Dear readers,
I know it has been too long since my last post. It’s not for want of things to write about, rather the time and right frame of mind to do so. As indicated earlier this spring there are some big management challenges ahead for the recreational fishery on the BC coast for the 2018 season and, if nothing else, the outcomes are far from settled even now and I haven’t wanted to comment on ‘maybe’s”, the stakes are just too important.
Last week the BC Supreme Court made a decision of significant importance to the BC recreational fishery and you can read my perspective on it here:
As with the negotiations for the existing Salmon Allocation Policy starting a quarter-century ago, the recreational fishery will be represented in the policy review by the Sport Fishing Advisory Board and there’s lots of experience by members in these sorts of discussions to put forward the best possible case for our fishery. The important thing will be that the existing priority access for the recreational fishery in harvesting chinook and coho salmon before any commercial harvest takes place is maintained.
On other topics briefly, the new license year has started without a change to the fee structure, now 23 years and counting. Surely one of the all-time bargains from government after that long a time period so enjoy it while you can – at some point the fee structure will change i.e. increase significantly, but hopefully in exchange for agreement with government that all the additional revenue will return to the Pacific region to be used in ways that better support management of the recreational fishery. A topic to be explored more fully for another time.
And just like last year hot chinook fishing has broken out across much of the Strait of Georgia in recent weeks, something to give hope for the rest of the summer season ahead.