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Originally Posted by Outdoorfanatic
So am I hearing right that the consensus here is we all should be allowed less fish and pay more to have less?
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The problem as I see it is that the fisheries in Alberta can only sustain so much harvest. The pie isn't getting any larger, but there's more and more people taking a piece of it. So it's a forgone conclusion that we will be forced to take less in an effort to better share the resources/prevent fisheries from collapsing. Until we can actually grow our fisheries (either by creating new lakes, creating new fish populations or influencing growth rates/breeding success) this is an unavoidable fact. Whether we're currently overharvesting or underharvesting, I don't really know, but I'd prefer to err on the side of caution until we have better information.
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Originally Posted by Outdoorfanatic
Even on the stocked trout which are specifically stocked as a put and take fishery for the purpose of increasing angling opportunities and reducing pressure on native species?
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The thing about many of the put and take trout lakes is that they are quickly fished out by a few hardcore anglers. So you have a resource that was created to benefit the many going to the few. Not sure how you can really fix this except by reducing possession limits to slow the harvest/increase fees to allow more frequent stocking. But at the end of the day you're right, these fish are stocked with the purpose of being taken.
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Originally Posted by Outdoorfanatic
Sounds like to me we're giving into preservationist ideology. This is no longer conservation for the future opprotunity its quickly going to be don't ever interact with nature period. [...] I don't think there is any value in one angler trying to tell another angler what he should catch or keep. Provided we're all within the law who cares if I keep 5 and someone else keeps zero.
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I don't see the slippery slope of Alberta moving towards a "don't interact with nature" policy. And I don't think the point of this thread was for anglers to dictate to other anglers what to keep/release. The question was more "are there rule/policy changes F&W can make that would help create more sustainable fisheries in Alberta". I get the sense you probably agree with this because you say this isn't about our needs, which are all different, but about what the fisheries supports (quote below). That said, I'll continue to judge anglers who catch and keep 8 inch stockers. They may be within the law, but it doesn't mean I have to condone their behavior.
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Originally Posted by Outdoorfanatic
My needs and your needs are two totally different things. This isn't about personal need this is about what does the fishery support.
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