Hi Ann!
I know you do your homework... I did not mean to offend anyone, as a matter of fact, I am not sure what you are refering to. All I am saying is that things are not always as they seem, or, as they appear to be when we write things on the net. Now that the agreement in principal is online, everyone can see what the stakes are. IMHO there is not much that is being taken away from anyone, as I see it, about 55-60% of the waters that have tentatively negotiated are on the ST-JEAN and not in the prime sectors of the York. THEN AGAIN, I am NOT THE expert on those rivers, sure I know them, but would never pretend to know as much as you, Bill and others about what sort of effect this will have on access to the rivers and certain beats.
My simple point that I would like to make is the following. If we want the salmon reasource to be just that, a REASOURCE for OUR REGION and OUR WORKERS, we need to use it intelligently. In my world, there would be room for RESIDENTS within a 75/25 framework, some water offered to outfitters, guides with businesses, having a set clientele, native rods, and public draw access. If you look at it from what the reality is and has been, outfitters (which I am no longer) have businesses, just like guide operations (who are also very vital to employment for our area) and need to have some access to waters so that they can continue to attract guests, which in turn will continue to provide jobs to our area.
The sticking point is two-fold, first, the illusion that has been created is that outfitters are trying to take over. This is simply foolishnes. If everyone would just look at what attempts have been made to create a fair system so that OUR REGION could continue to exist, i.e. jobs, then I think most people would understand a bit more. Ann, you must be aware of all of the layoffs in the forestry industry here. Now that we have lost hundreds of jobs what other resource do we have to survive on? You live off of fishing, as do your employees, my old employees, Glenn's, Bill's and others in the industry. Should all of US come second and third to anglers who come during the prime time only, who kill the resource, who come only when the fishing is good, or, from time to time? IMHO the answer is NO. If people like you, Bill, Glenn, and others are willing to invest THEIR money and their lives along with THEIR employees, it is their responsibility to fight for a place, albeit small compared to the GRAND scheme of things, in order to operate.
I think that most non-residents should consider themselves lucky to be able to come to this area and fish on their own, in N.B there is mandatory guiding and outfitters. Residents have lots of rivers to fish on throughout the Gaspesie and lower N. Shore including the N. Shore. I can understand that some may feel as if special deals are being made, however, I am SURE that the vast majority, not just the vocal minority, is in favour OF SOME SORT, that we properly use our reasource for the GOOD of our economy in parrell with the good of our recreation time. After all, for most anglers it is a sport, not a means of putting bread on the table.
My REAL POINT in all of this is simple. We must all stop fighting about who will manage the reasource. WE neen to collectively put our heads together, look at the FACTS, and come up with a solution to how to CONSERVE the SALMON. If we do not, we will no longer be fighting about managing empty rivers. Unfortunately, there are people that only see black and white. Salmon are Silver, somewhere in between, maybe we would do well to consider them FIRST, whilst we try to figure out who has the RIGHT to fish for them.
Again, let me make myself perfectly clear about MY POSITION, and I too have done a lot of homework and have sat at many meetings about this issue. People have to stop trying to CONTROL, this goes for the outfitters and the FGRSQ both. The disinformation, or rather, the lack of concrete information on what this reasource means to our area and our local economy has been somehow lost in this debate. It is a simple fact of life that salmon are a reasource and it is high time that we recognize this and get on with fairly alloting part of it so that we can insure our own futures as guides, cooks, shoreboys, drivers, booking agents, outfitters, etc... THERE IS PLENTY of water to fish and lots of salmon to fish over. However, when you get a poor year like last year, there are no anglers. So why is everyone bitching about accessibility when there are thousands of days available to fish but no anglers fishing??? Answer that question and you get a gold star!
Ann, I have the utmost respect for your knowledge of your area and your passion for the sport. You are truly a good steward and mouthpiece for this area and for the salmon. I find it quite unfortunate that this debate has divided some of us who, after all, are all working for the same thing. Fair accessibility to our reasource. The word FAIR will always have different meanings to different groups and individuals. That is a simple fact of life.
I can tell you that there is simply too much disinformation as to what is really at stake here and it is very sad that things have gone this way. I got out because I was finding myself spending too much time defending certain points and not enough time defending the salmon. Today, my number 1 priority is to talk salmon fishing and conservation. That is all that really counts. Like I said, a couple more poor years of fishing and there will be no problem for anglers to get on the rivers, who will want to fish over rocks? It is high time that everyone put a bit of water in their wine and settle this once and for all. If not, non-residents and residents from away will simply give up on us and we will all be out of jobs.
Ann, I wish you the best, as always and hope to hear from you sometime in the near future.
Screaming reel and frowning rod to you,
Davd Bishop
Guide