B.C. Longline Fishermen's Association
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.
May 3, 2008
To all Active B. C. Hook and Line 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.
I will be sending out a letter of support for this new association (yet to be named) which I am asking you to complete, sign and return. This letter, once signed, will demonstrate collective support from all who will benefit from a healthy fishery, a fishery that returns a fair percentage of the landed value to those actively harvesting fish . This support is imperative to the success of this mission. The goals and objectives of the Association is to make a sustained improvement in our industry, and to build a long term strategy to return fishing quotas back into the hands of active fishermen where it will be used to support a sustainable fishing fleet sailing from our coastal communities.
The letter of support is not only for fishermen to sign and fill out, but should include all companies or other entities who benefit from the hook and line groundfish fishery Your signature on this letter of support will give life and strength to this movement. I do not have all the answers to these problems, but I feel if we work together, collectively as a democratic group, we can solve these problems to best suit the fishermen’s interests.
As we know, the B.C. Hook and line Groundfish Fishermen are in a desperate state and if nothing is done soon the fleet will be operating under unsafe conditions and experienced crew will be non existent. It is time to take action to make the industry viable to ensure upkeep of the vessels and to pay our crew a fair wage to reflect the demands of the work and the sacrifices they make.
Please pass this message on to all persons involved in this industry who will benefit by being part of this Association. Strength in numbers and accountability to each other make this objective achievable.
In solidarity,
Art Davidson
This mission statement can be download by clicking here.
If you wish to download and sign a letter of support click here.
B.C. Longline Fishermen's Association
PO Box 2033
Sidney, B.C. V8L 3S3
info@bclonglinefishermen.com
