Gill net ban, NFN halts gill netting

http://www.nugget.ca/2014/10/19/nfn-halts-gill-netting

It's a start!
c/p
Nipissing First Nation has put a stop to gill netting on Lake Nipissing in response to concerns from its community members about the health of the walleye fishery.

Chief Marianna Couchie confirmed Saturday a recent decision by the band council to close down gill netting on the lake until spring when the recreational walleye fishing season opens.
She said the move comes after consultation with Nipissing First Nation community members, the vast majority of whom called for steps to curtail the use of nets on the lake.
“Many people wanted us to close it right down,” said Couchie, noting the band council opted instead for a temporary closure out of concern for community members whose livelihoods depend on the fishery.
She said gill netting is something that will be reviewed on an annual basis and that the long-term goal is to help find those who rely on the fishery alternative sources of income so they're no longer dependant or as dependant on the fishery.
Gill netting typically begins following an annual moratorium during the spring spawn and continues throughout the fall and even into the winter months.
Community consultations were called due to concerns about the health of the walleye fishery, with Nipissing First Nation indicating to its members during the summer this year's walleye harvest was expected to be greater than safe allowable estimates.
That was after the Ministry of Natural Resources indicated in March the walleye fishery is in serious decline and is now only half of what it was in the 1980s, mainly due to the combined pressure of both the recreational and commercial fisheries.
As a result the ministry did away with a slot size restriction aimed at preserving spawning walleye 40 to 60 centimetres in size and instead introduced a new minimum size limit to protect walleye up to 46 centimetres. The move was aimed at safeguarding young fish that have not yet had a chance to spawn.
In addition, the already contentious issue of gill netting was exacerbated this summer by the discovery of more than a dozen abandoned and unmarked nets on the lake.
Couchie said a total of about 200 community members attended the two consultation meetings that were organized by the band. She said one meeting was held strictly for gill netters. Couchie said gill netters aren't pleased with the closure, but she said the decision reflects the direction that the majority of community members called for.
gord.young@sunmedia.ca

Hopefully a step in the right direction. I would think that NFN wants a healthy fishery in Lake Nip as well as recreational anglers...

That is good news for the resource and understandably there will be some upset people as they will lose their source of income. This is the same scenario the NFLD cod fisherman were left with. They had to adapt quickly to keep food on the table and most of them did so.

I would like to see the people losing their income be trained to help police the resource so they can play an active role in ensuring that one day they will be able to again enjoy the benefits. Maybe they could also start a hatchery to help the resource and it can be run by the former commercial fishers.

Just my own opinions and suggestions, glad to see action now before things get worse and the resouce becomes unrecoverable.

Very interesting. Is anyone aware if this type of temporary closure has ever happened before?

I was under the impression the recreational fishing for walleye was as good this past summer as it has been in a long time (many caught although 95% had to be put back due to the new regulations). If so, why would the First Nation close their fishery? I guess my anecdotal observations are just that and the FN are seeing dangerous levels of fish - which is what the MNRF has been saying.

To me this is the end. I expect the MNRF to close the walleye fishery and there will be no ice fishing season for walleye this year. How could they not?

As a first nation member myself, I am appreciative of the ban. It is so hard to practise catch, and release from a gill net, or spear. Now that is just my personal perspective, and while I will respect any fishing under treaty rights, I truly hope everyone understands just how fragile fish populations really are. If you want to persuade me with scientific evidence, you better be a Newfie, with a whole boat load of Cod.