Perfectly Legal To Waste Burbot

[firegod74]

FISHERIES (ALBERTA) ACT
GENERAL FISHERIES (ALBERTA) REGULATION
Alberta Regulation 203/1997
With amendments up to and including Alberta Regulation 288/2009

Game fish
57(1) No person who is in possession of a game fish shall allow its
edible flesh to be wasted, destroyed, spoiled or abandoned.
(2) This section does not apply to
(a) burbot,
(b) fish caught or held under the authority of a research
licence unless specified otherwise in conditions attached
to the licence,
(c) the disposal of fish at the direction of a fishery officer,
(d) fish that undergo taxidermy, and
(e) fish kept under a fish culture licence.

True they do not have to keep them, but why are they not restricted to limits like the rest of us? Yes unfortunately the law says that they do not have to keep and make use of them, but the limit they should be able to catch should be 10 just like me.

[walking buffalo]

I'm still putting some info/links together on this subject, may be a day or so.

In the meantime, write SRD, Minister Mel Knight, your MLA, media, and your friends.

Possibly the most effective route to amend this law is to contact ACA - Alberta Conservation Association, AFGA - Alberta Fish and Game Club, and your local fish and game club. These groups have the ability to present resolutions to SRD to make the change.


ACA has an agreement with SRD regarding fisheries management. Please contact them in regards to this issue. They have standing to submit a request for an amendment to the Fisheries Act.
http://www.ab-conservation.com/go/default/index.cfm
Email: info@ab-conservation.com
Dr. Mark Boyce - ACA University of Alberta Chair in Fisheries and Wildlife
Dr. Peter Aku Sr. Scientist & Program Manager, Fisheries 780-410-1996

Fisheries Agreement Program Agreement
http://www.ab-conservation.com/go/ta..._Agreement.pdf


According to the Fish Conservation Strategy for Alberta 2006-2010, game fish are to be managed for #1 conservation, #4 Resident recreational use, and #5 commercial uses.
With Burbot being listed as a game fish with conservation limits applied to recreation fishing, it is stipulated within the policy that these fish be managed with priority for recreational fishing before commercial uses. There is no logical management principal to allow the waste of these fish while enforcing a possession limit to anglers.

Fish Conservation Strategy for Alberta 2006-2010 http://srd.alberta.ca/ManagingProgra...rategy2006.pdf

Goal 3: Fishing Opportunities
To maintain and provide a high diversity, quality and number of different fishing opportunities
across the province, while managing harvest and use at levels that are sustainable.
One of Sustainable Resource Development’s challenges is to allocate, through a public consultation
process, the appropriate use or combination of uses of fish resources that are surplus to
conservation needs, which result in a sharing of the resource between legitimate users and achieve
a range of benefits, while still supporting fishery management objectives. To better understand
who is using fish resources and harvest levels, the department will evaluate the merit of licensing
all users.
The management of fisheries must follow a policy that allows harvest only when a supply of fish
beyond conservation needs has been proven available. The Fish and Wildlife Policy for Alberta
(1982) stipulates that the interim allocation priorities will be in the following descending order,
until supply and demand issues are addressed on a site-specific basis through the allocation
process:
1. Conservation of fish stocks;
2. Alberta Indians fishing for food on specific sites;
3. Métis people fishing on Métis Settlements;
4. Resident recreational use; and
5. Primary commercial uses (e.g., commercial fishing, guiding and tourist angling).
In addition, Sustainable Resource Development is considering the feasibility and merits of treating
any losses of fish and habitat attributed to industrial activities as an allocation of the resource to
industry. Reductions in fish production levels already need to be considered when determining the
available supply of fish for other users.

[BlackHeart]

Originally Posted by Wood1

A further plunder of OUR resources. I find it hard to believe that there is no commercial market for burbot, I think it is greed and laziness by the commercial fisherman. Likely, not worth the time to find a market and lower prices than whitefish or walleye.

I know I could find a commercial market for these fish in about a few minutes and there would be good money in it,.....BUT WHY would I want another species to be exploited commercially to the point of the recreational fisherman being limited in what they can catch and the resource exploited to the point that you cannot find them anymore or keep them (like walleye). The less netting/commerical fishing the better in my opinion.

So I will give no hints or contribute as to how to make burbs commercial on this site. I would advise the rest of us to do the same, please.

You know the funny thing is that burb spawns provide a food source for the whites that they are after and probably make it easier/more productive for them to net them as they concentrate in those burb spawning areas.

The main point is to that this waste and slaughter needs to stop. Just as wasting game animal meat is illegal, so should this.

[hb hunter]

Originally Posted by WildCats

It's not Aboriginals, F&W ran the net numbers and it came back Commercial.

isint native netting commercial? i met a group of native fisherman at slave last year loading hundreds of pounds of netted white fish. they told me they only sell these fish commercially and do not make any private sales. i was told there fish went for $0.33 per lb.

[jpietrzak1979]

Originally Posted by Paul C

Dan
Those pictures were sent to media. Let the media put pressure on the government.

For the record I sent this information to the Journal too, maybe some one will take interest in the story.
-J

[firegod74]

I contacted Pearl, the MLA for Lesser Slave Lake, her assistant said she would make sure Pearl saw the pics, I wonder if I will get a response?

[Coltye]

Wood1-don't even go there and blame farmers,you must be a vegetarian then right.

[greylynx]

Where are all the Syncrude Duck People.
Send these pictures to Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Federation and let those marketing people do the work for us.

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by greylynx

Where are all the Syncrude Duck People.
Send these pictures to Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Federation and let those marketing people do the work for us.

We can do it ourself.

[S.A.S]

The pictures really put a different spin on it. Throwing the odd bullhead (destructive little fish in red river) Into the bushes for cats is one thing, But a mass waste of perfectly good C&R fish. Is there a number to call to voice a complaint and try and get this law changed?

[Kim473]

I sent a email to Brian Mason. Why would they not get a huge fine for at least littering on the lake. More than just fish there.

[GummyMonster]

Originally Posted by greylynx

Where are all the Syncrude Duck People.
Send these pictures to Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Federation and let those marketing people do the work for us.

This is an unacceptable practice, but the WWF and GreenPeace are the LAST group's you want involved. They have VERY different agenda's than sportfishing people and will only use something like this to damage all fishing.

Blaming farmers or natives or even all commercial fishermen is a knee jerk reaction. I am sure many people in all these categories would be against this sort of waste.

Hopefully, the letters that this thread has initiated will have a good effect .
Ken

[Fishfinder]

Originally Posted by GummyMonster

This is an unacceptable practice, but the WWF and GreenPeace are the LAST group's you want involved. They have VERY different agenda's than sportfishing people and will only use something like this to damage all fishing.

Blaming farmers or natives or even all commercial fishermen is a knee jerk reaction. I am sure many people in all these categories would be against this sort of waste.

Hopefully, the letters that this thread has initiated will have a good effect .
Ken

Agreed. Well said Ken.
Man those pics are disheartening! Whoever left that wasteful mess should be truly ashamed! Absolutely unnacceptable, makes my stomach churn!
Let's hope this is sorta practice is stopped immediately.

[300MAG1620]

Thats bloody ******ed, id like to take them commercial guys out there and make them clean them all up while they stare down the barrell of my 300 then make them eat every one of them, what a waste. The worst thing is they probably were laughing while they did that, brutal definitely ****ed off about that

[ice]

hahhahahaha welcome to Commercial Fishing alberta.
This also happens on Utikuma.
Lots of burbs, and Diseased Whites.
BUT IF I TAKE ONE EXTRA!!!!
The Law Comes Down.
What A Crock Of ****.
Atleast ill put it to use...
**** Sakes

[ice]

they should atleast keep them and give them to people that want them even if for free.
**** SAKES

[ice]

the way i see it is it should be the other way around.
(Except for pike and walleye)
ui think it should atleast be the anglers choice to put it back. keep it. or leave it on the ice.
Not where there catching 200 at a time and leaving them there,
Just Cause its not a sportfish dosent mean.
it dosent have a right at life. And Just Because the market dosent want them.
Dosent mean the Patriot anglers dont.
Atleast give us a go at them.
Just cuz you dont want them,
Dosent mean we dont.
**** OFF COMMERCIAL AB FISHING.
WE CAN CATCH OUR OWN ****ING FISH
And Anyone else That Wants an alberta fish.
Can Pay the 60$
And Come Get them themselves.
Enough of This Netting Fish.
ALBERTA IS RUNNING OUT OF FISH.
Durrr

[Penner]

Originally Posted by GummyMonster

This is an unacceptable practice, but the WWF and GreenPeace are the LAST group's you want involved. They have VERY different agenda's than sportfishing people and will only use something like this to damage all fishing.

Blaming farmers or natives or even all commercial fishermen is a knee jerk reaction. I am sure many people in all these categories would be against this sort of waste.

Hopefully, the letters that this thread has initiated will have a good effect .
Ken

Agreed, WWF and Greenpeace are two groups you do NOT want involved. You can add PETA or Pearl Calahasen to that list.

Pearl Calahasen was responsible for the initial Alberta Métis Agreement fiasco. She was forced to the “back bench” by Stelmach and in my opinion, she should have been pushed out even further.

[aulrich]

Commercial fishers, like trappers, like seal hunters, like loggers, like farmers like miners, ETC have the right to earn a living. The trick is to do sustainably, and that is no mean feat.

To a certain degree I think we are getting a handle on managing a commercial fish speicies but bi-catch is the industries dirty little secret I can just imagine the tonnes on the big commercial ships. As with all useage of a natural resource there is always a better way, pressure should be applied to find a better way, but a straight up ban is not all that useful.

Here is a thought how many daily limits would it take to equal the total catch and how many C&R'ed fish where a small percentage of which die of hooking mortality to exceed the "wasted" bi-catch. Everybody has thier own dirty little secret be carful when your thowing stones.

[greywolffan]

I was told the mess was cleaned up. Sure hope someone got fined . I wrote a few letters but as usual there has been no reply yet. Government officials protect there own and it is a joke that this is going on in our province. Just my opinion. Happy fishing everyone. I hope I can get out this summer but it doesnt look like I will do much..

[Fishfinder]

Originally Posted by aulrich

Commercial fishers, like trappers, like seal hunters, like loggers, like farmers like miners, ETC have the right to earn a living. The trick is to do sustainably, and that is no mean feat.

To a certain degree I think we are getting a handle on managing a commercial fish speicies but bi-catch is the industries dirty little secret I can just imagine the tonnes on the big commercial ships. As with all useage of a natural resource there is always a better way, pressure should be applied to find a better way, but a straight up ban is not all that useful.

Here is a thought how many daily limits would it take to equal the total catch and how many C&R'ed fish where a small percentage of which die of hooking mortality to exceed the "wasted" bi-catch. Everybody has thier own dirty little secret be carful when your thowing stones.

Disagree 110% Food and resource is being wasted, for what I ask u, alot of commercial fisherpeople don't have the time/care to save these fish. I say B.S. They want their payday, nuttin more, nuttin less, guessing most of em don't fish or don't care. Jus a job to them. Hope they choke on a fishboneor twoor three

[aulrich]

Oddly I don't think I said it was not a waste.

I would preffer to see the bi-catch go back down the hole live, but I don't know the process, I don't know if the fish are alive when they come up.

I am pretty sure superstore does not buy from joe fisherman so if the fish plant won't buy it, it is pretty much garbage. Having it count against the quota, area closures are tools to be used, to reduce by-catch.

A few years back on the lake where I have a cabin Sask conservation closed an important spawning area to all fishing commercial and sport and it only took a few years to show the benifit. Also I forget the ratio but bi-catch there counts for more than a whitefish so there is stong incentive to reduce bi-catch.

[walking buffalo]

Has anyone had a reply to their letters?

I haven't. ??? SRD is being suspiciously quiet on this one.

[Morph1]

this is a very sad site seeing such a waste...,
I mean there are people locally and abroad that are starving to death and here in Alberta you can allow for such a waste to happen... and yet implement limits on an average angler !!!!! this just makes no sense !!!!!,
just imagine the fishery we could have here without commercial fishing.....
Wanna net the fish !!! get the f out of here to the coast and rape the ocean instead !!!
I would be more than happy to be able to hook onto some burbs even for the purpose of just catch'n releasing...
Shame on F&W to allow for something like that to happen

[chuck0039]

Even though the law says they don't need to be salvaged, the commercial fisher person that did this should have disposed of them in a different manner than littering them all over the ice and in the public's eye.

You would think the the person would have enough sense to realize that what he did would raise alot of eyebrows, or maybe they thought it would go un-noticed

One good thing that will come out of this mess is the fact that the law will hopefully get amended now that everyone is aware.

[1899b]

I am very surprised by the comments here. What did you folks think happens when nets are placed. There are tons of "accidental" kills. Kind of hard to force one species to get caught in a net i would think. A very wasteful practice indeed. My grandfather commercial fished Muriel Lake by Bonnyville for whitefish back in the day. Hundreds of Pike and Walleye succombed to those nets "accidentaly" as well. Disgusting fishing practices.

[1899b]

Originally Posted by chuck0039

Even though the law says they don't need to be salvaged, the commercial fisher person that did this should have disposed of them in a different manner than littering them all over the ice and in the public's eye.

You would think the the person would have enough sense to realize that what he did would raise alot of eyebrows, or maybe they thought it would go un-noticed

One good thing that will come out of this mess is the fact that the law will hopefully get amended now that everyone is aware.

I am sure there are various groups in Alberta that could have used that Burbot meat.

[greywolffan]

Originally Posted by Morph1

this is a very sad site seeing such a waste...,
I mean there are people locally and abroad that are starving to death and here in Alberta you can allow for such a waste to happen... and yet implement limits on an average angler !!!!! this just makes no sense !!!!!,
just imagine the fishery we could have here without commercial fishing.....
Wanna net the fish !!! get the f out of here to the coast and rape the ocean instead !!!
I would be more than happy to be able to hook onto some burbs even for the purpose of just catch'n releasing...
Shame on F&W to allow for something like that to happen

I so agree with you. All the people who have kids I am sure they would be so thrilled catching burbot all day long. Makes me sick to see this happen. Guess the F&W people better do some hiring or start nailing these criminals

[1899b]

Originally Posted by greywolffan

I so agree with you. All the people who have kids I am sure they would be so thrilled catching burbot all day long. Makes me sick to see this happen. Guess the F&W people better do some hiring or start nailing these criminals

Greywolffan if you read the entire thread you will learn this practice is not illegal.

[LeonH]

This is simply immoral, what a shame.

I would like to know when this loophole in the law was created or better who did it. It seems with this exception that it was very deliberate to target this species.