AGFA Resolutions (Fishing)

[HunterDave]

I'm not sure how many people on the Fishing Forum frequent the General section but Scar270 posted this year's AGFA Resolutions on there. I hope that Scar270 doesn't mind but I thought that I would cut and paste the issues regarding fishing on this forum.

THE ALBERTA FISH AND GAME ASSOCIATION
83rd Annual Conference Resolutions

FISHERIES RESOLUTION
BE IT RESOLVED THAT Alberta Fish and Game Association ask Alberta Sustainable Resource Development to increase the non-resident Canadian angling license fee to achieve parity with neighboring provinces; CARRIED

FISHERIES RESOLUTION
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Alberta Fish and Game Association request that Alberta Sustainable Resource Development allow anglers to purchase undersubscribed walleye tags for more than one lake and more than one class; CARRIED

FISHERIES RESOLUTION
BE IT RESOLVED THAT Alberta Fish and Game Association request that Alberta Sustainable Resource Development institute a walleye stocking program in all of Alberta for the walleye inhabited lakes that are not producing sufficient walleye fry on their own; CARRIED

FISHERIES RESOLUTION
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Alberta Fish and Game Association request that the Alberta Government put in place legislation, within the Sustainable Resources Department, to enforce the mandatory licensing of ice fishing structures using the owner identification, which would allow identification of the owner for purposes of removal before the ice is out; CARRIED

FISHERIES RESOLUTION
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Alberta Fish & Game Association request Alberta Sustainable Resource Development to allow a harvest of walleye from Sylvan Lake; CARRIED

[cube]

I find it sad that once again we see a Walleye centric management plan being advocated. I’m not necessarily against walleye myself but to manage our combined fisheries for one species seams folly to me.

[Rockymtnx]

FISHERIES RESOLUTION
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Alberta Fish and Game Association request that the Alberta Government put in place legislation, within the Sustainable Resources Department, to enforce the mandatory licensing of ice fishing structures using the owner identification, which would allow identification of the owner for purposes of removal before the ice is out; CARRIED


This is one of the resolutions that I was all for. Believe it or not we had numerous people at the conference who were against it. They felt that posting some sort of identification on shacks would infringe on their privacy. Numerous people even were against having to have your WIN number posted. They said that would never work. I guess these same people don’t realize that you need to post your WIN number on your bear bait. That seems to work fine and nobody has privacy issues with that.

I really hope that ASRD follows through with this one comes up with a identification rule.

[Pudelpointer]

At first I thought that ID'ing ice shelters was silly, then after 20 minutes of arguing I was 180* the other way.

An ammendment was put forward to make it only for "structures", it was defeated.

Then an ammendment was put forth to change it from requiring your WIN to be posted (absolutely reasonable) to "licensing" which could go in any direction (didnt agree with the change, but it passed).

[canadiantdi]

Originally Posted by Pudelpointer

At first I thought that ID'ing ice shelters was silly, then after 20 minutes of arguing I was 180* the other way.

An ammendment was put forward to make it only for "structures", it was defeated.

Then an ammendment was put forth to change it from requiring your WIN to be posted (absolutely reasonable) to "licensing" which could go in any direction (didnt agree with the change, but it passed).

What is the definition of structure they are using?

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by Rockymtnx

This is one of the resolutions that I was all for. Believe it or not we had numerous people at the conference who were against it. They felt that posting some sort of identification on shacks would infringe on their privacy. Numerous people even were against having to have your WIN number posted. They said that would never work. I guess these same people don’t realize that you need to post your WIN number on your bear bait. That seems to work fine and nobody has privacy issues with that.

I really hope that ASRD follows through with this one comes up with a identification rule.

Ice shacks aren't a big issue around here but I'm sure that they are in other places. I don't know if abandoned shacks are or ever have been a problem in Alberta but I think that passing this resolution is a no brainer and I'm surprised that it hasn't happened sooner.

Putting your WIN number on the shack as a means of identifying the owner is a good, no cost way of doing it. There is already something in place to cross reference it to. Anglers don't even have to call in or fill out any forms to get a registration number as they already have their WIN on hand.

I think that this resolution is a good one.

[Pudelpointer]

Originally Posted by canadiantdi

What is the definition of structure they are using?

Rocky, is that the finalized resolution? I thought the "structure" part was removed as the proponent argued against the ammendment? Even at the time of voting it was still almost unreadable.

I hope they take up the past presidents' offer of reviewing / editing the resolutions for clarity next year.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by Pudelpointer

Rocky, is that the finalized resolution? I thought the "structure" part was removed as the proponent argued against the ammendment? Even at the time of voting it was still almost unreadable.

I hope they take up the past presidents' offer of reviewing / editing the resolutions for clarity next year.

There is actually a review process that was in place; it is basically club -->zone-->review by vice-president-->review full executive-->presentation to club in the resolution package-->Conference.

I'm not sure now, and perhaps a member of the current AFGA executive could chime in, whether the previously used review procedure is still in place.

[kreator]

What's stopping someone from putting a bogus WIN card # on the shack?

[canadiantdi]

Originally Posted by kreator

What's stopping someone from putting a bogus WIN card # on the shack?

ya, or just pulling it down before they abandon it..

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by kreator

What's stopping someone from putting a bogus WIN card # on the shack?

Nothing except for the removal and disposal of it if F&W can't get in touch with the owner of it.

I don't think that it is the intent of people to purposely abandon their ice shack, it's that they leave taking them off until it's too late and then can't get to them, thus abandoning them. With a registration system, if there is an ice shack on the ice after a certain date F&W can remove the shack and send the bill for that service to the owner.

They do this in Ontario and, depending on the circumstances and if the shack is registered, they may pull the shack to shore and leave it there for the owner to recover it. If it's recovered in a reasonable period of time then they won't dispose of it but you will still have to pay for the removal of it from the ice. If it's not registered it's treated as abandoned and disposed of.

[BeeGuy]

FISHERIES RESOLUTION
BE IT RESOLVED THAT Alberta Fish and Game Association ask Alberta Sustainable Resource Development to increase the non-resident Canadian angling license fee to achieve parity with neighboring provinces; CARRIED




What was the reasoning behind this?

It is my understanding that this money would not necessarily go to SRD or F&W projects.

[Rockymtnx]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Ice shacks aren't a big issue around here but I'm sure that they are in other places. I don't know if abandoned shacks are or ever have been a problem in Alberta but I think that passing this resolution is a no brainer and I'm surprised that it hasn't happened sooner.

Actually last winter in central Alberta it was a problem.
It was really sad how many lazy people there were last spring that didnt get their shacks off.

Originally Posted by kreator

What's stopping someone from putting a bogus WIN card # on the shack?

Pretty simple. Get checked by F&W while fishing and if your WIN number is bogus, then you get fined. No different than bear baiting.

[Rockymtnx]

Originally Posted by Pudelpointer

Rocky, is that the finalized resolution? I thought the "structure" part was removed as the proponent argued against the ammendment? Even at the time of voting it was still almost unreadable.

Pudelpointer, I dont have my resolution book with me tonight, but in the end there was a slight wording change from what was posted.
For those that werent at the conference, it was decided that ASRD could decide what identification informantion they wanted posted on the shack, and and also what sort of structure would require a form of identification.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by Rockymtnx

Actually last winter in central Alberta it was a problem.
It was really sad how many lazy people there were last spring that didnt get their shacks off.

I'm not surprised. So who removed them and what happened to the shacks?

I'm not sure why someone would want to take the time and money to build a shack just to abandon it. Anyone up this way that is too lazy to take their shack off of the ice and wants to abandon it can pm me and I'll take it off of their hands.

[Rockymtnx]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

So who removed them and what happened to the shacks?

ARSD moved some to shore. Some got burn. Some sank to the bottom of the lakes.