Halibut News
Halibut Update
March 8, 2012

SFAB Halibut Recommendations

Striving for certainty in 2012


March 8, 2012


As we told you in our last update, we are disappointed with Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield's decision to ignore the unanimous recommendations of the sport fishing sector. Our recommendation that DFO implement a fixed number solution to halibut allocation policy would have provided real fairness and certainty to recreational anglers and a huge economic upside to commercial quota holders during periods of average or high abundance. Unfortunately, it appears that our solution fell on deaf ears.

 

Efforts to avoid in season closure

 

In the days since the announcement, many in the recreational sector have been working behind the scenes to find a way to save the 2012 season and give anglers some predictability about when this season might end. DFO's Pacific Region has shown a willingness to entertain different ways to approach the issue and through a series of meetings with the SFAB Halibut Working Group has analyzed the impacts on timing and amount of catch that are consistent with the new allocation that will limit the recreational sector at 1,084,650 pounds while permitting fishing to continue through the length of the season, targeting the traditional close date of December 31.

 

SFAB Recommendation: One Normal/One Under - Two in Possession

 

In the interests of ensuring a full season, the SFAB has recommended a fishing plan based on one fish per day, two in possession with one fish being of any size and the other being 83 cm. or less (approximately 15 lbs.). It is estimated that this approach would allow the recreational season to run from March 1 until December 31, 2012. DFO has expressed confidence in the numbers and we are optimistic that this will help protect the remainder of the 2012 season of halibut fishing from in season closure.

 

To be clear, asking to employ a management measure to reduce the rate and amount of our catch is a position that no one in the recreational sector would like to be in but by the same token, against the prospect of uncertainty and in season closure, it is fortunate that we can make the most out of the poor hand we have been dealt.

Every Fish Counts

 

To that end we would like anglers to weigh the impacts of every fish caught on our fishing opportunities this season. Many guides have discussions with their guests before getting a big one on the line in an effort to get them thinking about the broader impact of keeping large females. Similarly, many guides have asked guests to think about how much fish they can reasonably expect to use before the 100 pound barn door is thrashing at the side of the boat.

 

Our sector has continued to improve its catch monitoring practices, it is essential that this endures in 2012 and beyond. In the absence of sound data, DFO will be tempted to make decisions based on precautionary principles rather than facts and our detractors will reiterate claims that we are poorly monitored. Simply put, good catch data is essential.

Work to do

 

The new allocation announcement has forced us to look at each season as it comes. Certainty and stability have been eroded and we need to focus on keeping our fishery viable. The 2012 option tabled, once accepted by DFO, will go a long way to make it clear how long and where we can fish this year - all indications show that to be coast wide, for the length of the traditional season, until December 31, and for 2012 with limits of one normal and one under 83 cm, 2 in possession.

 

 

Halibut Allocation Announcement
Update - February 17, 2012

Disappointment

For Immediate Release

DFO ESTABLISHES SHORTEST HALIBUT SEASON IN CANADIAN HISTORY

 

VANCOUVER, B.C. -Today's changes to the recreational halibut fishery, will ensure that in 2012, recreational anglers will experience the shortest halibut fishing season in memory, said Sport Fishing Institute of BC President Robert Alcock. "Minister Ashfield closed the recreational halibut fishing on September 5th last year and caused extensive economic damage to the sport fishing industry", said Alcock. "Today he served notice that recreational halibut fishing will end in the first week of August, which will wreak havoc in the sport fishing industry and which will not conserve a single fish."

Ashfield announced that he will not accept the unanimous recommendation of Canada's 300,000 recreational anglers and create a "fixed number' fishery that would allow recreational anglers to enjoy a predictable fishery during periods of low halibut abundance. Instead, Ashfield simply tinkered with the flawed allocation system established in 2003 which will ensure that Canada's 436 commercial halibut quota holders can continue to harvest 85% of Canada's sustainable Total Allowable Catch (TAC). The TAC is established annually by the International Pacific Halibut Commission and the amount of halibut that Canada and the US can harvest without endangering the long-term stability of halibut stocks.

During the 2011 election, Prime Minister Stephen Harper told Island residents that "Our government recognizes the importance of the halibut fishery in BC. The jobs and regional economic impact of the commercial, recreational and related tourism in BC are substantial. We remain committed to finding a solution to BC's halibut allocation issue in advance of the 2012 season that strikes a fair balance between all sectors."

"Recreational halibut fishers took the Prime Minister at his word," said Alcock. "Sadly, today we have learned the hard way that the Prime Minister's word is of little value, particularly to the hundreds of businesses, thousands of sport fishing industry employees and the hundred thousand Canadians who enjoy recreational halibut fishing."

According to a recent study conducted for the BC Seafood Alliance (the commercial sector's industry association), the recreational fishery in BC produces $642 million in annual sales, pays $150 million in wages and benefits, creates more than 7,800 jobs and 3,950 person-years of employment and contributes $240 million to the province's Gross Domestic Product.

For more information please contact

Robert Alcock

President

Sport Fishing Institute of British Columbia

604.270.3439

or visit www.sportfishing.bc.ca.

 

SFI Logo

Halibut Allocation Announcement
Update - February 22, 2012

Looking Ahead

February 22, 2012


We've all had a few days to digest Friday's announcement about the change in DFO's halibut allocation policy and its likely impact on the 2012 recreational halibut fishery and wanted to take this opportunity to address a few more issues.

 

 

2012 Season Outlook - As it Stands Now

 

First, we are genuinely concerned about what the allocation policy will mean for the 2012 fishing season. Assuming that we have a similar catch effort in 2012 as we did in 2011, it seems increasingly likely that the recreational sector will have met its allocation sometime in season. Although the recreational allocation may have increased to 15%, up 3%, the total allowable catch, TAC, for Canada is down from 2011. Without adjustment to the allocation policy itself DFO is potentially implementing what could be the shortest sport halibut season in history. This is not due to conservation concerns, but rather directly related to who "owns" the fish. No longer treated as the common property resource of Canada that it is, the majority of halibut is now essentially owned by private business. The impacts of the decision are far reaching effecting not just anglers but related businesses including motels, restaurants, marinas, boat sales and service, tackle sales and more.


Importantly and unlike commercial fishery needs, the issue is not just about amount of fish but the ability to access it, expectation and opportunity is critical to recreational anglers. Contrary to the title of the DFO announcement, certainty has been eliminated not made greater. Unchanged, this will have a devastating impact on the lodge and charter-boats sector, and will likely foster the kind of gold-rush mentality in the recreational fishery (where anglers are motivated to catch fish early in the season) that the commercial sector has sought so long to avoid. We can only hope that Fisheries will provide us with some additional clarification of their vague release that allows for a strategy for the recreational sector to fish through the critically important summer months in 2012 (and seeks a long term strategy to re-establish certainty of a season that runs from February through December).


Catch Monitoring

Second, we were thoroughly puzzled that Chris Sporer of the PHMA decided to repeat his favorite canard that the commercial halibut fishery is well monitored and the recreational halibut fishery is poorly monitored. The simple fact of the matter is that for the past five years, DFO has placed a very high level of confidence in the quality of the recreational fishery's catch data....so much so that they have been able to use it to impose in-season management measures contrary to the wording of the original 2003 halibut allocation policy.

Interestingly, the only people who agree with the PHMA's catch-monitoring argument are various BC-based environmental groups....the same groups who are deathly silent on longstanding concerns about the staggering by-catch of Chinook salmon and juvenile halibut in the Alaska Pollack fishery. One can only assume that their attitude towards the huge unaddressed by-catch of these trans-boundary species is "what happens in Alaska, stays in Alaska".

Simply put, any suggestion that the recreational halibut fishery is inadequately monitored or lacks quality catch data is bunk!

 

Not from from the Recreational Sector's Perspective

We are deeply troubled that DFO saw fit to ignore the tremendously consistent message regarding the importance and need for certainty and stability for the recreational sector as delivered over many months and years by many volunteers. The commercial sector has a small group of paid advocates and lobbyists who make their arguments to DFO. The recreational sector, by contrast, relies almost entirely on the work of a broad group of volunteers, most of whom dedicate their time and effort out of a love of fishing. Even though the recreational sector is composed of varied groups, the BC Sport Fishing Coalition, BCWF, SFI and SFAB to name a few, and from all corners of the coast the message was unanimous in its simple request - create certainty and stability for our fishery. The response provided by DFO to this issue has been discouraging. However, we need to take stock of what was accomplished and try to build on the change that DFO made; an increase in allocation for the recreational sector. Could this be one piece of a puzzle that will ultimately lead us to certainty and stability?

 

Moving Forward

This is continues to be a huge issue to the recreational fishery and is at the core of our rights as citizens to have reasonable, fair and certain expectation and opportunity to catch halibut.

Write, call or e-mail local, regional and national politicians about your concerns. Explain the impact of this allocation decision to you or your business and that you do not support the idea that what was once your right is now being offered for sale by private business through an experimental licence.

The SFAB Halibut Working Group, which includes a number of SFI members, will be meeting with DFO at the end of the week to discuss possible options for moving forward and for striving for certainty and stability for the 2012 season and beyond.

The SFI will continue to work on this issue and will update you when possible.

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.