afford to buy halibut more than once a year just so a couple hundred "fish lords" can make a private high profit business off of a resource that all us Canadian citizens own and that the "fish lords" don't own to themselves? I and other sport anglers don't ask for all of the quota to be allocated to us, but just enough to have a full season running from Feb 1st to Dec 31st where every angler can keep a daily limit of 2 halibut per day and 3 in possession. Your decisions greatly affect the social well being of halibut sport anglers, to the well being of non quota holding halibut commercial fishers as well as to the well being of Canadians who enjoy buying halibut at their local grocery store or enjoy eating it at a restaurant; most of these people who are your Canadian citizens.

There is much more information on this that I could only list a fraction of it.

This is a highly recommended link that contains more and very detailed information on this issue.

http://www.scribd.com/full/48163271?access_key=key-tjpi9ugfj4iv3hdl43c

Sincerely, Justin Wood

[Sundancefisher]

I never received a response.

All lodges should be aware...to reduce halibut means a direct drop in business. To increase halibut quotas for fishermen means a direct increase in business. If I could tell guys that want to fish the west coast that they can come back with 4 halibut...it would probably give me a minimum 10% increase in interest.

[Pudelpointer]

JWood, that is a great letter!

No threats. No blackmail.

You speak from the heart and use information to back up your stance. Very well done sir.

[s_erickson]

I cant believe that this is happenening. I was reading through all this thinking why can't a lawyer bring this up and get it fixed. Of course it cost's alot of money. I would much rather donate 300$ one time to a lawyer to get this bull**** removed then to pay the same amount everytime i wanted to catch a fish. It is true that if this stays, the same will happen to every other resource we have from the ocean, prawns, crabs and salmon. Telling the mp's how we feel is one way, but if i've learned anything from politicians, its not to trust them. If we can find a lawyer who would take the case to the supreme court of canada and get this "fixed" i wonder how many other people would rather pay the 300$ to that cause. Simple math shows that 1000 people is 300,000$. You put in all the guide and charter companies, the locals who are fed up and scared of losing all the other resources, i dont think getting 10,000 people would be that hard, and as far as I can see, its a case that could not be lost. 3 mil im sure could get a damd good lawyer who could end this once and for all, set precedence for other resources and make sure it never happens again. Just my .02

[mooseman1]

so much for my fishing trip, i'll just have to go to alaska instead.

[Serengeti Charters]

so much for my fishing trip, i'll just have to go to alaska instead.

Southeast Alaska has a limit of 1 halibut per person and it must be under 37inches...which is about 23lbs!! :O

[Sundancefisher]

Southeast Alaska has a limit of 1 halibut per person and it must be under 37inches...which is about 23lbs!! :O

I believe it is one halibut per day...under 37 inches... So 5 day trip..5 halibut. Is that not correct? In the right area...you drop down to 200 - 400 feet...brace yourself, set the hook and reel up the chicken.

I would be happy with 3 halibut under 45 inches...or at the very least 2 a day...2 possession...then you only need to go out in the heavy seas once. Now as it stands...I want to keep whatever I catch...cause the weather may change. Back when it was 3 possession...2 limit per day I rarely kept anything over 30 or 40 lbs.

[pope]

I got the same reply...

On behalf of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, I would like to thank you for your e-mail, in which you raised an issue that falls within the portfolio of the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

Please be assured that the statements you made have been carefully reviewed. I have taken the liberty of forwarding your e-mail to Minister Shea, so that she too may be made aware of your comments. I am certain that the Minister will give your views every consideration. For more information on the Government's initiatives, you may wish to visit the Prime Minister's Web site, at www.pm.gc.ca.

[Tofinofish]

I'm curious if any of your MPs responded as well with commitments to pursue the issue?

[pope]

I have received NO response from a MP.
I wonder what will happen with an election going on.......Nothing.

[pope]

"Therefore, for the 2011 season only, we will undertake a trial to make available to interested recreational stakeholders experimental licenses that will allow them to lease quota from commercial harvesters. This will provide access to halibut beyond the limits of the standard recreational license, giving those who choose to participate greater stability for business planning purposes."

Are there more specifics somewhere? This vague statement raises a milliion questions.
What is an "interested recreational stakeholder"? Is that just charter companies who can in turn sell to their clients?
How do you go about getting these "experimental licenses"? Cost?

[Gust]

"Therefore, for the 2011 season only, we will undertake a trial to make available to interested recreational stakeholders experimental licenses that will allow them to lease quota from commercial harvesters. This will provide access to halibut beyond the limits of the standard recreational license, giving those who choose to participate greater stability for business planning purposes."

Are there more specifics somewhere? This vague statement raises a milliion questions.
What is an "interested recreational stakeholder"? Is that just charter companies who can in turn sell to their clients?
How do you go about getting these "experimental licenses"? Cost?

Maybe take a cue from the government and obtain a commercial harvesting license and then sell off your quota at a dollar per fish to charter companies.

My question is; is there a set rate that the commercial fishery charges for the lease of the quota. Somehow in this trickle down process, someone from the quota holder down is going to get gouged,, I treat myself to a charter and am by no means wealthy but if the rate to fish goes up 100%, I'm gone as would be a fair chunk of the clientele.

[slimjim]

Its the same here in Alberta, only we pay the government $10. for a Walleye, And they call this fish management.

[Walleyes]

Its the same here in Alberta, only we pay the government $10. for a Walleye, And they call this fish management.

Lolo right on slimjim,,, one of the best I have read on here for a while... Not only that but there are loads of smucks on here that are just all to happy to pay it..

Blind I tell yah blind as bats..

[pope]

Are there more specifics somewhere? This vague statement raises a milliion questions.
What is an "interested recreational stakeholder"? Is that just charter companies who can in turn sell to their clients?
How do you go about getting these "experimental licenses"? Cost?[/QUOTE]

Aah, found my own answers by looking more. Sounds like you contact a commercial fishery and make a deal, so - who knows what the costs could be.
Seems to be a hot topic on the BC forums with many charter companies demanding a boycott. Curious to see how many fishing charters will BUY into this system this year???.

[Tofinofish]

Are there more specifics somewhere? This vague statement raises a milliion questions.
What is an "interested recreational stakeholder"? Is that just charter companies who can in turn sell to their clients?
How do you go about getting these "experimental licenses"? Cost?

Aah, found my own answers by looking more. Sounds like you contact a commercial fishery and make a deal, so - who knows what the costs could be.
Seems to be a hot topic on the BC forums with many charter companies demanding a boycott. Curious to see how many fishing charters will BUY into this system this year???.[/QUOTE]

-Have been offline coaching Hockey this weekend and now getting caught up on this thread..
Sorry I didn't refer you to the right info but glad you found it on your own, even if it doesn't explain much more than what you already know,,,,we are all getting railroaded by our Gov't who has privitized a resource. They have left the gate open just wide enough for someone to make the mistake of leasing quota through this absurd system to set precident that there "experimental Fishery" works. They are obviously not worried about what works for the masses, but what works for their own system and the people that buy into it.

I don't know of a single Charter company or Lodge that is buying in, and we have been networking constantly to try and confirm that there are no "lost sheep" out there without the right info on how damaging this process would be to all of us if entertained...

There are more and more public meetings, Civic Council responses, Business Associations, Chambers of Commerce, Angling Groups, Non-Angling Groups etc. etc. that are registering their opposition to this absurd concept of leasing back fishing rights from people who were gifted a common property resource we are supposed to already own....Join one of these groups today and help encourage the Gov't to replace the antiquated Fisheries Minister who refuses to understand the concept of angling for personal enjoyment or personal sustenance. It just doesn't happen where she comes from and she just doesn't get it!!!!!:snapoutofit:

Don't be surprised if you visit a fishing lodge or fine restaurant on the coast this year, and they don't have Halibut on the menu. Many Lodges are refusing to purchase Halibut to serve, as are many restaurants in support of recreational Anglers being bent over the Gunwale by the Fisheries Minister, while the non fishing Halibut Quota owners cheer her on....
The prices are going to be so high due to the Gov't supported commodity of Halibut, that some retaurants may just drop it from the menu and serve Ling Cod or Snapper instead..

Thanks for supporting the fight,

J.

[dgl1948]

Here is a link to all the MP's and a way to send a message. It is just as easy to send them a message as it is to complain about the issue on here and with an election coming it will do far more good.
To those who have sent a message GOOD ON YOU

http://www.democracy-machine.com/

[Tofinofish]

Here is a link to all the MP's and a way to send a message. It is just as easy to send them a message as it is to complain about the issue on here and with an election coming it will do far more good.
To those who have sent a message GOOD ON YOU

http://www.democracy-machine.com/

You are right about that...If we could get 1/4 of the AO members on here to contact their MP's, it would carry huge weight on this issue..

Thanks dgl1948, the link provided is helpful.

BTW, we are now catching Halibut on the better weather days and they are larger on average than we have seen for a number of years, so I hope you get a chance to enjoy it while you can. I do anticipate a remedy before the season closes short on us!

J.

J.

[Tofinofish]

This is a recent message from a collegue of mine (who is a commercial fisherman and an avid recreational angler) who has been a big part of the battle against our current Fisheries Minister's Halibut Allocation stance;

Many are interested in ways to help the BC Sportfishing Survival Coalition towards the goal of achieving Fair and Equitable access to the Halibut Resource. The Coalition today has provided an avenue for just that.

We are now facing down yet another Federal Election.... And as foolish a waste of time, money and energy that exercise presents it does provide an couple of opportunities: First to make each candidate in our ridings aware of the issue. There are but a few who have any focus on the matter at hand, most remain blissfully unaware at this point. The second, and perhaps more significant of the two, is to determine their Party's position regarding the ongoing Privatization of Public Resources.

To that end, a letter of request has been drafted to both enlighten each Candidate on the issue, and to directly request that each clarify their, and their Party's positions in this regard. Below I have copied this letter and would strongly urge each one of you to fire off a copy to each one of the Candidates in your own local Riding:

As a Constituent in the Riding within which you are seeking election, I am writing to seek your views on the challenges facing the recreational halibut fishery in British Columbia. As you may know, the BC Sportfishing Coalition has been raising the profile of the recreational halibut fishery for the past several months, and has organized a series of town hall meetings up and down the coast that have attracted standing room only attendance from thousands of voters across BC who want to know how they can ensure that recreational anglers will get reasonable access to the halibut resource that they all own as Canadians.

The IPHC process well handles all conservation issues. Our concern is with the current halibut allocation policy only. This is NOT a conservation issue.

My questions for you are simple:

Do you support the present privatization of Canada’s common property pacific halibut resource?

Do you believe that BC’s recreational halibut anglers should have reasonable catch opportunities over the course of their normal fishing season?

Do you believe that commercial halibut quota holders (slipper skippers) should be able to sell or lease their quota, even if they are no longer participants in the fishery?

Would you support that the present recreational angler’s individual halibut limit of two fish be able to be taken in one day?

Thank you in advance for your timely answers to these questions.

Sincerely,
-----------

While the Coalition itself will be posing a similar set of questions, coming from voters within their own ridings may well help speed up their responses. I truly hope that most will take this advice to heart, and fire these questions off to those who aspire to win in each of your home ridings.

Your time, consideration and most importantly ACTION in this matter are sincerely Appreciated!


J.

[pope]

I was wondering how the commercial fisheries thought on this one. On the Ministers announcement, she says the two sides could not agree so she had to step in and make a decision. Was there a huge issue in the first place? This all smells fishy.
I am just a recreational fisher trying to plan a charter in September - difficult to plan when I don't even know if the season is still open. I can only imagine the uncertainty with the charter companies and how much business they could lose.

[Tofinofish]

I was wondering how the commercial fisheries thought on this one. On the Ministers announcement, she says the two sides could not agree so she had to step in and make a decision. Was there a huge issue in the first place? This all smells fishy.
I am just a recreational fisher trying to plan a charter in September - difficult to plan when I don't even know if the season is still open. I can only imagine the uncertainty with the charter companies and how much business they could lose.

The original Halibut Allocation model was based on inaccurate numbers and weight averages back in 2003, and we were guaranteed then, that there would never be any in-season closures, and that there would be a transfer based mechanism that would "work" for both parties.

The two sides did come to an agreement a number of years back, but the Gov't did not act on the recommendations....so this year based on the Ministerial decisions of the day, the Commercial side of the bread was buttered extra thick, leaving the rec sector no option but to walk away from the table so to speak. We would not agree to enter into what has been deemed illegal and against our basic morals - That common property resources can not be owned prior to being harvested as outlined in the Court process ____ that I can't quote right now.
The commercial Halibut fishermen that quit fishing immediately after the Gov't created the Halibut commodity market are loving it. They have been able to sit back and lease out the quota that they "own" in perpetuity, and now are really rubbing their paws together, waiting for an ill informed or desperate Recreational angler to drive the Halibut bidding process up......
Many of the active commercial Halibut fishermen are getting the shaft by this process too, as they have to lease more quota to "top up" their own smaller quotas to make the trip worthwhile. They need to do more volume to make the trip worth it based on increased overheads (fuel etc.) but it isn't worth it for them if they have to play a bidding war against Canadian Recreational anglers who are being told to lease fish from the same "Fish Lords".....

I do anticipate some change prior to in-season closures, but it is very hard to provide answers for guests who want to do some Halibut fishing in the later part of the season. We do have an excellent Ling Cod, Rockfish fishery late in the season, but with more and larger Halibut around this year, it is hard to imagine not bringing one home to feed the family.

J.

[muzzy]

Kick Conservatives out MIGHT help the halibut fisherman but kiss your guns goodbye Liberal and NDP = no guns


Muzzy

[Tofinofish]

Kick Conservatives out MIGHT help the halibut fisherman but kiss your guns goodbye Liberal and NDP = no guns


Muzzy

I'm personally not suggesting/convinced another party is the best option for pulic resource issues or a fix to the Halibut issue.....All MPs need to know that supporting privitization of public resources will not help their campaigns, and the Halibut issue can be used as a prime example. Though I fish most of the time, I need my guns too..

[Tofinofish]

-Just bringing this back to the top to encourage all of you to consider the issue of privatization of our resources and how it can relate to the upcoming federal election.

Please question your local MP candidates what their stance is on privatization of common property resources, and the Coastal BC Halibut Allocation issue can be used as a prime example....?

Please do what you can to bring this up.

Thanks in advance.

Jay

Clayoquot Ventures Tofino BC

[Jamie]

Jay, have you heard of any lodges picking up Hali quotas?

Thanks
Jamie

[Serengeti Charters]

I definitely haven't and I don't think many if any will...we have to stand united in this one

[Tofinofish]

Jay, have you heard of any lodges picking up Hali quotas?

Thanks
Jamie

None that I know of are that stupid.

[Tofinofish]

Here is the start of MP John Duncan's campaign challenges for being transparent in his support for privitizing public resources..

http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_north/northislandgazette/news/119279534.html

J.

[Tofinofish]

Here is a list of questions that will be asked of many MP's, most particularily John Duncan during election campaigns;

Does he and his Party support the present Privatization of Canada's Common Property halibut resource?

Does he and his Party believe that Canada's recreational halibut anglers should have reasonable catch opportunities over the course of their normal fishing year?

Does he and his Party believe that commercial halibut quota holders that do not personally fish halibut should be able to sell and/or lease their quota when they are no longer active participants in that fishery?

Does he and his Party support the present recreational angler's individual halibut limit of two fish be able to be taken in one day?Does he and his Party still believe this matter will simply go away?

Does he also understand that the answers to these questions will very much determine how the majority of those within the North Island Riding vote in the pending Federal Election?

Does he, or any member of his party have any financial interest in the commercial halibut fishery?


Also included is a great video on John Duncan's stance on the Halibut Fishery (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7NTDk2Eegk), that I'm sure you will like Serengeti,,,,,,

Go Canucks!!

[Tofinofish]

Serengeti,

Here is the newest statement from your riding.....

John Duncan's main competition has made her stance very clear....

[Serengeti Charters]

I knowwwww....ugh, it kills me to do it, everything I am through and through is Conservative, but Duncan's an idiot, have to vote against him.

[Tofinofish]

I knowwwww....ugh, it kills me to do it, everything I am through and through is Conservative, but Duncan's an idiot, have to vote against him.

I suppose you know that Duncan didn't even show up to his local all-candidates meeting....pretty strong message that he doesn't want to face the fire regarding Halibut.

[Tofinofish]

Halibut has become a major election issue on the coast..

FYI

The All Candidates meeting in Tofino BC last night, the ONLY issue where there was consensus was regarding Halibut Allocation and the serious need for change in the allocation model. Conservative MP James Lunney didn’t seem to have much support by many attending (approx. 60-80 ppl) but he did get a “little pat on the back” from NDP candidate for coming forward to the Fisheries Minister and PM regarding the Halibut Allocation.

Parties in attendance;
Conservative
NDP
Liberal
Green
Pirate

[Tofinofish]

From the SFI website

By now you’ve probably heard that DFO has decided to close the recreational halibut fishery effective September 5th, 2011, once again violating DFO's pledge that it would not implement in-season closures under the department's ill-conceived halibut allocation policy. The department has again decided to ignore the legitimate interests of recreational anglers....and the economic interests of British Columbia...and kowtow to commercial halibut licence holders who have a stranglehold on the halibut fishery, and, evidently, DFO’s Pacific Region and Ottawa staff.







The SFI will continue to work through the system and participate in discussion with DFO as they maintain that they will seek a resolution to the inequities in the Pacific halibut fishery.


If you are a recreational angler or someone who works in the sport fishing industry, we strongly urge you to make the impact of this political rather than conservation based decision known and get involved. Take a few minutes from your busy day and write an original letter or email to your MP or the Fisheries Minister and let them know that as a Canadian and an angler, you require a predictable halibut fishing season and a reasonable opportunity to catch and keep Pacific halibut.


BC coastal Sportfishing season is far from over though, with some information here on our sponsors page. (http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?p=1071175#post1071175)

I hope mant of you had the chance to get to the coast for some great Halibut fishing this season before it came to an unjustified end....

J.

[Stop Staring at my Rack]

Wow!!!! What a shame.....