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[IronNoggin]

In a recent letter (of which I only have a PDF copy - anyone that can enlighten me on how to post??) Fisheries Minister Gail Shea responds to the SFAB regarding the halibut situation.

In its' contents:

- The Fisheries Minister formally rejects the consensus proposal for a compensated transfer of halibut allocation between the commercial and recreational sectors put forward last year by the two harvest sectors, First Nations and the Province of BC.  It says that since the proposal “poses difficult financial and legal risks for the department” “the existing allocation framework will remain with an 88:12 sharing arrangement and provisions for agreed adjustments.”

- No explanation for "“provisions for agreed adjustments.” While this may be taken to mean that the Recreational Sector can continue to lease quota from the commercial sector, the only source of revenue to accomplish that will soon be exhausted and is unlikely to provide enough halibut to allow a full recreational season, even with a continuation of restrictions similar to those imposed last year.

- Government has decided that the private property rights it has given commercial quota holders take precedence over recreational access, even though each pound of recreationally caught halibut brings far more social and economic value to the coastal economy.

- The letter concludes by asking the SFAB to “renew our efforts toward finding an acceptable approach”. But they have closed the door to any further discussion regarding adjustment of the current quota "sharing".

- The letter makes clear that the department has abandoned any hope of finding a long term solution to the current allocation dilemma. The Minister is either unable or unwilling to exercise what we are told repeatedly is her absolute discretion with respect to allocation.

So there it is. No long term solution, status quo rules the day (no real surprise I guess). Given the Department's complete lack of willingness last season to procure additional quota at cost (as laid out by Formal Agreement), this cannot spell anything but bad news for those who like to sportfish for halibut.

As noted above, I would welcome any advice as to just how to post the pdf letter. In the interim, any that request a copy of that is free to Email me.

Nog

[IronNoggin]

The Letter:

[troutbreath]

You have to wonder what was the catalyst was to start this "complex issue" in the first place. It looks like a financial contribution to some political party sold out everyone else's right to the Halibut.

[IronNoggin]

Latest:

February 22, 2009

The Honourable Gail Shea
Minister, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0E6

Honourable Minister;

I am writing you today to express my deep concern and confusion over your February 12th decision delivered to the SFAB regarding the 2009 Halibut fishery.

Frankly Minister I am at a loss to understand how you could so totally ignore the facts in this matter. As I had noted to you in previous correspondence regarding our meeting in January, I, and the others attending actually believed you comprehended the information we gave you on this issue.

We, the representatives for the recreational sector,  have bent over backwards in an attempt to reach the type of management regime your predecessors and now it appear you, demanded. We spent countless days in travel and meetings with your officials and representatives, we thought, from the commercial sector coming to a number of mutual agreements for the management of the Halibut fishery. In every instance, after the agreement was reached, the commercial sector breached or ignored that agreement. Now your government has spent over a year, reviewing the latest proposal that we jointly put forward and the commercial sector has again breached, and after a year, you reject it out of hand.

To say this is unsatisfactory would be the understatement of the century. Your playing Pontius Pilot with this issue will not resolve it and I can assure you will amount to nothing more than throwing gasoline on the flames.

At a time when your government is making continuous claims about your concerns over losing jobs in Canada and the need to keep our economy stable and growing, you make a decision that will ensure the loss of hundreds of jobs in the recreational fishing industry in 2009. Moreover we will see losses in the millions of dollars to the British Columbian and Canadian economies because of your decision.

The amount of Halibut needed to maintain a viable and vibrant recreational fishery amounts to far less than the commercial sector will leave in the water in 2009. A transfer of this amount would cost the commercial sector nothing but would, as noted, have saved hundreds of jobs in the recreational industry as well as create an infusion of tens of millions of dollars into our economy. This is hardly living up to your duty to achieve the highest possible return to the people of Canada for the use of their fishery resource.

Either your staff failed to tell you or you have chosen to ignore the fact that at the recent meetings of the International Pacific Halibut Commission the processing industry advised the Commission that they currently have in storage some 10 million pounds of Halibut from last years harvest. That is more than all of the 2008 B.C. allocation and over 30% more than the total 2009 harvest. Every indication was given that commercial halibut prices were going to be but a shadow of what they were in 2008. In fact the processors made it clear that they cannot even sell their current stock even at ex-vessel prices, never mind at wholesale prices.

Yet you chose to allocate this valuable public resource to the lowest possible use for 2009.

Moreover you continue to support the practice of giving this resource to a major portion of the commercial quota holders who do not even fish for them. Of the 435 holders of commercial Halibut quota in 2008, only 168 actually fished for Halibut. The majority Halibut quota holders, 267 take this resource that was gifted to them by the government and sit on the beach while they collect rent for a Canadian resource from the few who are actually willing to go to sea and fish. All fish allocated to and caught by recreational fishers are taken by the anglers themselves not by third parties..

Madam Minister you are perpetrating a farce and supporting the lowest possible benefit to Canadians for the use of their resource. I ask you to immediately reverse your position and provide for the 2009 recreational Halibut fishery to proceed as it should and create an atmosphere and a basis for development of a rational long term management plan.

Yours in conservation.


Bill Otway
P.O. Box 326
Merritt, B.C.
V1K 1B8

Cc  Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Cc Randy Kamp
Cc  Hon Stockwell Day
Cc Lawrance MacCauley
Cc Peter Stoffer
Cc Gary Breitkreuz
Hon Gerry St. Germain
Cc Harry Lali
Cc Premier Gordon Campbell
Cc Carol James
Cc Bill Bennett
Cc Kevin Kruger
Cc Robin Austin
Cc Ralph Sultan
Cc Dan Cody
Cc Members of the B.C. Wildlife Federation and the SFAB

I agree rather strongly with Bill on this one, and will be firing off a few letters of support. Those that feel the same should rightly consider doing the same.

Cheers,
Nog

[chris gadsden]

Further to the above, with permission from Bill to post. We must thank him for all his work on so many issues on our behalf.

To all - Please find attached a copy of a letter I sent today to
>> Fisheries
>> Minister Gail Shea regarding her mismanagement of BE.CO. 'so halibut
>> fishery.
>>
>> I am also attaching a copy of her letter of decsion in this regard.
>>
>> I urge you all to email Minister Shea with copies to your MLA and MP. I
>> also
>> recommend you cc the people at the addresses I have set out below. I will
>> also include for your information some pertinent facts that might aid you
>> in
>> writing to Minister Shea.
>>
>> You don't have to be too clever, just get across the message that you are
>> unhappy and we and the people of Canada are being screwed.
>>
>> Bill Otway
>>
>> E mail list
>>
>> Shea Min Fisheries, Hon Gail
>> E-mail Address(es):
>>  Shea.G@parl.gc.ca
>>
>>
>>
>> MacAulayL FishCritic, The Ho...
>> E-mail Address(es):
>>  MacAulay.L@parl.gc.ca
>>
>> Mr.MacCaulay is the Liberal Fisheries Critic
>>
>> Mr. Randy Kamp, M.P.
>> E-mail Address(es):
>>  Kamp.R@parl.gc.ca
>>
>> Randy Kamp is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries
>> and
>> lives in Maple Ridge
>>
>> Mr. Peter Arend Stoffer, M.P.
>> E-mail Address(es):
>>  Stoffer.P@parl.gc.ca
>>
>> StofferOfficeHalifax, Peter
>> E-mail Address(es):
>>  stoffp1@parl.gc.ca
>>
>> Peter Stoffer is the NDP Fisheries Critic and a hard worker for our cause
>>
>> SultanL, Ralph
>> E-mail Address(es):
>>  ralph.sultan.mla@leg.bc.ca
>>
>> Ralph Sultan is an MLA on the Steelhead Committee and also on the Outdoor
>> Caucus
>>
>> KruegerL, Hon Kevin
>> E-mail Address(es):
>>  kevin.krueger.mla@leg.bc.ca
>>
>> Keven Krueger is also an MLA who has an interest in fisheries issues
>>
>> GordonPremier, Campbell
>> E-mail Address(es):
>>  Officeofthepremier@gems9.gov.bc.ca
>>
>> No explanation needed
>>
>> AustinN, Robin
>> E-mail Address(es):
>>  robin.austin.mla@leg.bc.ca
>>
>> Robin is the MLA for the Skeena and well versed in fisheries issues
>> BennettL, Bill
>> E-mail Address(es):
>>  bill.bennett.mla@leg.bc.ca
>>
>> Bill Bennett is the chair of the B.C. Provincial  Outdoor Caucus
>>
>> StGermainSenator, Hon Gerry
>> E-mail Address(es):
>>  stgerg@sen.parl.gc.ca
>>
>> Gerry is a B.C. Senator with a long history of involvement with fisheries
>> issues.
>>
>> Dan Cody
>> CodyD@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
>>
>> Dan Cody is the Special Assistant for the Minister of Fisheries on the
>> West
>> Coast, his messages do not get filtered by the Mandarins
>>
>> Mr. Garry W. Breitkreuz, M.P.
>> E-mail Address(es):
>>  breitg1@parl.gc.ca
>>
>>
>> Garry is the chair of the Federal Outdoor Caucus and a strong advocate
>> for
>> hunters and anglers.
>>
>>
>> SOME POINTS OF INTEREST AN INFORMATION THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO USE.
>>
>> We were forced into a joint agreement with the commercial sector that
>> proposed the Federal Government would advance $35 million to buy out 8%
>> of
>> the commercial Halibut TAC and transfer this to the recreational sector.
>> The
>> recreational sector would repay the Federal Government over the ensuing
>> years through the imposition of a Halibut stamp on the recreational
>> fishing
>> licence.
>>
>>
>> We then moved into the management of the 2008 fishery. In order to keep
>> within our quota it was necessary for us to lease Halibut quota from the
>> commercial sector. For various legal reasons the approximately $2 million
>> dollars was and is being held in trust by the Pacific Halibut Management
>> Association, (PHMA), the commercial sector. The SFAB gave out
>> instructions
>> throughout the season to release the money required to lease the needed
>> quota to keep our fishery within their allocation. The PHMA released an
>> initial amount but adamantly refused to release any further money causing
>> us
>> to exceed our quota. DFO, who was supposed to be coordinating these
>> transactions, took the unprecedented action of closing the recreational
>> fishery. This closure was put in place in spite of the written commitment
>> from the Minister that there would be no "in-season" closures of the
>> recreational fishery. This action was also taken in spite of the fact
>> that
>> Canada left more Halibut in the water unharvested at the end of the 2008
>> season than the total overage of the recreational sector.
>>
>>
>>
>> Simply put, there was no conservation concern, Canada did not harvest
>> its'
>> Total Allowable Catch for Halibut, DFO simply decided that those fish
>> were
>> the property of the commercial sector and shut us down.
>>
>>
>>
>> So we have ourselves entering into an agreement with the commercial
>> sector
>> as the Minister and DFO demanded of us. We then have the commercial
>> sector,
>> acting in breach of trust and negating that agreement and one year later
>> on
>> February 12th of 2009. we finally received a letter from the current
>> Minister of Fisheries and Oceans rejecting our proposals out of hand.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> It is my considered opinion that all bets are now off and all previous
>> commitments and proposals for financing the buying back of our own fish
>> are
>> off the table. It is my recommendation that we convey this to both the
>> Minister and DFO in the strongest possible terms.
>>
>>
>>
>> We are now in a political and possibly eventually a legal battle to
>> reclaim
>> our rights as Canadians. We all  need to understand that while the
>> current
>> issue is Halibut, the Minister and DFO are moving quickly to privatize
>> all
>> Rockfish Stocks, Crabs, Prawns and Salmon. If we lose this one we lose it
>> all.
>>
>>
>>
>> Talk to your M.P. and your MLA and let them know our position and your
>> dissatisfaction with how they are managing your resource. We have the
>> power
>> and we can win this one if we work together.
>>
>>
>>
>> There are currently 435 holders of commercial Halibut quota in B.C. In
>> 2008
>> only 168 of these quota holders fished. The other 267 sat on the beach
>> here
>> or in Hawaii and leased the quotas that our government gave to them for
>> nothing, out to the real fishermen.
>>
>>
>>
>> A simple reallocation of 8% of the commercial quota to the recreational
>> fishery coupled with the removal of the quota for those that do not fish
>> and
>> redistributing that quota amongst the actual fishermen would mean a much
>> greater harvest for those that actually fish and a vibrant recreational
>> fishery.
>>
>>
>>
>> It needs to be noted also that for the last several years the
>> recreational
>> catch of Halibut has been declining steadily. We reached our peak harvest
>> in
>> 2005 when the catch was 1.8 million lbs. Since that time our numbers have
>> declined to a total of 1.5 million lbs in 2008. So when people try to
>> spread
>> the propaganda that the recreational catch is growing exponentially and
>> out
>> of control, you can politely point out to them that they are wrong. In
>> fact
>> just the opposite is happening.
>>
>>
>>
>> Moreover, unlike the commercial sector, in those years when we do not
>> catch
>> our allotment we are quite happy to let the commercial sector harvest
>> those
>> fish. Prior to the Federal Government gifting the commercial sector 88%
>> of
>> the Halibut, they harvested our uncaught catch for years. We asked for no
>> compensation and expected none. After all these were the publics' fish
>> and
>> not ours. It seems however neither the commercial sector nor our
>> government
>> fully understand the ramifications of the Larocque court judgment that
>> clearly set our that neither the government nor individuals own these
>> fish.
>> The people of Canada do!
>>
>>
>>
>> Bill Otway
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>

[troutbreath]

I can't believe sport fishing has to lease catch quotas from the commercial sector.

[Riverman]

So much for our rights.Good on Bill for taking this fight on.We could use a hundred more like him.This the reason we need to pay attention when someone like Bill takes a stand on a fisheries issue.

[IronNoggin]

aYup. We screwed.

http://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/xnet/content/fns/index.cfm?pg=view_notice&lang=en&DOC_ID=115430&ID=recreational

Fishery Notice
 
Category(s): RECREATIONAL - Fin Fish (Other than Salmon)
Subject: FN0100-Halibut: Further to FN0037 - Coastwide Opening and Limits

Further to Fishery Notice FN0037:

The department has completed its initial consultations with the recreational sector and based on comments received, will implement a coastwide opening of the recreational halibut fishery: 

Coastwide:
---------
Effective at 00:01 hours March 1, 2009 fishing for halibut will be opened coastwide. The daily limit at the start of the season is one (1) per day with a possession limit of two (2). 
 
The exception to this opening is:

Areas 121, 23 and 123:
---------------------
Effective 00:01 hours March 1, 2009 to 23:59 hours December 31, 2009:

- No person shall fish for or retain halibut, rockfish and lingcod in Area 121 outside the 12 nautical mile limit seaward of a line that begins at 48 degrees 34.000 minutes North latitude and 125 degrees 17.386 minutes West longitude and continues south easterly at a bearing of 116 degrees True to a point at 48 degrees 28.327 minutes North latitude and 125 degrees 01.687 minutes West longitude.

- Electronic licence conditions will be continued as follows:
"no person who is not a Canadian resident may fish for or retain halibut under this licence in management Areas 121, 23 and 123." 


In an effort to open the recreational fishery while some key issues with respect to the 2009 management plan remain unresolved, the initial halibut retention limit will be one per day, two in total possession. The department expects to complete its consultations with the recreational sector on the halibut management plan for 2009 before the end of February, including
examining the feasibility of increasing the daily limits. The plan will include measures for monitoring and evaluating the catch in-season.  Any changes in the management plan following these consultations will be announced in a subsequent Fishery Notice.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Bill Shaw 604-666-3271 and Gary Logan 604-666-9033.

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0100
Sent February 24, 2009 at 1416

From another site:

As written by one of our respected SFAB members, The notice should more properly have read;

"The department, in spite of objections received from it's SFAB advisory process, during what were minimal consultations regarding 2009 opening options for the recreational fishery, and in spite of the deep discount to the Canadian economy that this restrictive opening and decreased daily bag limit represents, has reluctantly chosen to implement a coast wide opening of the recreational Halibut fishery.

The fishery is going to open late, and with a daily limit designed to ensure that only the rich will be able to rationalize a day of halibut fishing. Further restrictions will be implemented if the department comes to believe that this fishery may prove successful. Advance notice of in-season changes is not contemplated."

Too True!