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[cdjk123]

Last year, I got my PAL (Possession and Acquisition Licence) and I was required to take a half day course on safe gun handling, types of firearms, etc. It was immensely helpful in teaching me about firearm safety, types of firearms, ammunition, etc. It is also required if you wish to purchase a firearm in Canada.

In BC, you can just purchase a licence and go fishing. You are told and encouraged to read up on regulations, fish handling techniques, ethical practices, etc, but often many people do not bother. This is evidenced by things like the googan festival on the Vedder River each fall.

Often you'll see anglers mishandle fish, dragging fish onto the bank, holding them out of the water too long, treating certain species of fish worse than other kinds, holding them by the gills, snagging fish, etc. The list could go on forever.

While it's difficult to witness anglers acting unethically, I believe that in many cases, it's simple ignorance that leads to unethical angling practices. Often, anglers are given misinformation, or have misguided perceptions about fishing practices which leads to their unethical angling.

Like the PAL course, I would like to see a mandatory education program whereby anglers are required to attend a short, 2-3 hour course on ethical angling practices, styles of fishing techniques, benefits of catch and release, species of fish, etc. It could also end with a test, just like the PAL. Completion of this course would be a requirement to purchase a licence.

I believe an mandatory course like this could help alleviate an ever growing problem in the angling community of ignorance, that simply stems from misinformation.

What are your thoughts?

[Rieber]

It's been brought up here in the past. Do a forum search and you'll find the discussions.

There are grey areas in the regulations. People have differing opinions of what is ethical and what is not. Many people fish the way they were taught in this country or from their home land and it doesn't matter where you come from, people are not programmable robots so everyone has an opinion of what they consider appropriate for the situation.

What is ethical? Is netting ethical on a small river or right at a mouth of a river? Some say it's our right, some say if it's strictly for sustinance it's okay, some say no bloody way. Is fishing with a 10' leader okay on a lake but not on a river? Is fishing with two rods on a boat okay but only one if you stand in the same water. So many ifs and so many opinions I'm not sure that a manditory course on fishing ethics is practical to administer.

Hunting is different because the tools you use to hunt with are lethal to humans is used carelessly. Just like vehicles. Fishing rods tend not to kill humans so there is no urgency to spend money administering a program that doesn't directly impact human safety.

That's my take - I could be off - wouldn't be the first time I was wrong and I guarantee it won't be my last.

[Knnn]

I agree with your sentiments and would also like to see some way of reducing the level of ignorance and bad practices out there.  You will never change the bad habits or ethics of poachers or my friend-hats.  However as you suggest I also believe there are a lot of folks out there (particularly when the pink mist descends) that are misguided or have not taken the time to do enough research or read the regulations.   

I believe there is a desire (but not sure who by) to increase the size of the recreational fishery and to encourage more people, particularly youngsters, to take up fishing.  However, if there were a mandatory training session, as per the PAL, this would likely put a lot of people off getting a license and/or going fishing.  Maybe that would be a good thing, I do not know.  I know I would take such a course but I am already an addict.

The number of people that mandatory training would put off would likely be proportional to the difficulty of doing the coarse.  There may be a happier middle way in which people could only get the license by correctly answering 18 out of 20 multiple choice questions, which contained links to the correct answers when they got them wrong.  This way the new angler would know they could not fail and are gently encourage to have read or understand key parts of the regulation.  It could all be done on-line as part of the application process and apart from the set up would not cost any more to administer and would not cost the angler any more apart from having to spend a few more minutes of time in the comfort of their homes.

[Rieber]

One way would be to introduce it in our education system at a reasonable early stage - maybe Grade 7. I remember we had the CORE course in PE one time some 40 years ago. Sure its a different concept but if you educate anew generations at an early stage you'll get so culture change.

[psd1179]

I think it should be mandatory keeping what you hook regardless snagging or anything. reach the limit and you have to leave. Then nothing to argue.

[hrenya]

I think it should be mandatory keeping what you hook regardless snagging or anything. reach the limit and you have to leave. Then nothing to argue.

the dumbest thing adviced I read on this forum .

[psd1179]

the dumbest thing adviced I read on this forum .

Last pink season, two guys float fishing beside me at Squamish river. They  Very skillful snagged fish on every cast. Standard float, standard leader length. In one afternoon, they hooked more than fifty fish and enjoyed it.  What do you think?

Many of you enjoy fishing, more care about meat in the salmon season. Why frustrate both sides

[Birkenhead]

Last pink season, two guys float fishing beside me at Squamish river. They  Very skillful snagged fish on every cast. Standard float, standard leader length. In one afternoon, they hooked more than fifty fish and enjoyed it.  What do you think?

As this was such a blatant act of poaching and you had a clear view and up close account of the poaching, we can assume that you did the right thing and did a RAPP report?

[cdjk123]

the dumbest thing adviced I read on this forum .

X2

[MetalAndFeathers]

I think it should be mandatory keeping what you hook regardless snagging or anything. reach the limit and you have to leave. Then nothing to argue.

Not everyone wants to drive an hour just to fish for 15 mins and bring home 4 fillets

[clarkii]

I think it should be mandatory keeping what you hook regardless snagging or anything. reach the limit and you have to leave. Then nothing to argue.

And you just destroy any remaining wild steelhead runs in the process.  Good show.

[Knnn]

Wow so quickly derailed to so many levels of fail? Although the trolling has been pretty successful.  Any chance we can get back on topic and maybe identify some useful suggestons like Riebers ?

[RalphH]

I think the big danger would be a course would potentially reduce license sales - though a curmudgeon like me may see that as a positive.

Is a course needed? Would it make any difference? People who are going to snag and/or poach are just as likely to do so regardless..

If people haven't noticed a good % of anglers out there are ESL or even have little or no English language ability so the course would have to be provided in several languages.

What about non-resident, foreign anglers?

Would everyone have to take a course every year. Applying it just to new anglers is pointless IMO.

An alternative that just popped into my head was to have anglers sign or acknowledge a statement of ethics or a statement of principles rather than a course. Easily ignored as well but it may avoid at least the 1st downside. It could be brief and cover:

- limits
- no snagging
- proper handling of fish that must be released
- identifying species
- respect selective angling guidelines when appropriate
 on the water  etiquette
- doing your best to educate yourself on the the above.

...and so on.

[wildmanyeah]

An alternative that just popped into my head was to have anglers sign or acknowledge a statement of ethics or a statement of principles rather than a course. Easily ignored as well but it may avoid at least the 1st downside. It could be brief and cover:

- limits
- no snagging
- proper handling of fish that must be released
- identifying species
- respect selective angling guidelines when appropriate
 on the water  etiquette
- doing your best to educate yourself on the the above.

...and so on.

I think this may be the best idea. Similar to what they made hockey parents on the island do. The fact that they give you absolutly nothing when buy a fishing license online is a bit of an issue. No guidance on where to find or how to apply the regs in your area.  Still there only fish in the end how much feelings do they have?

[skaha]

--would rather see a voluntary course...maybe an incentive like a reduction in first year license fee if the course is taken
--should be available at events and on line with qualified instructors... maybe Freshwater fisheries paid staff.
--join a club that publicly displays and demonstrates ethical angling
--have different types of identification... like a hat or patch or sticker for boat or vehicle with ethical angler logo for those who take the course. the reason being that others will know that anyone displaying the identification will likely RAPP or at least be some one that could be asked about best practices when fishing.
--expand the angler ambassador program... again with identification so others know it is OK to ask and get credible information

--My view is compliance and demonstrating best practices is more effective than enforcement.