I understand why the MNR has made BMZs however, I believe it must be amended.

I live in North Bay zone 11 and quite often fish in zone 15 which is 20 minutes away. The nearest bait shop in zone 15 is in Magnetawan which is 1 hr south of North Bay. So, in order for anyone from zone 11 to fish south of Trout Creek they have to drive to Magnetawan then back track to get to their favorite lake. Rules are rules and I will have to deal with that. I see worms and soft baits in my future from now on in zone 15 unless the MNR makes an amendment to this regulation.

Our local bait dealers are taking steps to mitigate and prevent the disease from moving into our lakes, why should local anglers be restricted in purchasing the "TESTED BAIT" to use in an adjacent BMZ.

That being said, I think the MNR has failed to take into account a few things.

1. I checked with the local bait shops (Billy Bob's and Trapper Joe's bait shop). They said they get some of their bait from down south and IT IS TESTED for diseases before they are allowed to sell it to the public. Therefore, we should be able to purchase local bait and fish in adjacent BMXs if you have a receipt that includes:

date of purchase
business name (if applicable)
commercial licence number
location of purchase
quantity of bait purchased


2. If someone traps their own bait, they CAN NOT take it to a different BMZ. That should be the reason for producing a receipt as indicated in the new regs. If a valid receipt CANNOT be provided, then a fine should be issued and the bait confiscated.

Anglers who are trying to protect our resources and follow the rules should not be punished.

Just my two cents, thanks for listening to my rant. I'm sure this will get some feedback good and bad.

Cheers

Steve


Below is the wording from the regs wrt bait fish. Please note it is not the complete reg so please review the regs to get a complete understanding of the new regs.

"We are taking steps to protect the province’s lakes, rivers and fisheries from the threat of invasive species and fish diseases, while increasing business certainty for the commercial bait industry in 2022.

New rules coming into effect on January 1, 2022:

- Establishing four Bait Management Zones (BMZs) to limit the movement of baitfish and leeches in Ontario restricting the transportation of baitfish or leeches, whether live or dead, into or out of a BMZ with some limited exceptions.

- anglers fishing outside their home BMZ must purchase baitfish and leeches locally, retain a receipt and use or dispose of their bait within two weeks from when they were purchased.
- harvesting of baitfish and leeches by anglers may only occur in their home BMZ.

Recreational anglers:

Effective January 1, 2022, anglers fishing outside of their home BMZ are required to:

- purchase baitfish and leeches from a commercial licence holder (such as a bait shop) in the BMZ where they are fishing.
- use or dispose of baitfish or leeches (dead or alive) within two weeks of purchasing them and retain a legible receipt that includes:
date of purchase
business name (if applicable)
commercial licence number
location of purchase
quantity of bait purchased