Monday, March 3, 2008

Charter Halibut Allocation/Reallocation: Initial Review

We had better get some input on this issue. 125% of the 2001-2005 avg charter harvest (GHL updated thru 2005) is the only equation relevant to the 21st century. A ten year old GHL is out of date and out of reality. Setting a harvest level with a flawed census that is only beneficial to the over burdensome commercial interests is the clasic case of the monopoly holders dictate the rules . This is a felonius assault on the free enterprise system. A federal governing board is held to the constitutional free enterprise system. Does anyone know a constitutional lawyer? Perhaps we think too small?
This is it, either you get onboard now with a linited entery with catch history verified or you are an old man fighting the system! What a noble cause! Been There Done That!!!!

9 comments:

CaptBob said...

Some simple arguments come to light on a new allocation decision.
GHL was established based on 125% of the average 1995-1999 charter catch to allow for limited growth at the time it was implemented August 8, 2003, effective Sept 8, 2003
GHL was a maximum poundage with no regard to future biomass increases.
GHL was relative to 1999-2000 time frame because these were the two years most recent to the council's action.
GHL would never increase above the initial set level regardless of CEY increase.
Since 1993 the council chose not to control the entry into or the individual harvest of participants in the guided recreational fishery even though there was sufficient evidence the harvest was approaching the GHL. The council chose to ignore the lack of industry control until the 2005 moratorium which has not been submitted for secretarial review as of March 2008.
The basis for the GHL is now 12 years old and there is no immediate control to limit entry into the guided recreational industry.
Industry realizes the failure of the council in this issue and requests a new and fair allocation to provide the same opportunity for guided industry stability in absence of current entry control measures. This allocation must take into account the council intended growth provision, the temporal lack of industry entry limits, the stability of current guided recreational participants, the natural growth occurring until the moratorium is implemented and relative to the most recent time frame. There has been an increase of CEY during the years 1995 to present allocated to the setline fishery only while the council took no action to adjust the GHL in the favor of the guided recreational fishery. The ex vessel value to the setline fishery has increased even as the GHL was exceeded in area 2C providing evidence there is no economic hardship on the setline fishery.

Anonymous said...

I recently heard the Pollack fleet caught way less halibut than expected.
So what would happen if 10 of their 20 mil. lbs went back into the total TAC? We wouldn't get squat. We are stuck at a total lb. cap.We could be catching 1 % of the TAC and it wouldn't make any differance.
Why should we care what the by-catch is? (Besides the moral issues).
All such talk can only help the commercial fleet.
By-catch is a great hammer, but it only bounces off us. How can we use it to our advantage? Who is our direct competition?
How can we get the 1 million dollars spent on lobbiest's by the pollack fleet to work for us? Mabey we are trying to be friends with the wrong people.
How about " All unused poundage goes to our partners in sponsership - the sportfisherman who go out on charter boats" ?
I would gladly put a "Support Wild Alaska Commercial Fishing" sticker on my boat, hat or forehead for that matter. I hate haveing to tell hundreds of rich tourists every year that they should never buy wild alaska fish as it is only crippleing their sport fishing chances.
HELP SUPPORT SPORT FISHING IN ALASKA - BUY FARMED FISH!

mark said...

Eloquent and irrelevant. Until you stop hiding behind your anonymity, it's clear that YOU don't feel strongly about your words. If I were the moderator of this forum you would not even be allowed to post. At the risk of validating said post with my response, FNG, - We've been down this road before. You don't know this but we were down THIS haggard road a quarter-century ago, ten years ago, three years ago...In fact, I spent five months of 1980 on the first factory/trawler in the Pacific and have been trying to get the word out since. That's a battle against huge banks and the country of Norway and is best left for after our own house in order. As to "not buying wild Alaska fish", frankly, our commercial fishing brethren are more important than a never-ending supply of West Coast guides having the right to come and take their "God-given" slice. I don't care how comfortably you retire - those guys are my friends and neighbors.
Now, Where's Mezirow?

Anonymous said...

Hi Mark,

I just read your posts on here, nice stuff....

Listen if you have something to say to me, you know how to get a hold of me.

I am still here, same email, same phone number as I have been for the last 15 years. Still with as much to loose as anyone. Still going to meetings,one after the other.

If you have something to say to me, then do it the real way.

I don't do this kind of shit.

Call, email, come and see me, I am easy to get a hold of.

mark said...

I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE! Knowing where the words came from are as important as the words themselves and submitting anonymously is akin to not looking a man in the eye when conversing - What have you to hide if you're not one of the ones who cost me my livelyhood in '05? Fifteen years in the business doesn't exactly make you an old-timer but we all start somewhere - I don't have a problem with that (There's some new kids just starting out I hope to see make it). I don't care if you fish Deep Creek or even Seward. But, big BUT, If you are part of ACA then you have no credibility in my industry and if you're not, why are you hiding?

Anonymous said...

Mark. What do you do you mean by ACA?




And I have to post Anon, since I don't recall my old blogger login info.


Marc

Anonymous said...

Ok, I figured it out what you meant by ACA. I am new to this blog and just caught a tiny fraction of what's been posted and thought in the context you might be referring to our company, Alaska Classic Adventures, aaah our acronym is the same the Anglers' Conservation Association, great!

Well I just wanted to introduce myself as probably one of the youngest new comers to the industry with plans of definitely hanging around, always liked a good fight.
I am 31 years old and have been hunting and guiding most of my life, have only been doing it up here for around 5 years, and this is only our 2nd year in the halibut charter business. I am eager to learn as much as possible and contribute as much as possible. Lots of bullshit and information to process and quite frankly a lot of it makes me sick. I will continue to read much of these blog and comment when I can.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and post on such an important issue.

Marc
Alaska Classic Adventures

mark said...

Actually, It's the Alaska Charter Association, built on egos and deception, that I have the problem with. I'm the designated guy to actually say what most think and I DO step on toes ( even say stuff I later wish I hadn't now and again ). Sorry for not spelling out my acronyms. Pleased to meet you. Good luck in your chartering - You'd do well to talk with Tim up there, by the way - smart dude.

Anonymous said...

I am all for speaking your mind, if that's what you think, then by all means tell it the exact way you feel, too many folks water down their feelings to placate the audience as to avoid selective judgments. I am not one of them. I will speak my mind exactly the way I feel, yet I am not so attached to my positions where I can't stand up as well and say, I was wrong on an issue as well.

I am amazed at how there's been little to no progress on these key issues for how long now? 20 years or so? Seems like lots of stubborn folks protecting self-interests and not enough selfless leadership with the greater good intentions at heart. I will have to spend a good time reading a lot of this new information and talking with the good folks that have immersed themselves in the battle.

What are the Alaska Charter Ass. positions, are they stated somewhere on their website?

Time, runs the Deep Creek store as well, right? Been meaning to talk with him, seems like a really good guy.

I'll be around, thanks for the reply.


Marc
ACA(not THE ACA)