New 3 year agreement with NFN on walleye recovery

https://news.ontario.ca/mnr/en/2019/03/onta...e-recovery.html

Ontario has signed a new 3 year agreement/extension with Nipissing First Nation to continue their joint efforts to support the lake's current walleye recovery that's underway.
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been a critical step forward by both the OMNRF and NFN to combine efforts, data and resources for the benefit of the fishery.

Lets hope the lake keeps moving forward. Thanks for posting Grumpa.

Cheers
Kerry

Great news, every bit counts to help sustain the walleye popuiation

So is there anything in there that limits the commercial harvest?

There's a 'mutually' agreed upon commercial harvest quota establish for the year. If the quota is reached prior to the end of the commercial netting season, NFN has discontinued netting operations.
Generally, commercial netting has ceased as of September and even as early as August most seasons.
Joint co-operation and adherence has been good.

What confuses me is why sport fishermen have to adhere to a size limit. But NFN can harvest any size walleye. But agreed any cooporation is beneficial.

Always appreciate these links, keep it up grumpa

The NFN commercial fishery is size selective because of the mesh size of the gill nets used. In their Fisheries Law the nets have to have a 3.75 inch stretched mesh size. This restricts the size of fish caught. Also any large Walleye cannot be sold because of mercury.

Saw that the mesh size increased to 3.75. my question is what size does that

catch or not catch?

I'm no rocket scientist...but by my observation over the last 6 years
is..... the net size reflects the amount of keepers you see each year. Plenty of non-keepers every year...but they mysteriously vanish over the coarse of the next ice season. Just an observation...........

We've been going to bungalows for 4 years with 6+ people for 4 days each time. While we caught a good number of walleye, we did not catch a single keeper in this time. Additionally no huts around us caught any keepers either. We've been going early in January and with one of the best regarded operators on the lake and we are experienced fishermen.

So from my experience anyway, the recreational harvest is almost ZERO already. If harvest is in any way preventing restoration of the fishery, it's because of commercial fishing.

We are giving up on Nipissing and looking for greener pastures. I guess maintaining commercial fishery is the only interest on that lake.

I don't know what this means, not being an expert. But I would think any net that catches smaller fish would also catch larger fish. From what I've read, there are other types of nets, that allow for a more selective harvest, of course these would require more work and less of a haul per haul. If larger fish can't be sold, what happens to them?

Couldn't agree more, I will continue to go just because we love Nipissing and the whole Ice fishing experience. But seriously, sportsfishermen have been more then patient, and bring a ton of cash to the area. Give us something, even if it's one fish any size, something anything, two fish per hut, if you go with an operator. Get creative, we bring in millions of dollars, time to show a little appreciation.

Usually i would not comment on this as its been a long pointless recurring topic and considered negative and Racist.Beating a dead dog as they say so absolutely a waste of time.I'm glad WTF used the word Commercial as that is the point and nothing else.Not about first rights,it's about MONEY,nothing else,Encouraged,endorsed and allowed retail sales brought in by past Gov't. with MPP Smith holding a cheque. Sorry Grumps, I know You hate this stuff. Lets all sit in a circle of shame and sing Kumbaya


WTF WROTE>We are giving up on Nipissing and looking for greener pastures. I guess maintaining commercial fishery is the only interest on that lake.

Allowing a commercial fishery on top of a fragile, recovering population is hypocrisy at its finest.