This association will be formed to represent all active hook and line fishermen and protect their interests in the fishery we conduct.  This association will bring strength, vision and viability back to the active fishermen.

The Pacific Hook and Line Groundfish fishery is an amazing, and wonderful resource that is sustainable, and very well managed. The market is excellent and one would think that this would bring affluence to the fishermen. On the contrary, 70 to 80 % of the landed value is being captured as resource rent, in most cases, by those who own quota, while the active fishermen are being forced to deal with rising monitoring, fuel and maintenance costs out of the remaining 20 to 30% of revenue. This is not healthy for the fishery to continue. In fact if this does continue, we could see a total collapse of the B.C. hook and line groundfish industry as we know it.

It is time to stop pointing fingers at individuals and companies.  Almost all active fishermen are now in the position of having to pay lease fees for at least some, if not all of the quota that they access . Solutions that will reverse this trend in the long term and provide fair lease trading prices in the short term need to be developed now.  We need to be accountable to each other and that can best be achieved by forming an Association to represent all active fishermen, and ensure this objective is achieved.  Our collective voice and strength will protect the rights of fishermen and make the industry viable again.

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B.C. Longline Fishermen's Association
PO Box 2033
Sidney B.C. V8L 3S3
info@bclonglinfishermen.com