Official Proposed 2014 Fishing reg changes, Walleye 2 over 18" and bass a week early

Description of Policy:
The Ministry of Natural Resources in cooperation with the Lake Nipissing Fisheries Management Plan Advisory Council (LNFMPAC) recently drafted a new Fisheries Management Plan for Lake Nipissing. Lake Nipissing, a Specially Designated Water, is located within the broader Fisheries Management Zone 11. The proposed plan was developed using the Ecological Framework for Recreational Fisheries Management. It considers a broad set of lake and fish population objectives and management strategies that promote a healthy and ecologically diverse ecosystem. The plan recognizes the importance of maintaining and recovering sustainable fish populations and the significant cultural, economic, and recreational value of the fishery to the North Bay and surrounding area. The plan outlines proposed management actions, including regulatory changes to some fish species.

The ministry has strong concerns for the state of the Lake Nipissing walleye population. Recent data reviews show that juvenile walleye, currently the most abundant size classes in the population, are being harvested prior to maturing at a rate that is currently not sustainable. Further, surveys in 2013 revealed below average recruitment and a decrease in the overall number of adult females.

The current status of the walleye population is the result of an extended period of overfishing by both the recreational and commercial fisheries. The ministry is committed to working with the recreational angling community and the local First Nations regarding the long term sustainable management of the Lake Nipissing Fishery.

To aid in the recovery of the Lake Nipissing walleye population, the ministry is proposing a change to the current walleye fishing regulation from a protected slot size of 40 to 60cm to a minimum size limit of 46cm (i.e. no fish under 46 cm (18 inches)). There are no proposed changes to the current catch limit or season.

The ministry is also proposing to open the season for bass (smallmouth and largemouth) one week earlier than the current opening date, providing an additional week of bass fishing opportunities.

Management strategies for the lake have been informed by the best available science, discussions with the LNFMPAC and in consideration of preliminary feedback received in the early planning stages.

Consultation with, and engagement of interested and affected public, stakeholders, First Nations, and other governments and ministries has and will continue to form a critical component in the development of the Lake Nipissing Fisheries Management Plan.

Purpose of Policy:
The purpose of the posting is to seek input and comments from the public on the proposed Fisheries Management Plan for Lake Nipissing.

Other Information:
The proposed fishery regulation changes on Lake Nipissing require a change to the Ontario Fishery Regulations (OFR). The Fisheries Act, R.S.C., 1985, Chap F-14, as amended, and its regulations, including the Ontario Fishery Regulations (OFR), SOR/89-93 are not prescribed under the Environmental Bill of Rights. Under Subsection 14(1) of the OFR, the provincial Minister of Natural Resources may, through the issuance of a variation order, vary a close time, fishing quota or limit on the size or weight of fish where a close time, fishing quota or limit on the size or weight of fish is already fixed in respect of an area under these regulations.

The following web-links provide supporting information to the proposed Fisheries Management Plan:

Draft Lake Nipissing Fisheries Management Plan
http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/LetsF...ROD_098193.html

Lake Nipissing Factsheets and Data Review
http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/LetsF...ROD_098193.html

The proposed Fisheries Management Plan can also be viewed at the following location during regular business hours; please call to make an appointment:

Eric Cobb
Management Biologist
Ministry of Natural Resources, North Bay District
3301 Trout lake Road
North Bay, ON P1A 4L7
Phone: 705-475-5530 Fax: 705-475-5500
Email: eric.cobb@ontario.ca


Public Consultation:
This proposal has been posted for a 30 day public review and comment period starting March 25, 2014. If you have any questions, or would like to submit your comments, please do so by April 24, 2014 to the individual listed under "Contact". Additionally, you may submit your comments on-line.

All comments received prior to April 24, 2014 will be considered as part of the decision-making process by the Ministry of Natural Resources if they are submitted in writing or electronically using the form provided in this notice and reference EBR Registry number 012-1353.

Please Note: All comments and submissions received will become part of the public record. You will not receive a formal response to your comment, however, relevant comments received as part of the public participation process for this proposal will be considered by the decision maker for this proposal.


Other Public Consultation Opportunities:
A series of public information sessions were held during the spring of 2013 to inform the public of plan development commencement and to receive input into the development of the plan.

During the review and comment period, the ministry will be doing a local and provincial-level stakeholder mail-out to inform and invite the public to comment on and provide input into the proposed plan, through advertisements in local newspapers and other forms of media. The ministry will also be meeting with targeted stakeholder groups to seek input on the proposed plan throughout the comment period.

Thanks for posting Deluxe Camp, I beleive a lot of people will be interested in reading this. Before the bashing begins I hope all note that this is all still a proposal and that there is an avenue to state your opinion directly to MNR.

Not sure how to to take this one, I want to do all I can to help sustain the walleye population in Nipissing for years to come but this winter we only caught one walleye between ten of us in four days that would have made it into this new proposed slot size of nothing under 46cm.

I'm interested in how the gill netting of fish up to the 46 cm walleye is going to be managed.

That is a good question, but history shows the nets caught whatever the sport fisherman threw back in the 40 to 60 cm range. Just saying.

It is comments like this, after the administrator and moderator's of this board asked all not to go there, that confirms I would never book with your outfit.

How many people did you have stay at your outfit this winter, how many fish did they catch, clean and eat while there and how many did they take home at the end of their stay? Times that by how many outfitters operate up there over the winter and over the years then try to convince me that this does not contribute to the problem.

If we want to continue to enjoy many more years of walleye fishing on Nipissing then the blame game must stop and we all must do what we can to protect the walleye population in this lake.

You started this post but I wonder if you even read through it - The ministry is committed to working with the recreational angling community and the local First Nations regarding the long term sustainable management of the Lake Nipissing Fishery.

I totally support the fact that the walleye needs to be saved. If the MNR would like to lower the possesion limits or the min size thats fine. However start and control the gill netting and regulating the prosess little more. suggested net size 3" and the length of nets to say 75ft

It is comments like this, after the administrator and moderator's of this board asked all not to go there, that confirms I would never book with your outfit.

How many people did you have stay at your outfit this winter, how many fish did they catch, clean and eat while there and how many did they take home at the end of their stay? Times that by how many outfitters operate up there over the winter and over the years then try to convince me that this does not contribute to the problem.

If we want to continue to enjoy many more years of walleye fishing on Nipissing then the blame game must stop and we all must do what we can to protect the walleye population in this lake.

You started this post but I wonder if you even read through it - The ministry is committed to working with the recreational angling community and the local First Nations regarding the long term sustainable management of the Lake Nipissing Fishery.

Thanks for the feedback FatRap,

I did read it, it did say they are in talks with no mention of what will be like, that make's me wonder/ become interested in what that might look like.

That's what I wrote.

I didn't say they shouldn't fish I didn't say it was all the gill netters problem.

But they are part of the equation and I want to know what that looks like for the lake my business runs on, that's not a stretch to comprehend.

Do you think everyone with a net smaller then 3" will just stop or throw out the nets, I don't. So while every law abiding sportsman on the lake is doing there part as told to them from their government to save this lake you are saying we should not even ask what the gill netters intend to do as co-lake managers of this lake?

Here is the response i anticipate "we take as much as you do" the problem with that is they have zero checks and balances to prove that.

This is a proposed change that requires feed back, amboat22 had good points, these need to be looked at. They sound reasonable but are they practical or even proven to have an effect.

And Zero is the answer for this winter (or any winter) We close for the winter.

I would also propose as part of this change someone find some funding dollars for the MNR to have more of a presence on the lake and invest in more man hours in the FWIN study.

It is comments like this, after the administrator and moderator's of this board asked all not to go there, that confirms I would never book with your outfit.

How many people did you have stay at your outfit this winter, how many fish did they catch, clean and eat while there and how many did they take home at the end of their stay? Times that by how many outfitters operate up there over the winter and over the years then try to convince me that this does not contribute to the problem.

If we want to continue to enjoy many more years of walleye fishing on Nipissing then the blame game must stop and we all must do what we can to protect the walleye population in this lake.

You started this post but I wonder if you even read through it - The ministry is committed to working with the recreational angling community and the local First Nations regarding the long term sustainable management of the Lake Nipissing Fishery.

Thanks for the feedback FatRap,

I did read it, it did say they are in talks with no mention of what will be like, that make's me wonder/ become interested in what that might look like.

That's what I wrote.

I didn't say they shouldn't fish I didn't say it was all the gill netters problem.

But they are part of the equation and I want to know what that looks like for the lake my business runs on, that's not a stretch to comprehend.

Do you think everyone with a net smaller then 3" will just stop or throw out the nets, I don't. So while every law abiding sportsman on the lake is doing there part as told to them from their government to save this lake you are saying we should not even ask what the gill netters intend to do as co-lake managers of this lake?

Here is the response i anticipate "we take as much as you do" the problem with that is they have zero checks and balances to prove that.

This is a proposed change that requires feed back, amboat22 had good points, these need to be looked at. They sound reasonable but are they practical or even proven to have an effect.

And Zero is the answer for this winter (or any winter) We close for the winter.

My comments to you had nothing to do with disputing the walleye fishing on Nipissing. They were to point out that when people bring up the gill nets everyone reads it that the finger is being pointed at the commercial Native fishing which is sure to start a war on here which has happened so often in the past and what the people who manage this board have requested so many times that members don't go there and to correspond to posts on here in a politically correct manner.

This is a topic that involves all of us, all I am trying to do is keep it politically correct so it can be further discussed and everyone get a chance to have their say, if it goes the other way then there is a good chance the topic will be locked out.

Point in question, since your statement about the gill nets two other members have jumped in with their comments about gill netting and this is where all the political incorrectness starts.

No more than we like to hear that it is the sport fishermans fault do the commercial Native fishermen want to always hear it is their fault either.

The mesh sizes being used are 3.5" and 3.75". Anything under this the fisherman say are way too small and increases the bicatch 2 fold, and anything larger like 4" the fish are too big and illegal to sell due to contaminates.

I get it FatRap, but the need to have this change (in fishing regs) is upon us and sportsman are only 50% of the issue and now is the time to discuss it.

If there is a FN fourm for this please let me know.

This lake is co-managed and if only 50% of us are getting the short end of the stick, I will raise a stink with every politician I can, but before I do I would like to know what is being done.
If there is a t## for tat then fine, all I want to know is whats the tat.

I don't think they can cut the take limit or the the two tier fishing licence wont make a difference.

The next time to bring this up is when the walleye fishery is dead.
Or they shut the winter fishing down (ie rice lake)

I would encourage everyone to ask this question before we accept this new reg.

FatRap - I think the mods and the Admin are quite capable of stepping in when they see fit, as they have in the recent past. They apparently don't have an issue with DeluxeCamp's posts. Let it be. It's not your job to try and keep it "politically correct". Thank you.

Yeah, the topic can get heated. There's no reason it has to be avoided like the plague as there are some of us who are quite capable of discussing it in a civil manner. No personal attacks, no blatant fingerpointing, etc. This is the Lake Nipissing forum and it is a dirty reality that concerns the lake. What good does it do to stick our heads in the sand.

http://www.nugget.ca/2014/03/26/the-future...re-than-walleye

So to answer my question "We will be working with our harvesters to reiterate their responsibilities as well to preserve the walleye for the future."

Well thank Christ half of the bio mass yield will be protected with a bloody reminder not to fish the lake out.

I should also mention the three other articles posted in the nugget

http://www.nugget.ca/2014/03/26/walleye-ma...oke-and-mirrors

and

http://www.nugget.ca/2014/03/25/mnr-catch-...-at-two-walleye

and

http://www.nugget.ca/2014/03/25/operators-...its-not-reduced

Well, I read everything...the proposals to the comments in the Nugget.

Took me several hours and now I have a headache

My summary is this.....

Mnr failed to recognize the complexity or simplicity if you like of the importance of juvenile walleye from the get go.

this was clearly demonstrated by the fixation of the "majic slot size" put into place and once the realization came that it was not working as well as believed a limit reduction was implemented from 4 to 2 fish.

Obvioulsy this did not work either.......as sport fisherman were clearly announcing "how great" the fishery was........but for juvenile walleye primarily.

Now we have a complete about face in an atttempt ot protect these juveniles .ergo the 2 fish rule of 18 inches plus. This means that the vast majority anglers will not catch this size at all.....period.

I am ok with that though

What I am not ok with is

1. the refusal to even consider additional stocking for the lake

2. the refusal to engage in reducing the Cormorants.

I say this because not every management tool that is available is being used yet again.......only the simplest of all.

reductions or size limit changes.

I can for sure live with it, but I do not think it will change anything in the long run for the enhacement of the walley fishery for this lake.