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Sportfishing meeting set for Wednesday

The BC Sportfishing Coalition’s Southern Vancouver Island bloc will be holding a town hall meeting in Victoria on Wednesday January 12, 2011 to discuss the growing crisis in the recreational halibut fishery.

The BC Sportfishing Coalition’s Southern Vancouver Island bloc will be holding a town hall meeting in Victoria on Wednesday January 12, 2011 to discuss the growing crisis in the recreational halibut fishery.

Recent management decisions by Fisheries and Oceans Canada suggest the 2011 recreational halibut fishery will operate under reduced bag and possession limits, may open late and close as early as mid-July.

The meeting will be held at the Four Points by Sheraton Victoria Gateway Hotel on Wednesday Jan. 12, at 7 p.m. to discuss the future of the recreational halibut fishery, single out what local impacts can be expected and consider the potential effects on B.C.’s $ 650 million tidal sport fishing industry.

“British Columbia’s sport fishery continues to be damaged by the failure of former Liberal Fisheries Minister Thibeau’s halibut allocation policy,” said Christopher Bos of the Southern Vancouver Island Anglers Coalition,  “even though no conservation issue applies.  In 2011, we face great uncertainty and significant reductions to our fishery, while DFO continue to mismanage the resource and by doing so protect a few greedy commercial halibut quota holders, many of whom don’t even fish.  It is now high time we, the people, put a stop to this madness before the public halibut fishery is completely ruined and more ominous DFO start allocating our salmon, prawns and crabs in the same ridiculous fashion.

“I strongly urge everyone who has an interest in sport fishing to attend, learn how they can help make a difference and get involved, because the future of the fishery they love is at stake,” Bos added.

Four Points by Sheraton Victoria Gateway Hotel (Westshore Ballroom) is located at 829 McCallum Road in Langford behind Costco.