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[IronNoggin]

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

February 17, 2012 15:10 ET
Greater Certainty in the Pacific Halibut Fishery

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Feb. 17, 2012) - The Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, made an announcement today that will provide greater long-term certainty to the Pacific halibut fishery.

"Our government is making good on a commitment to provide greater long-term certainty in the Pacific halibut fishery for First Nations, commercial and recreational harvesters, and, most importantly encouraging jobs and economic growth in British Columbia," said Minister Ashfield.

Based on a thorough review process conducted by Parliamentary Secretary Randy Kamp involving First Nations, commercial and recreational sectors, and the province of British Columbia, the Minister has instructed the Department to make an immediate correction in the allocation formula for the Pacific halibut fishery. Under the new formula, 85% of the resource will be allocated to the commercial sector and 15% to the recreational sector.

"I want to express my appreciation for Randy Kamp's dedication to finding a solution that strikes a fair balance between the sectors and establishes a stable environment for the future," added Minister Ashfield.

The experimental licence introduced last year, which allowed recreational harvesters to lease Pacific halibut quota from commercial harvesters based on market value, will continue to be available. Improvements to the program will be made, reflecting feedback received from 2011 participants. Fisheries and Oceans Canada will move forward with regulatory changes to continue this market-based transfer mechanism for the long term.

The 2012 Pacific halibut recreational fishing season will open March 1st. Recreational anglers with a tidal water licence will be able to catch one halibut per day with two in possession. Fisheries and Oceans Canada will continue to work with recreational community representatives to identify monitoring and management measures that will provide greatest flexibility and season length while staying within their allocation.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada will continue to work with First Nations to ensure priority access for Food, Social and Ceremonial purposes, and to engage First Nations in pursuing opportunities for commercial access to halibut through existing aboriginal programs.

All participants and sectors have a shared responsibility for the conservation, stewardship and careful harvest of Pacific halibut and this will continue to be a priority for Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/greater-certainty-in-the-pacific-halibut-fishery-1621493.htm

KeRist!!

[DavidD]

I agree with you Nog - however 15% is a step in the right direction.  Hopefully it will get better before the halibut stocks are decimated.

[IronNoggin]

From The Coalition:

We acknowledge that the Government has increased the recreational allocation but it is the very model for allocation that is the problem. Clearly they still do not understand the impact of uncertainty on the Recreational Sector or understand the significant contribution that we make to the British Columbia economy.

They titled their press release "Greater Certainty in the Pacific Halibut Fishery" but it is obvious that they do not understand the importance of Certainty and Stability combined with Expectation and Opportunity in the Recreational Fishery in B.C.

Our efforts (over the past 3 years) to inform fisheries on the minimum requirements of the recreational fishery, have fallen on deaf ears.

We clearly informed fisheries that the current "allocation model" itself was unfair and did not address the best use of a common property resource.

They rejected our call for a fixed number solution that would have provided real stability for the recreational sector during periods of low abundance and tremendous benefits to the commercial sector during periods of high abundance.

It does not provide stability for the guides and charter boaters in B.C.'s small communities up and means their season will likely end in mid-August.

They did not address the "No Is-Season Closure Issue" and based on this year's TAC, Recreational halibut fishing will likely shut down in early August…three weeks earlier than it did last year.

While they changed the allocation formula, they remain committed to an unfair model that primarily benefits the 200 or so commercial halibut quota holders who were gifted their quota and do not actually fish for halibut.

The decision simply confirms that in DFO’s eyes, halibut is not a common-property resource owned by Canadians, but a private resource owned by 436 individuals.

Mr. Harper came to the Island days before the last election and made a promise to implement a solution to the halibut issue that was fair to everyone. He did not live up to that promise in our view.

This will create a gold-rush mentality that the quota fishery sought to end and encourage recreational halibut fishers to fish early during dangerous weather rather than waiting for the calm waters of July, August and September.
................................

Not only Unfair, but ILLEGAL as pointed out by our own Supreme Court!
I guess The Dino figures itself to be above all of that... 

[Fish Assassin]

What was the allocation for recreational fishermen prior ti this announcement ?

[ynot]

it was 12 percent now 15 percent. i just received an email from the sports fishing istitute saying that the halibut season will end the first week in august, i dont know how they know that, if true that would be a disaster for lodges and guides.
,

[IronNoggin]

In my way of thinking... There isn't an icicle's chance in hell that they "caved under the political pressure of the recreational lobby" and offered up a pitiful 3%.  
Rather their legal team finally awoke to the FACT that the Supreme Court will side against them in any forthcoming lawsuit, and this is their version of a "peace offering" hoping it pacifies us and keeps us from investigating the legal option.

I am afraid (not!) that this tactic is doomed to FAIL!  

Nog

[silver ghost]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know what the total allowable catch is? In pounds, or fish, or however it is measured? and what is this figure?

[ynot]

the total alowable catch for2012 pacific halibut can/u.s.a. is 33,540,000 lbs.an 18.3 percent decrease from 2011. british columbia share is 7,038,000 lbs including sports.my problem is how do they know when a sports fish is caught, the big lodges keep records but the rest is estimated might be high or low.

[silver ghost]

the total alowable catch for2012 pacific halibut can/u.s.a. is 33,540,000 lbs.an 18.3 percent decrease from 2011. british columbia share is 7,038,000 lbs including sports.my problem is how do they know when a sports fish is caught, the big lodges keep records but the rest is estimated might be high or low.

thanks. yeah it would be interesting to know that too... there is one thing I have learned about anything involving fisheries and numbers though...it's all a crap shoot! 

I feel bad for the lodges and guides though, looks like an early close is imminent 

[DavidD]

And now the general populace gets informed...

http://www.canada.com/Short+fishing+season+irks+anglers/6179487/story.html

Wish the Premier get involved as part of her 'BC Jobs Program'.

[IronNoggin]

... there is one thing I have learned about anything involving fisheries and numbers though...it's all a crap shoot!

aYup! 

This latest 3% "increase" is all Intentional Smoke & Mirrors move in order to appear to be "doing something".

3% of the TAC represents less than any catch estimate estimation error ever made. The commercial operators' annual catch has never been within 3% of the IHPC quota. According to DFO estimates the rec fishery was over their "share" by greater than 3% last year even with an early shut down. It takes very little "tweaking" of effort or success rates to bump the CPUE in DFO's guesstimates by 3%, which means that effectively, nothing has changed.

DFO and the conservatives are masters at this game and knew full well that 3% would appease many but in function means absolutely nothing.

This year's recreational fishery will be shortened yet again, NOT due to conservation concerns, but rather directly related to "Ownership" of the fish. The proposed leasing of quota from commercial quota holders directly implies such ownership, furthering the de facto situation that the vast majority of the resource "belongs" to a handful of private enterprises. Note the line in the release: "Fisheries and Oceans Canada will move forward with regulatory changes to continue this market-based transfer mechanism for the long term." It is obvious that DFO disputes the Supreme Court Decision which clearly states that private ownership of fish stocks (in the water) is ILLEGAL, and will carry on with this same contravening behavior for the foreseeable future.

Nog

[ynot]

In 2012, Canada is entitled to catch up to 7,040,000 pounds of Pacific halibut. First Nations are allocated 500,000 pounds for food, social and ceremonial purposes. Commercial licence holders are allocated 5,559,000 pounds, and recreational anglers are allocated 981,000. 

[eddy]

I fully agree and support your actions and points of view, Nog. You are right on.
Please let us know what we on the Lower Mainland can do to help.

[IronNoggin]

Oak Bay Marine Group re: Halibut: http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/halibut+allocation+will+devastate+coastal+life/6203207/story.html

[troutbreath]

I'd like to know more about this guy with the unbiased slant on sport fishing. Probably one of the commercial licence holders.


Sports fishery is poorly controlled and monitored
  By Gary Robinson, Vancouver SunFebruary 29, 2012
  Re: New halibut allocation will devastate coastal life, Feb. 24

Lanny Sawchuk's article concerning the new halibut allocation states that, "conservation of the stock is not the issue here ..."

As one of the commissioners on the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC), to which Mr. Sawchuk refers, I can say that exceeding the catch limit is exactly what comes to mind when I think of the recreational fishery in B.C.

In five of the last six years the sports fishery has over-fished halibut in B.C. waters to the tune of a million pounds.

This undermines conservation and responsible management, particularly given that halibut stocks are in a period of low abundance.

The sports fishery is poorly con-trolled and monitored. Overfishing in this sector has not been their fault but rather the DFO's (Department of Fisheries and Oceans), which has failed to keep them to their allocation.

Now the minister has seen fit to give them more allocation, 25 per cent more than previous.

Compare this to the commercial halibut fishery in B.C., where every fish is observed coming aboard, either by observer or visual imagery (cameras). Every species caught is weighed to the exact pound and recorded dockside by government validators.

In commercial logbooks, piece counts of each species are provided to DFO validators, to compare with the visual imagery taken off hard drives from the computers that every commercial boat must have.

If allocation is taken from a sec-tor of the fishery that is 100 per cent monitored and given to a sector that is unmonitored and has overfished in recent history, that becomes a conservation concern for the IPHC.

It is incumbent on the minister to direct his department to initiate monitoring and reporting requirements on the recreational fishery. Not to do so would be a move away from responsible fisheries management.

Gary Robinson Vancouver

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