Originally Posted by IronNoggin
Close.
Overall abundance was / is calculated by the combined efforts of US and Canada. From that a series of calculations (which were designed to be conservative in nature) determines what is available for each country. Up to the countries to then distribute, in our case, via DFO.
Commercial catch is / was set by quota based upon certain percentages of the overall abundance figures. For the past decade and change, those percentages have been reduced every single year.
FN harvest has climbed at the same time as the commercial rate dropped. Most believe they have climbed faster than the reduction of the commercial quotas, something I believe as fact. In addition, FN's were granted a series of racially segregated commercial fisheries, both offshore and in the rivers. That of course gobbled up huge amounts of quota which the department hungrily scrambled to strip away from any source they could.
Recreational access has steadily climbed over that same time period. The initial fixed rate was recognized as insufficient better than a decade ago, and has steadily climbed every year since. Last year's supposed "cap" was in the neighborhood of 120,000 - 140.000 Chinook. In fact, that harvest was over 230,000. In the case of this sector, and the FN's, there has been no real way to actively monitor and / or curtail fishing activities once target numbers were reached. That, for the recreational fleet, just changed dramatically.
In the current quagmire of operations under the newly announced restrictions, the commercial catch will be much more than halved (realistically approaching one quarter of previous years or less), the recreational harvest will be reduced less than half overall, and FN's (on paper) will realize slight reductions. Already many of the latter's leaders have noted they will not comply.
Again, this really should not be a peeing contest as to who takes what. That is exactly what the department wants - to keep us from forming a united front. I am involved in efforts to do just that, and I am going to continue. Be great if others can find a way to climb on board for the benefit of not only ourselves, but more importantly, the overall well being of the resource.
Cheers,
Nog - Retired Marine Biologist
|