City of Prince Rupert wades into fish table scrap

The City is asking the two parties in the Rushbrook fish table dispute to put aside their differences for the remainder of this season with the hope that the Port Edward Port Authority will allow the tables to remain for this summer.

The city is hoping for a delay in the removal order scheduled to take place July 31st, the decision to remove the tables has caused a fair amount of anger in the sport fishing community who feel they are being treated poorly by the local harbour authority.

The Daily News featured Mayor Herb Pond’s sense of shuttle diplomacy as the headline story in Thursday’s paper.

CITY HOPES TO TURN THE TIED ON FISH-TABLE DECISION
Mayor Herb Pond calling on all parties to work on better waterfront facilities
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Pages one and three

The City of Prince Rupert is asking the Port Edward Harbour Authority to keep the fish-cleaning tables at Rushbrook Floats, at least until the end of the season.

Prince Rupert Mayor Herb Pond said the city has written and spoken with management at Rushbrook Floats asking them to delay implementing the decision to remove the tables, slated for July 31.

“We sympathize with the reasons motivating them, and we’ve been assuring them, while it is not directly a city issue, we are willing to work with them and others during the winter to make sure we hit the next season with a solution that works for everybody,” said Pond.

Sports fishermen are upset with the decision to remove the tables. However, the Port Edward Harbour Authority has defended the decision, claiming the tables cause congestion at a small-craft harbour and the facility is primarily intended for commercial use, not for sport fishermen.

Pond said the city is aware that the harbour gets funding in order to operate to serve the commercial fleet - and that it is its primary purpose.

At the moment, the waterfront needs improving for all sectors, he said.

He also defended the city’s decision to put in a parking meter at Rushbrook Floats earlier this season, including the decision to charge seasonal charter operators a higher seasonal parking fee than recreational fishermen. The parking pass, $300 for a local charter operator to park a vehicle and trailer for the season, includes unlimited use of the launch site but not dock use.

The fish cleaning table and parking issues are two separate issues, said Pond.

“We would have the parking issue regardless – the boat launch is there no matter what,” he said.

Pond said all user groups need to work together and improve Prince Rupert’s waterfront from one end to the other.

“We need to improve it for everybody. Again it’s not necessarily something that falls completely to the city but we want to play a key role for that,” he said.

This includes the commercial fleet, the sport fleet, the recreational fleet and the yachters.

“The demands on our waterfront have changed dramatically but largely because of the downturn we haven’t kept up and now we are playing catch up,” Pond said.

While the company behind the Chances Community Gaming Centre has discussed the option of putting in a new recreational marina near the facility, this would be several years down the road and no other plans have been announced to deal with the problem.

That’s why they need a plan.

“If we can get through the summer season I would love the city to play a role in the planning process that identifies some funding and some targets, one at a time, to make this better,” he said.
“At the end of five years, perhaps we can have a waterfront that works for everybody.”

Rushbrook cleaning tables to be removed at end of the month

The sport fishing industry is up in arms over a recent decision by the Port Edward Port authority to remove cleaning tables from the Rushbrook floats as of July 31st.

The move seems to have stemmed from an ages old dispute between the commercial and sport fishers for space at the congested docks. By removing the cleaning tables, sports fishing charter operators are warning that business for them and for other small businesses in the city may suffer. The plan to remove the tables comes on the heels of the city launching an increased parking enforcement policy in the Rushbrook area, which has left many visitors to the city confused by the rules and surprised by tickets at the end of the day.

The Daily News featured the story and some of the fallout from the decision on the cleaning tables, as its front page item in Friday’s paper.

SPORT FISHERS FUME AS FISH TABLES ORDERED OFF FLOATS
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily News
Friday, July 13, 2007

Page one

The recent decision by the Port Edward Port Authority to order the removal of fish-cleaning tables from the Rushbrook Floats is ridiculous, claim charter fishermen and local businesses.
"People come down here specifically to watch the boats come in and guys clean fish," said Northern B.C. Fishing Charters operator Steve Carpenter. "It helps the charter guys get clients, it helps Bob's [On the Rocks] sell food, and they will lose all that business. We're getting pressure by the commercial guys not to dock there, and it's just not right. Everybody should be able to share the facility."

The issue stems from a history of complaints by commercial fishermen and vessel operators about the congested dock.

Up until now, sport and charter fishermen have been able to use the dock to load, unload and clean their catch on two large metal tables installed at the bottom of the dock ramp.

But a recent decision handed down by the Port Edward Harbour Authority general manager Richard Hill will see the Rushbrook cleaning tables removed after July 31.

"A few of us were informed, but the decision was made without any prior consultation with us," said Randy Janzel, owner and operator of Unreel Charters in Prince Rupert. "The Port Authority just said They're going, and that's all there is to it.'"

"We'd like to resolve it in the fall when we all have time and we're done our season," said Janzel, who's sent out a letter to city councillors asking for help. "We definitely have to clean the fish for our customers, and it's the only place we can load and unload our clients in Prince Rupert. So it only makes sense we do it there. And we all have small boats, so we can't put facilities on our vessels."

The dock space available at Rushbrook has been a contentious issue for years because the marina is primary intended for use by commercial vessels. Currently, other fishing vessels are allowed to moor boats there for the season, but only before the first three fingers, which are reserved for commercial fishing boats.

"The commercial guys are saying we're parked in their loading zone too," said Janzel. "The solution that needs to take place is policing the loading zones, which has never been done in the 15 years I've been chartering here. There's a two-hour maximum time limit to park there, and after that there's a $50 an hour charge. There's guys that park there for three days in a row, both commercial and sport fisherman included, and there's never been a fine handed out.

They're very aware of it, but they just let it slide. That would be an easy solution, but I don't think that's ever going to happen."

Local business people are also concerned about what the disappearance of the cleaning tables might mean for their businesses.

"It sucks," said Heather Vibert, co-owner of Bob's On the Rocks. "Because all those charter guys use those tables, a lot of their clients buy our ice. It's going to be hugely inconvenient. Locals come and watch the catch of the day, and if there's no tables down here, there's no locals coming down, so they're not buying coffee from me, they're not buying ice cream from me."

"I think it's a slap in the face to all the charters who are out to make a living, and myself," said Charmayne Carlson, owner of Dolly's Fish Market where many people have their fish packaged. "It's going to detour a lot of tourists, a lot of sports fishermen from coming in. It's a cost-effective way for them to bring their fish to me. This is a high tourist area, and 90 per cent of the people coming in are not from the cruise ship. It's sports fishermen spending a lot of money in this town. And it's not only me and Bob's, it's everybody."

See Monday's paper for the response from the Richard Hill of the Port Edward Port Authority, and to learn what local politicians think about the issue.