Written submissions on the review of the Gulf Atlantic halibut fishery

April 18, 2016

The Maritime Region Aboriginal Leaders
Intergovernmental Council of Aboriginal Peoples
Continuing to Reside on Traditional Ancestral Homelands

I know that everyone in clamoring for more, and there are a lot of interests to satisfy. As a thought, would it be beneficial to spread a bit more to the Aboriginal Communal Commercial Fisheries, since we are conducting a community fishery, rather than a private fishery. Also, shouldn't there be some priority or favoured support to accommodate our Aboriginal Fisheries to use ATP funds to buy back some ground fish licenses from those ground fishers who may wish to sell their licenses or retire from the fishery.

I know how difficult it is to change old habits and old practices and an old and long ground fish management history evolved over time. However, given that every ground fisher who is eligible to harvest Atlantic Halibut, should have the opportunity to fish. Should we not look at introducing some uniformity as to some reasonable "poundage" which each license holder can harvest within an accommodating TAC throughout the whole region. If there are too many licenses in existence for the total allowable TAC for the Region, then we need to first address that overabundance to what is available.

It begs the question, how can anyone call a one or two hour fishing effort a commercial fishery. How can a landed maximum landing of one hundred or two hundred pounds of Atlantic Halibut be called a commercial fishery.

In closing, I would also like to request a further meeting on the subject, to better understand what DFO is planning for the Atlantic Halibut Fishery, short and long term. We would like to dialogue with suggestions and views on how to expedite the meaningful involvement of the Aboriginal Communal Commercial Fisheries in the Atlantic Halibut Fishery. We also need to learn and understand the issues which other ground fish license holders have about the existing Atlantic Halibut Fishery.

Advancing Aboriginal Fisheries & Oceans Entities Best Practices Management a\ Decision making

Roger J. Hunka
Director

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Cc Tim Martin, Mime'j Seafoods Ltd.
Jason Harquail, ASN Seafoods Network
Jordan Crane, L'Nu Fisheries Inc.