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[bbronswyk2000]

Why have they not implemented a written test for an angler number (similar to a hunter number) and within the test educate on such issues (among other things) as how to get in season changes and why they are there?

Your kidding right? People who fail the test will just fish without a licence. The government will not hire more officers so who would be there to enforce?

Like Rantalot said we dont need anymore government cash grabs either...The boating course is already a bloody joke!!!

[hillbros_96]

I am all for following the law, coming from Alberta, where everything is spelled out in the regulations and they do not make changed until the new regulations come out.  I think this constant changing of regulations leaves many people exposed.  I am signed up for the e-mails, butother then that, this is probably the only province where a regulation can change overnight. 

If the bait bans are consistant, they should be written in the regulations to prevent the amount of confusion the current system brings.

[Funeral Of Hearts]

Your kidding right? People who fail the test will just fish without a licence. The government will not hire more officers so who would be there to enforce?

Like Rantalot said we dont need anymore government cash grabs either...The boating course is already a bloody joke!!!

Well if we all think that way then of course it won't work.
That's kind of like saying we shouldn't have laws because some people are going to break them anyway. Those people you speak of that would fail the test and fish without a license, most likely already fish without a license or don't care enough about the regulations to follow them in the first place.

As for a cash grab, if you complain about cuts to the services but don't want to pay "taxes" or "licensing" then where do you think the money is going to come from? Don't get me wrong, it's not all taxes and fees. I also realize the mismanagement of the resource and the bureaucratic bafoonery is a problem. Just saying..   

Anyway, back to the original topic. Ignorance is no excuse in the eyes of the law. There are multiple ways of getting the information on regulation changes and there should be no excuse why you can't check before you go.

[BNF861]

I am all for following the law, coming from Alberta, where everything is spelled out in the regulations and they do not make changed until the new regulations come out.

When was the last time you fished for salmon in Alberta?

Here in BC, salmon and steelhead regs are subject to change based on escapement and other conservation needs that vary based on numbers of fish and fish timing.

The rest of the rules for other fish species and lake fishing are spelled out and don't change in the middle of the year.

[Rodney]

If the bait bans are consistant, they should be written in the regulations to prevent the amount of confusion the current system brings.

Actually, the dates of this bait ban and other management measures for the Fraser River have been listed in the online regulations since the beginning of the year, they're not changes that were announced in the last minute. The critical migration period when these management measures are taken have been implemented since the late 1990's, but it has only been in the last couple of years that they are not announced in the last minute. I made the suggestions at SFAC that they should have these dates planned out earlier in the year so anglers are more prepared and can plan out their trips better. The dates are not the same each year because the run timing is not exact every year. We have so many uncertainties in openings and closures is due to the unpredictable salmon returns. Continuous estimates during the run determine if escapement can be reached and how much surplus is available for retention.

[milo]

Bobo raises a VERY valid point. It is easy for us computer-savvy people in our prime (or thereabouts) to get all righteous and say "ignorance is no excuse", but just stop and think for a moment...you are a 70-80 year old pensioner who chose not to get (or couldn't get) into the computer age, your old lady gives you some crap after church on Sunday, and you decide to hit the river with a bar rig and some roe to get away from everything for a few hours.
What are your options as to being up-to-date with in-season changes, especially those overnight ones they hit us with sometimes?

Nothing is available on Sunday, there are few tackle shops left, the public library is closed, there's no signs on the river where you fish...if I were a CO, I'd probably give an elder gent a break the first time - give him a warning and confiscate his bait. When you are on fixed income, even a parking ticket can set you back big time, let alone a fishing regulation violation ticket. Remember that not all offenders are created equal and a little bit of sympathy goes a long way. Especially for the elderly among us.

[ShaunO]

Ignorance of the law is not a defense.  Whether it be fishing regulations, municipal bylaws or the criminal code of Canada.  Just cause you weren't aware that your actions were wrong does not absolve you of the repercussions and that has been the way it is for generations.  70 years old or 7 years old its all the same in the eyes of the government.

[Sandman]

as much as it is our responsibility to stay current with the regulations, the ministry has to be equally accountable with giving fair notice...i keep a book of regulations in my car at all times, but i'm not going to check for changes every time i go out...at the very least they should come out with a better system to let people know about any discrepancy....they've come up with online services, why not use the email system to connect with licensees....they already have our angler number why not send updates that way?

Really Blayd?  You think DFO should email every one of the tens of thousands of licensees, on the off hand chance some of them might want to know about the recent change in salmon regs on X river, when the few hundred anglers that know they are going out to fish said river can just check the website?  Am I the only one that feels this is a bit ridiculous?

[Sandman]

Bobo raises a VERY valid point. It is easy for us computer-savvy people in our prime (or thereabouts) to get all righteous and say "ignorance is no excuse", but just stop and think for a moment...you are a 70-80 year old pensioner who chose not to get (or couldn't get) into the computer age, your old lady gives you some crap after church on Sunday, and you decide to hit the river with a bar rig and some roe to get away from everything for a few hours.
What are your options as to being up-to-date with in-season changes, especially those overnight ones they hit us with sometimes?

Nothing is available on Sunday, there are few tackle shops left, the public library is closed, there's no signs on the river where you fish...if I were a CO, I'd probably give an elder gent a break the first time - give him a warning and confiscate his bait. When you are on fixed income, even a parking ticket can set you back big time, let alone a fishing regulation violation ticket. Remember that not all offenders are created equal and a little bit of sympathy goes a long way. Especially for the elderly among us.

Public libraries are open Sundays.  My wife would be happy to help your 70 year old pensioner get his updates off the website.

[bbronswyk2000]

Really Blayd?  You think DFO should email every one of the tens of thousands of licensees, on the off hand chance some of them might want to know about the recent change in salmon regs on X river, when the few hundred anglers that know they are going out to fish said river can just check the website?  Am I the only one that feels this is a bit ridiculous?

You do realize that they would only have to send ONE email and not tens of thousands right? It would take all of 30 seconds to send off to everyone.

[cutthroat22]

What did we do before email/internet? 

[Sandman]

You do realize that they would only have to send ONE email and not tens of thousands right? It would take all of 30 seconds to send off to everyone.

Yeah but do thousands of Fishermen that do not fish the fraser want an update on the fraser? And you have to send thousands or thousands will not receive them.  Just because the one email you type gets copied 10 000 times, doesn't mean you are not sending 10 000 emails.  It is call spam for a reason.  No thank you.  The information is available if you really wanted it.

[Sandman]

You can request an email already, just do it.

[milo]

Public libraries are open Sundays.  My wife would be happy to help your 70 year old pensioner get his updates off the website.

Would she?
She's an angel then. Most library clerks couldn't care less these days. All they do is point you to a computer and tell you to follow the prompts.  

[Fish Assassin]

Interesting thread. I have a question for the more experienced fishermen out there. Say I'm going to fish the Puntledge River on Vancouver Island. Being a responsible fishermen I go read the 2011-2013 Freshwater Regulations Synopsis and find the following:

- Closed all year downstream of the BC Hydro diversion dam (about 3.5 km downstream of Comox Lake) to the base of Stoltan Falls (about 450 m below the Duncan Bay Mainline logging road bridge)

- Closed all year from signs at hatchery counting fence to signs approx. 75 m downstream of fence

How do you guys go about finding the location of the above ?