Hey guys,
This upcoming week our Sport Fishing Advisory Board is making the decision on our 2021 halibut limits. As many of you know this upcoming summer the border is almost certainly closed and that will result in a HUGE amount of halibut that is for Canadians only. Last season with our limits we left 340,000 lbs in the water (approx 40% of our allocation), so if you are someone that comes to the coast to fish every year I IMPLORE you to tell our SFAB to not take up limits like last year. They are EXTREMELY RISK ADVERSE and rumour has it they will do limits like last year, but that can change. This year is one of the only ones ever where we can prepare for a CANADIAN ONLY, CANADIAN RESOURCE allocation. The only people fishing it may be those it belongs to, yet this group wants to keep hundreds of thousands of pounds in the water we won't catch and CAN'T carry over year over year.
Here is a pre written email, I will also throw the emails of those who are the ones to contact below, put your name below and make it known to them it is unacceptable to OVER RESTRICT the average Canadian, especially in a year like this. TAKES 2 MINUTES!!!!
Email:
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing this to you as one of my representatives on the sport fishing advisory board. This upcoming season will be a tough one for much of the public fishery industry in BC. However, this week we received some good news as our halibut TAC went up to 920,000lbs. Last season we left over 300,000 lbs in the water. I am urging you as our representatives to not do that again. The border will be closed all summer as Bonnie Henry has said twice already, keep that in mind when deciding on halibut regulations. Rumours have SFAB pushing for a 1/1 133cm max. Also rumours have writing in the CoL will change so the regulations can be made mid season. Both are not ok for the public fishery. The former will result in another 300,000 lbs left in the water, the latter will result in large sums left as well. When 450,000 lbs is left come August 1, even a 2/3 any size limit will leave hundreds of thousands of pounds. This is unacceptable to me and the sector.
I urge you to either go one of two routes: 1/2 no size limit, or a hybrid model of 1/1 no size limit or 1/2 both under 112cm.
The math does not lie. The hybrid model models out according to DFO numbers to around 930,000 lbs on a normal year with the border open. But this year is not a normal year, there will be no US tourists, and a giant cut in catch can be expected. Hence why even 1/2 no size could be used. But if caution is the number one priority, not giving Canadians the best halibut season, then the hybrid model is at least a nice middle ground.
Represent us as FISHERMEN. Canadians, the only ones allowed to access the resource this season. To over restrict us again, would be a derelict of duties.
Sincerely
EMAILS TO SEND IT TO:
paul@pauldorefishing.com
arhummel@telus.net
jeremy@theardentangler.com
info@goldenspruce.ca
lawrie@cfmw.ca
rob@gibbsdelta.com
murphymar@shaw.ca
governor@shaw.ca
sidk@oceantrailer.com
deryk@pacificnetandtwine.com
birdo@sportfishing.bc.ca
martinpaish1@gmail.com
gerrykr@telus.net
pat.ahern@shaw.ca
2021 Halibut Limits - Make Them The BEST Possible For Us CANADIANS!!!
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