Cheers All,

Currently our local SFAB Rep (Clyde Wicks) is at the Prawn Multi-Sectoral Meetings and they are being beat up by commercials with no support from DFO. If you value your access to prawns you might drop a short note to the the following expressing your desire to prawn, your thoughts on the access to the resourece along with the manner in which the commercial has been almost given the entire resource. Short and blunt works!


Laurie Convey: Laurie.Convey@dfo-mpo.gc.ca



Sue Farlinger: Susan.Farlinger@dfo-mpo.gc.ca



Paul Sprout: sproutpa@pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca



Randy Kamp: Kamp.R@parl.gc.ca



Minister Shea: Shea.G@parl.gc.ca




Here is a copy that I sent:


Dear Sir and or Madame,

RE: PRAWN MULTI-SECTORAL MEETINGS



It was with great concern and deep disappointment that I heard about the proceedings at the current prawn multi-sectoral meetings. However, upon reflection, I also discovered that I was not surprised at either the position held by the commercial fleet nor the stance taken by DFO. It takes me back to the halibut allocations and the abandonment the sports fishermen were confronted with in establishing that fishery. That will NEVER occur again!

The commercial catch has grown from one million pounds a couple of years ago to over 6 million pounds last year. Each and every year their catch increases. The result? Last winter the recreational fishery where I live was shut down for ‘conservation’ reasons. And, when the recreational sector – through their duly elected representatives - ask for reason and sanity to prevail, as the resource cannot stand that type of pressure, they are ridiculed by the commercial side and again abandoned by DFO.

The commercial sector is claiming “ownership” of every prawn that swims in the ocean and this is not correct. The resource belongs to Canadians – each and every one – with equal access for all and not simply a few commercial interests.

Firstly I request that you stand up for the resource and curtail the rape of the sea by the commercial interests and secondly provide for equal access to the resource for the tax paying recreational fishermen who bring a lot more money to the pot from their access to this resource than the commercial interests.

Please be advised that I do not take kindly to your lack of action in defence of the resource, the bullying and pressure tactics by the obviously biased commercial sector nor being shut out from a recreational pursuit - through over exploitation by the commercial sector - of a most enjoyable past time. Please stand up – loud and clear – for the resource, for the recreational fishermen (who pay for your salary) and to send a loud message that this resource belongs to ALL Canadians and not simply a few commercial fishing thugs. And I don’t think I would be amiss when I request that our representatives be provided a civil and professional arena in which to convey our messages.

I thank you for your timely attention to this matter,

Sincerely,

Mr. Gerald J. Rupp
Nanaimo, BC
Taxpayer and Recreational Prawn User

Done. Re-worded somewhat:

Dear Minister Shea and DFO Representatives,

I am writing to express my concern and dismay regarding reports received from the proceedings at the ongoing prawn multi-sectoral meetings. I find the bullying and pressure tactics taken by the commercial sector, and the stance apparently favoring their position by DFO repulsive. These positions smack of collusion between the Department and a single user group, at the expense of all others who both use the resource, and care deeply about its' well being / sustainability.
It is more than a little reminiscent of the unilateral allocation regarding halibut access, and the quagmire we are now all immersed in as a consequence of that unfortunate action.

From DFO's own data base it can be drawn that the commercial catch has grown from one million pounds a few short years ago, to over 6 million pounds last year. This harvest rate has grown annually under your "management" policies. The results have to date been borne by the recreational sector, now facing "Conservation Closures" in many areas in an attempt to rebuild the stocks in order to support the next round of increased pressure from commercial interests. It would appear that there is no parity nor consideration being leveled towards the recreational sector, nor the resource itself in these decisions.

Although the commercial stance is one which expresses dominion over every prawn that exists in our waters, I always understood that this resource belongs to ALL Canadians, which includes equal access for all sectors, not simply regulated to a "possession" of the commercial fleet. Have I been in error in this belief? Is there yet another mechanism being undertaken to hand a public resource over to a private interest, turning what was once a "Common Property" now into a "Commodity" (as was undertaken in the case of the halibut allocation)?

From the reports generated from the sectoral meetings, it is becoming apparent that when duly elected representatives of the recreational fishery note the same type of concerns I am writing to express today, their concerns are simply ridiculed and rejected by the commercial sector representatives. While I do not personally find that all too surprising, the subsequent abandonment of the expressed recreational interests and concerns by the Department is more so. This leads to the question of whether the Department is truly considering the concerns of ALL sectors, or simply catering solely to those of commercial interests?

I am understandably quite disturbed by your lack of action in terms of responsible resource management in these matters. Further I find your catering to the pressure tactics openly displayed by the obviously biased commercial sector particularly nauseating. Catering to those interests has caused the recreational sector to realize limited, and at times, denied access to the resource due to over-exploitation of said resource via commercial fishery activities. This does not represent "responsible" management nor "equal consideration" in a great many folk's eyes.

I therefore call on you to responsibly manage the resource for the sake of its' conservation and sustainability, provide for equal access by ALL sectors when the populations are robust enough to support that, and to cease catering to a single (commercial) sector's interests above all else in these considerations. Further I would strongly suggest that as Stewards of the Resource, you provide the elected representatives of the recreational sector with a congenial atmosphere, representative of civility and professionalism, in which to present our sector's concerns - without the belittlement and ridicule that appears to be carrying the day within the ongoing discussions.

Time is pressing on this issue, the meetings are already underway, and obviously being side-tracked by the commercial sector. Your attention to these issues will greatly help in dissipating concerns regarding the Department's collusion with the same.

I would appreciate the courtesy of a response from each of you.

Sincerely,

J. M Stabler
Port Alberni
Concerned Recreational Prawn Fisher

CC:
SFAC Port Alberni
SFAB South Coast

thanks guys- will follow up.

excellent letters guys, I will be forwarding a letter myself. Especially since I haven't been able to prawn since December because of this.

Done

there is no way the commercial fisherman own the prawns and there is no way we will buy quota from them like the halibut

come on people lets get those letters going it doesnt have to be a big letter

Thanks for all the support guys. Your SFAB reps at the prawn meetings are Paul Rickard, Wayne Harling and Chuck Ashcroft. These guys put up with more abuse than most of us would tolerate. We own them a huge debt of gratitude. Whoever advised the commercial prawners to adopt the bully tactic they employed at the last meeting will live to regret it. They have finally gotten the recreational prawn fishermen off their butts. They have awakened a sleeping giant.

Cheers All,

The following was posted on SFBC:

Captain Gerald, Invictus Charters, please tell us what the difference is between a commercial prawn fisherman who pays into and manages the resource in a sustainable manner, to ensure that he will have viable fishing in the future, and a commercial fishing operator who takes untold #s of clients out every day and charges a big dollar and has no accountability re the amount of prawns taken from 'our' waters?

The big difference is that the commercial fisherman fishes for approximately 2 months, to a predetermined spawner index, then stops fishing for the following 10 months to allow the prawns to breed, lay eggs and replenish the population. You as a commercial sport fisherman are allowed to fish for 12 months and keep 200 prawns per day, including females loaded with eggs, all winter long. In your case it is 200 prawns times the number of clients on board each day plus the 200 per day for yourself. Just how much access to the resource do you feel you are entitled to? How much is enough? You still want more?

Do you have any idea what the topic has been at the prawn sectoral meetings? No, you obviously do not nor does your SFAB Rep who apparently sat in on the last meeting but had no idea what was going on or why he was there. Not once was it mentioned that commercial fishers are wanting to keep sport fishers from fishing prawns.

Your trashing of DFO is so far out of line that you make sport fishers look stupid. I hate to say but DFO was actually on your side. To be fair to your fellow fishers you really should get your facts straight before you send other naive people out on a witch hunt. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

So, keep those letters going out...you are doing a great job of looking foolish.

Do you truly represent the average recreational fisher or are you really only defending your commercial recreational fishing interests?

Signed,
prawnme


My reply:

Cheers prawnme,

Thank you for your response for it is in discovering the issues that we will also advance the solutions. I am at a bit of a disadvantage as while your response suggests you are a commercial fisherman, your lack of identification causes me to stop short of classifying you as such.

You will notice that my letter to DFO and others was under my personal name. That was deliberate. I am a charter captain, and I do own my own business but I spend way more time prawning recreationally than under charters. In fact I do very little when the commercial fleet is on the water due to their fond nature of pulling traps or simply cutting them. I have watched in disgust as they have laid their traps through popular recreational prawn fishing areas with total disregard for existing traps and, when they have fouled that gear, they act in total disregard for that fishermans ability to retreive his equipment. But I digress.

Please go back to your post and think through your response. I am a professional in every sense of the word. My service is to provide access to common resource (in this case prawns) that is owned by all Canadians and not simply a few commercial fisherman. That I charge people to use my boat, my equipment, my insurance, my fuel, my electronics or even my time - I think you get that point - is not the issue or is it?

In a convoluted and narrow fashion you may be correct that I have no legal accountability. I do not fish my guests to my license. Each and every person on board - be it friends, Canadian paying guests, or visiting guests, have purchased a license and are not only allowed to catch their 200 prawns/ day but are encouraged to do so. They have the blessing of DFO and legal authority to do so. The accountability lies with the license so, to be legal about it, the accountability lies with the license holder and, as such, they are the ones who are ultimately responsible - for their catch. The guests ensure they stay within that limit and, as a redundancy, so do I.

As a side note I will state the obvious that those guests put a hell of a lot more money into the economy per individual shrimp/prawn than any commercial prawn fisherman could ever contemplate. Not in an idividual boat for I could never alone put a dent in that number but it is the 'death of a 1,000 cuts' where all the recreational fishermen - using sports licenses (resident or guest) - vastly outnumber and make that final number quite impressive.

So what makes me a commercial operator is my status under Transport Canada as my guests are paying for my excursion but they are catching their prawns under their license. That therefore excludes me as a commercial prawn fisherman. There is a huge difference between a commercial guide and a commercial fishing operator. Please take note.

However I am accountable for the prawns taken out of the water on other levels. As a resident I care about my environment and the damage we do to it. I live overlooking the ocean and my legacy is to future generations. I am by trade a school teacher with 4 university degrees who has spent many years nurturing future generations of students so I care that there will be prawns for those future generations. I am accountable.

I have my own fishing license and I ensure that I stay within those limits that have been laid out. I catch my 200 prawns and do not exceed that limit. That limit has been there for years and has not changed. I am not taking more of this resource every year but, rather, staying within the same fixed guidelines. I am accountable for my actions.

I take friends out and ensure that they stay within their limits of 200/license. I am accountable.

I own my business and I understand that if we exceed a threshold then the resource suffers and, as such, so does my ability to attract customers. I have as much invested as in this resource as any commercial operator as I am accountable to my livelihood. I am accountable.

When fishing for prawns I ensure that not only do I but that my guests as well return berried females to the water. I have had conversations with regards to the survivial rate of prawns released and am told that due to sunlight on their sensitive eyes as well as the slightly less saline construct of the upper water column that the berried prawns do not survive as well but I still release them. I also note that according to regulations that I am not 'forced' to release them but that commercials are required to do such. Also, data strongly states that the mortality of the berried prawns would not adversely affect the final numbers in determining catch limits. However I do release them. I am accountable.

I fish within the legal limit of traps - 4 / license. I am accountable.

I do not keep my limits when fishing with guests on board. I am accountable.

I know exactly what is occuring at the prawn sectoral meetings. I not only attend my local SFAB meetings but also the ones on the other side of Vancouver Island as I also fish there. I have telephone conversations with my SFAB representative who is acting on all recreational fishermens behalf. I have emails regularly from my SFAB Representative. I am accountable.

My SFAB Rep - who I have the utmost confidence in without question - knows exactly what is transpiriing at the Prawn Sectoral Meetings and it was exactly his understanding that has prompted my response. He is accountable.

You ask me the questions: Just how much access to the resource do you feel you are entitled to? How much is enough? You still want more? In the immortal words of Jack Nickleson, "You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!"

I want the resource handled in a fashion that will provide for future generations. I want prawns for every citizen of Canada who wishes to explore the saline parts of our country in search of adventure and recreation. This is not a courtesy extended as a token but a integral part of being Canadian. This means that ALL resources - wood, water, air, land and, yes...even prawns belong to ALL Canadians and not a select few.

I do not wish a repeat of the Atlantic Cod Fishery where commercial interests raped the sea until she finally gave up in exhaustion. Cries of protest were ignored and to this day that resource is in question as to whether it will return in our lifetime - or ever. That will not occur here on my watch.

I believe that the TAC should be scientifically determined to provide for sustainablility. Not numbers derived from thin air but numbers that will provide for not only sutaining this increadible resource but numbers that will allow it to thrive. Then that TAC should be divided 50% to the commercial and 50% to the recreational. No exceptions. Then, if the TAC assigned to the recreational angler is not to be utilized in any year or given set of years, then it can be LEASED back to the commercial and the funds used for recreational fishing support. Perhaps fish hatcheries. Stream restoration. The ability to spend that income is already in place and it is only the income stream that is lacking. And, as DFO cries poverty at every rooftop, this income streame is sorely needed.

I am not trashing DFO - they do that on their own. It was under their watch that the Atlantic Cod Fishery occured. It was under their watch that the Pacific Halibut Allocation took place which saw the interests of the recreational fishery trampled under the demands of the commercial fleet. It was under their watch that the Pacific Prawn Fishery went from 1,000,000 pounds per year to 6,000,000 pounds per year while the recreational fishery was either curtailed, cancelled for months (Nanaimo) or pulsed. If this is the extent of the 'support' we receive from DFO perhaps then we need to seek alternative resolutions to these problems as, under DFO, we are not seeing good things occur. We need vocal and unwavering support in the recognition that the resources of Canada are a common resource and not simply there for the commercial taking.

You can rest assured that the letters - and if necessary - funding for legal objections to mismanagment of common resources will continue. If I look foolish - so be it. I don't know if I represent the average recreational fisher - as I am speaking on my behalf as one Canadian who owns part of this resource. You will have to ask others what they figure. My suspicion is that you will find I am somewhere in the middle with some more militant and others more forgiving. I can only speak for myself but I do know that "for evil to flourish good men only need do nothing."

As for myself - I AM CANADIAN AND DEAR SIR AND, AS I AM ACCOUNTABLE, I DOTH PROTEST!

Some awesome letters, I salute you all! Keep up the fight,.........BB

Emails sent
Thanks FG & Nog