Dear sir,
Kitimat residents have formed the Kitimat Halibut Allocation Task Force. I was honoured to be elected as Chairman of this dedicated and enthusiastic group of concerned citizens.
We are confident that once Kitimat residents become aware of the Inseason Halibut Closure caused by a grossly unfair DFO Halibut Allocation Policy, they will do their part in correcting this injustice.
If everyone does their small part, collectively we can all make a big difference..
The Kitimat Halibut Allocation Task Force has created some “Tools” to help.
We have created a Kitimat Halibut Allocation Task Force Poster, Fact Sheet and a Website. http://fightforhalibut.wordpress.com/
You will soon see our poster/fact sheets all across Kitimat in the near future. Overwaitea has kindly offered their bag stuffer service to distribute these. Please do not throw these out - pass them on!
The fact sheet and website will provide all the necessary information to inform everyone of the grossly unfair DFO Halibut Allocation Policy that is causing this closure.
These tools will also help everyone to write a letter and provides the prime minister’s address and e-mail address of who to send copies of your letters to.
We are writing the prime minister because the Sportfishing Institute (SFI), the Sport Fishing Advisory Board (SFAB) and BC Wildlife has been negotiating with DFO for seven years.
Seven years of negotiating has not produced a fair and equitable Halibut Allocation Policy for all Canadians, including the commercial Sector.
Four or five years and thousands of letters has not convinced this DFO minister that the current Halibut Allocation Policy is grossly unfair to all Canadians.
The Kitimat Halibut Allocation Task Force has organized strategies to oppose this Inseason closure and the policy that has caused the closure.
Our letter writing campaign involves the “Power of One” strategy.
After writing your letter, please consider using it as a tool to first help your family to write one. Then your friends, your relatives, fishing partners, co-workers and so on.
Along the way, please ask each person to contact two people to write a letter and then they contact two people and so on.
By applying the Power of One strategy, every letter writer should be creating their own network of letter writers that will grow exponentially but starts with you.
If everyone does their small part, collectively we can make a big difference!
I am available at our store (City Centre Hardware) 7-8 p.m., Monday to Wednesday to help anyone write a letter to the prime minister.
The Kitimat Halibut Allocation Task Force meets Thursday nights at 7:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce building.
Everyone is welcome to attend. In fact, everyone is urged to attend, please!
Our poster will draw your attention to the Inseason Halibut Closure to Recreation Anglers. Recreation anglers will be prohibited from fishing for halibut in July or August and the commercial sector will fish until December 31.
Letter writers need not concern themselves with the technical details of the Halibut Allocation Policy except to say that it is unfair for all Canadians and the prime minister needs to instruct the DFO minister to change it or resign.
An updated contact list of Kitimat Halibut Task Force members will be circulated shortly. Please feel free to contact any Kitimat Halibut Allocation Task Force member who you feel most comfortable writing a letter with.
They should have a sample of their letter to guide you or there are sample letters on our website http://fightforhalibut.wordpress.com/ Our Fact Sheet and Website will provide all information you need.
Canadians not writing to protest previous closures and reductions of halibut opportunities is what got us where we are now and our situation will only get worse.
The Kitimat Halibut Allocation Task Force urges you to join the fight.
Letters need only to include three short, concise points how this Inseason Halibut Closure will affect you personally.
I personally want to be able to fish with my children, Julie, Michelle, Brandon and Corey, and my grandson Chase now and in the future.
I know I speak for every Kitimat Halibut Allocation Task Force Member when I say we would be proud to stand up and fight along side each and everyone of you to preserve our rights and the rights of all our children and grandchildren to fish for Halibut.
Yours in Unity!
Ron Wakita,
Chairman,
Kitimat Halibut
Allocation Task Force