May 14, 2007
VANCOUVER - As the recreational-fisheries season opens in B.C. today, better accountability is needed to avoid the overfishing and damage to stocks seen in previous years, according to the David Suzuki Foundation.
"The rockfish in the Strait of Georgia are already very depleted and they still show no signs of recovery," says Jay Ritchlin, a marine campaigner with the David Suzuki Foundation. "If sport fisheries aren't better managed, depleted populations of fish may never recover."
Staying within scientifically derived harvest levels is the basis for sound fisheries management, but last year the total recreational harvest of halibut was 2,260,000 pounds, which was 700,000 pounds or 42 per cent over the allocated catch level. Similarly, over the past five years the recreational rockfish fishery in the Strait of Georgia exceeded its total allowable catch (TAC) by 43 per cent.
Although the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is able to impose in-season closures when the TAC for rockfish or halibut is met, it is choosing not to for fear of disrupting the sport-fishery business.
While commercial halibut fisheries are now highly accountable, with 100 per cent dockside monitoring, tagging of all fish landed, monitoring of bycatch, and observers and/or video cameras on all vessels, the recreational fishery-monitoring program is limited, sporadic and also relies in part on voluntary information.
B.C.'s sport fisheries could be better managed by limiting season length, enforcing limits, closing particular areas, and imposing in-season closures when catch limits are reached, Mr. Ritchlin says.
For more information, please contact:
Jay Ritchlin, Marine Campaigner
David Suzuki Foundation
Tel: 604-732-4228 x234
jritchlin@davidsuzuki.org
Ian Hanington, Communications Specialist
604-732-4228 x238
ihanington@davidsuzuki.org
