Recreational fishery switching to licence and tag system next year

[Peter Emberley]

DFO will announce consultation process in coming weeks

Get ready for some big changes if you're one of the thousands of people in Newfoundland and Labrador who take advantage of the annual recreational cod fishery.

Starting next year, you'll have to buy a licence before you leave the wharf. Then you'll have to tag every fish you catch. 

Officials with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans are still working on the details, although the basic information was revealed in May when the department announced this year's recreational fishery would expand from 32 to 46 days.

DFO explains the extra 14 days were introduced as a transitional measure "in advance of implementation of a license and tags regime" expected  next year. 

Right now anglers don't have to buy a licence or tag fish. But daily bag limits are strictly enforced, with stiff penalties for offenders.

Public to be consulted

"We're not looking at it as making it difficult for people," said DFO resource manager Patricia Williams. "We're going to a public consultation process over the coming number of months to hear what people have to say." 

The department said these measures will help DFO Science understand "the amount of removals and fishing effort" from the recreational fishery.

Williams told the St. John's Morning Showthat there's a requirement in DFO's regulatory regime that calls for a $10 fee for each licence, although the exact amount has yet to be determined.

Since, theoretically, every citizen could take and tag 230 fish, there's also potential for a lot of administrative jigging around. 

"There's all kinds of views out there," Williams said.

"So we're going to the consultation process to hear those voices and hear what people have to say and help us shape how we're going to introduce that licence and tags regime." 

Williams said the consultation process would likely be a combination of community meetings and online submissions where people would be encouraged to voice concerns and share opinions. 

The new rules will only apply to Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec's Lower North Shore.

She said the long-term plan is to make the rules consistent across the Atlantic region. 

Williams said details on the consultation process should be released in the next few weeks. 

[Peter Emberley]

I am 100% against license & tags for the 2017 recreational cod fishery. If we as Newfoundlanders have to buy a license and tags to fish cod fish on a recreational basis then so should every other Canadian. As a Canadian I am offended that we as a people are being treated differently than the rest of Canada.

[Boyd Winsor]

Why do we have to be subjected yet again to this nightmare?  This money grab was tried before & created a firestorm of opposition.Thousands of tags ended up littering the landwash with discarded heads. They will use scientific research as the grounds for justification when the real reason for tags is to justify the label of a recreational fishery as opposed to a food fishery. The bureaucrats within DFO do not want any notion created in the minds of Newfoundlander's that we have rights.  It is yet another example of bureaucrats and misguided politicians treating us like little children. Hunter Tatoo, the previous DFO minister, while on a visit to this province said and I quote, "The recreational fishery is a food fishery." I appeal to everyone to oppose this before it is to late. This is not the same as a recreational salmon fishery. We do have the right to catch cod for food. For many of us this way of life defines who we are as a people.

Has anyone noticed that since we have had the extension the numbers of people engaged in the food fishery is down. If we were treated like the rest of Atlantic Canada, there wouldn't be nearly as many people at the food fishery.

[mac]

Here we go again. more crappy red tape and stuff. Administration costs for this shit must be huge. we don't need this .I call it discrimination 1st degree if we are the only ones to have to have tags. Why are DFO always looking to go after US in the pocket.  Most of the fisheries from my experience and listening to the media is nothing only a mess most of the time. I AM CERTAINLY NOT IN FAVOR OF THE TAGS.

[kenneth Griffiths]

If they are trying it for research why do we have to pay for it. Angler's and hunting are paying enough now as it is. Just put up all license fees on all hunting license. If this is the case and e have to pay. We should get all our tags filled that day so the expense would not be so great. Labrador can fill all there tags all the same day. I don't like the tags it's all a racket. People getting charged for tags that don't lock. Wildlife and DFO should take a long look at our Provence regulations compared to the rest of Canada. Time to wake the f@#k up.

[GLENN BROOKS]

More garbage ideals from DFO.     Instead of trying to make a clean environment they are going to create another mess of plastic to float around in the Ocean. Also once again we got to be treated as second class citizens because we have to purchase a license to fish. Next it will be a license to pick blue berry's  because some one else got a berry farm. I grew up in the day where I rowed out and got a fish to eat when I wanted. Down here where I get cod we usually get cod the size of herring or a little bigger while off the north east coast they get a 5 gallon bucket of fillets out of 10 or 12 fish.

But I do support stiff penalty's for people who get cod to sale to other people.

[kenneth Griffiths]

There were a lot of charges last week.

[Boyd Winsor]

Once again some people are going to far with it. They give an extension which is more than adequate and I see the same crowd doing the quick turnaround. Stupid is what stupid does. We are our own worst enemies.

[Peter Emberley]

License and tags don't stop poachers. It don't work on big game animals or salmon. Why would it work on cod.
Don't forget this was one of the recommendations that the president of NFHA made to the federal fisheries minister. NFHA has no mandate in any way shape or form to speak on my behalf or anyone else's.

[GLENN BROOKS]

I am totally against tags,  however I talked with a federal liberal member a few days ago and it gave me a new outlook.  The member claims we need tags to monitor how much fish is taken out of the water so that we will appear to be having control of our stock. To try to make this clearer what I,m trying to say is.....if we don,t show the world that we are not taking too much stock we will put our self in a position where large restaurants chains etc,, will choose another fish supplier from another country instead of buying NL cod etc.

[Peter Emberley]

I don't believe that to be honest. They would tell us anything to shut us up. Our recreational cod fishery is less than 1% of the foreigners by catch. The previous liberal government had a license and tags. The Conservative did away with it. New liberal party same bull crap.
Don't forget this was one of the NFHA recommendations to the liberal minister.

[Boyd Winsor]

Why should the world care about what goes on in our recreational food fishery? This is BS. 

[GLENN BROOKS]

Makes sense what your saying Peter. Esp the 1 %