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Volume 57 No.10
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Sentinel
Northern
www.northernsentinel.com
More halibut for rec fishery but... It’s a good news, bad news story to take 85 per cent of the CAC and for recreational fishermen and char- repeated the sports fishery charge ter operators when it comes to hali- that less than half of those quota but fishing this year. holders actually fish for halibut. On February 17 federal Fisheries Instead, they make money by minister Keith Ashfield announced leasing their quota to other commerthe recreational fishery’s share of cial fishermen. Canada’s allowable catch (CAC) The Pacific Halibut Managewas being increased to 15 per cent ment Association - it represents from the 12 per cent limit that has commercial fishermen - had quite a been in force for close to a decade. different take. (While charter operations are “Allocating fisheries resources commercial in nature, they are clas- based on who can lobby the hardsified as recreational for the purpose est is not in the best interests of the of the federal Fisheries allocation.) fish,” said manager Chris Sporer. However, that came in the wake Kitimat’s Halibut Allocation of the International Pacific Halibut Task Force was one of many groups Commission’s decision at its annual in BC that lobbied furiously for a meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, to change in the allocation in the run up cut the CAC by 8 per cent - from 7.6 to last year’s federal election. million pounds to 7.038 million. Sporer added a stable allocaIn other words, the Canadian tion framework “creates the proper sport fishery will get a greater share incentive for all participants to act of a smaller pie. responsibly and invest in conservaThat said, its share tion and the long term will still increase by “Recreational health of the resource.” about 40,000 lbs. comadded that anglers will whileSporer pared to last year to commercial fish981,000 lbs. experience ermen “are fully acThe catch limit refor all catch, the shortest countable mains one a day with both retained and rehalibut season leased”, the recreational two in possession. First Nations have fishery “is poorly moniin living been allocated 500,000 tored and has overharmemory.” lbs and the commercial vested in five of the last fishery 5.6 million lbs. six years. But if the minister thought his “Re-allocating fish from the well decision was going to be applauded monitored fishery to a poorly moniby the recreational fishery, he quick- tored one undermines conservation ly found out differently. efforts and responsible fisheries The Sport Fishing Institute of management,” Sporer maintained. BC charged that the changes would Meanwhile the BC Wildlife ensure “recreational anglers will ex- Federation (BCWF) said it was “disperience the shortest halibut season mayed” by Ashfield’s announcement. in living memory.” President Rod Wiebe said it was President Rob Alcock pointed now clear prime minister Stephen out that last year the fishery was Harper was not prepared to live up closed September 5 and “caused to his pre-election promise made in extensive economic damage to the Campbell River when he said, “We sport fishing industry.” remain committed to finding a soluAnd now Ashfield had served tion to BC’s halibut allocation issue notice the fishery could close in the in advance of the 2012 season that first week of August “which will strikes a fair balance.” wreak havoc...and will not conserve Wiebe maintained giving 85 per a single fish.” cent to a few hundred commercial Alcock pointed out the alloca- halibut quota holders and only 15 tion adjustment does not change the per cent to “the thousands of Canafact that Canada’s 436 commercial dians who fish for halibut” could not halibut quota holders will continue be considered a fair balance.
Wednesday, March 7 2012
1.34 INCLUDES TAX
$
Nearly 31 years after it had first been hoisted skyward at what was then the Ocelot methanol plant site, this refining column was taken down last Tuesday as demolition of the former Methanex plant continued. This photo was taken by Max Patzelt who recalled he had also taken photos of the column being installed back in 1981. See page 11 for more photos.
City budget sees 2.5% revenue hike After two years of rollercoaster budgets - a 20 per cent hike in residential taxes in 2010 an 11 per cent cut last year - mayor Joanne Monaghan says this year’s steady as she goes budget “feels very good”. She also said the new process went well with council not having to go through the juggling of the past. Monaghan explained that this time around council had directed administration, by motion, to bring in a budget that had a 2.5 per cent increase in tax revenues for the city. In the past the proposed budget council faced invariably called for a higher revenue hike than it would find acceptable and left it with the job of paring it down to something they could live with. This time department managers had done the paring based on what they could and could not do given the guideline set by council. While council still had an opportunity to go over the administration’s proposals, Monaghan
noted, “You don’t really want to second guess your department heads because they know what they need and what they have to work with.” The budget still has to go through some final tweaking but Monaghan said what they had now “is a good budget, there is something for everybody in there.” Monaghan also pointed out the budget contained “a rainy day” fund if needed. She anticipated that council would be having one more budget meeting, likely today, at which point it should be a done deal. Explaining the need for the tweaking, city treasurer Steve Christiansen said the books haven’t been completly closed on 2011 and once the final numbers are in on a number of budget line items, some minor adjustments may be necessary. Also to be finalised was the allocation of tax burden across the different classifications. “We want to give it a little more thought this year,” he added.
Sidewalks are worth saving...page 3