Halibut 'gold rush' is on

Halibut season is officially underway.

Recreational fishermen have been waiting six months to get their hooks into the firm tasty white flesh of a Pacific Ocean treasure, and they would be wise not to put that fishing trip off too long.

While recreational anglers now get a bigger share of the total allowable catch than what was available in 2011, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans has reduced overall limits on halibut for the recreational and commercial sectors.

That could result in yet another early closure for halibut season. Last year the recreational halibut season closed Sept. 5, the earliest closing date in history, and depending on how fast the total allowable catch tallies up, it could be even earlier in 2012.

Canadians are allowed to reel in 7.04 million pounds of Pacific halibut in 2012, of which 981,000 pounds will be allotted to recreational fishermen, 500,000 pounds to First Nations, and 5.59 million pounds for the commercial industry.

The federal authorities have increased the percentage of the total allowable catch for recreational fishermen to 15 per cent, from 12 per cent in 2011, but the total recreational catch available has dropped from 1.24 million pounds last year to 1.08 million pounds this year. Now entitled to 85 per cent of the catch, a drop of three per cent from 2011, the commercial sector can take 7.4 million pounds of halibut, down from 8.8 million in 2011.

"The combined effects make a fairly significant difference from what was available to recreational fishermen last year," said Owen Bird, executive director of the Sport Fishing Institute of B.C. "Far from the announcement that Fisheries made calling it an increase that made for greater certainty, this does the opposite. It actually throws the whole recreational season into quite a lot of uncertainty."

Bird said the charter fishing industry and fishing lodges might have to deal with a "gold-rush mentality," as recreational fishermen scramble to get their lines in the water early in the season before the catch limits are reached.

"Not having certainty in the industry has a significant impact on charters, lodges and people booking trips in advance," Bird said. "We know people that came last year in the first week of September will be reluctant to book again at that time because they got there and couldn't catch halibut."

The Fisheries department has stated there will be opportunities to discuss halibut management measures that could potentially change the limits or impose time and area closures, and Bird says there is plenty of interest in the sport fishing community to provide input that would result in a longer season.

The SFIBC estimates fewer than half of the 436 commercial licence holders will fish for halibut and instead will get paid for leasing their access to other commercial fishermen.

"We don't have an issue with commercial fishing, or even that they would take the majority of halibut from the ocean, but we don't want them doing that at the expense of the rights of being a Canadian," said Bird.

Deep-sea fishing requires big bucks

George Runschke of Prince George admits his love of halibut fishing certainly eats into his retirement fund. He estimates it costs him $200 in fuel alone to haul his boat from 720 kilometres one way to Prince Rupert. A week in the water takes another $250 or $300 in boat fuel, and each night he spends in a campground costs him an additional $40 or $50. His boat and the insurance and maintenance needed to keep it going adds to the cost of his hobby.

"The recreational industry is a huge industry," said Runschke. "There are tens of thousands of recreational fishermen, we're the ones who are keeping the economy going, not the commercial guys."

Close to 300,000 people in the province buy $21 tidal water licences every year for a revenue total of $6.3 million. The B.C. government estimates saltwater recreational fishing generates $700 million in annual economic activity. The province's wholesale halibut market brings in $121 million.

Recreational tidal waters licence holders are limited to one halibut caught per day and are allowed only two in possession. Runschke said the regulation penalizes recreational fishermen who don't live near the coast.

"That doesn't make any sense to me," said Runschke. "I would have to have someone go home and take my two halibut and put them in my freezer for me to go get another two. The locals can catch every day until they shut it down."

Runschke said rather than imposing possession limits, it would be more equitable for everybody if all recreational fishermen were issued a certain amount of tags with every licence, and one of those tags would immediately have to be attached to each fish caught.