Rockview

Sorry Randy but that's the problem the decision they made was a political one made based on the perception that it would help not it's effectiveness. The MNR's studies and surveys don't support this management action but it is the easiest decision - financially and politically. From http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fisheries/management/myths.html “On any given day, 95 percent of walleye anglers harvest two or fewer walleyes. This generally holds true on every walleye lake in Minnesota and across the U.S.” I’m extrapolating this to Ontario but I suspect that it holds true – an informal survey of other resort owners in the area supports it. If this is even close to correct for Ontario/Lake Nipissing then a reduction from 4 to 2 Walleye on Lake Nipissing will make almost no difference. It’s clear that the MNR is making this change only for the sake of perception. The MNR has admitted in meetings with us that reducing the catch limit on Lake Nipissing would have NO effect on reducing the overall number of Walleye caught.

There is definitely no single magic solution. Doing nothing certainly isn't a good solution. Endless studying won't help. Trying some potential solutions with limited downside risk and monitoring the results is a good idea. With respect to Lake Nipissing's specific conditions the worst thing that can result from re-stocking is no change. The potential for improvement is significant.

From http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fisheries/management/myths.html “On any given day, 95 percent of walleye anglers harvest two or fewer walleyes. This generally holds true on every walleye lake in Minnesota and across the U.S.” I’m extrapolating this to Ontario but I suspect that it holds true – an informal survey of other resort owners in the area supports it. If this is even close to correct for Ontario/Lake Nipissing then a reduction from 4 to 2 Walleye on Lake Nipissing will make almost no difference. It’s clear that the MNR is making this change only for the sake of perception but unfortunately the perception for tourists will be that it's not worth the bother to come to Lake Nipissing. Also, for what it's worth the Walleye fishing was great this year for small Walleye (13-16 inches) and will be for the next several years due to strong year classes from 2009 to 2012. The concern is over the very low adult Walleye population. Regulating/reducing the commerical fishery would be one possibility but I have yet to hear anyone suggest how to make this happen. Even if the Province of Ontario/Federal Government wanted to make this happen, I'm not sure they currently have the legal right to restrict it. We are advocating re-stocking as a way to help improve the Walleye population. It might not be the be all and end all solution but it will at least make a positive contribution. Constant complaining about First Nations commerical fishing has acheived nothing.

For evidence that Walleye re-stocking works - Lac La Biche in Alberta and the Red Lakes in Minnesota are excellent examples. In both of these cases, the Walleye fishery had completed collapsed to the point where they could not even harvest eggs on those lakes for re-stocking. On Lake Nipissing, we are hoping to avoid the collapse part and move directly to the "Walleye Factory" part. The lake conditions here are nearly perfect for a re-stocking effort to have a significant positive impact. The MNR often sites examples where re-stocking has been ineffective but they use lakes and conditions that are not remotely close to the current state of Lake Nipissing. The Red Lakes in Minnesota are very similar to Lake Nipissing - including a Native Commercial Fishery and they are a fantastic example of re-stocking success. Jason

Many of you are making good points about the commercial fishing issue. My personal opinion and that of the Lake Nipissing Stakeholders Association is that the commercial fishing issue is not something we can control or influence directly and even if something could or should be changed it won't happen quickly. Our proposal is that re-stocking is a good solution that will have a positive impact and we can implement it immediately. We are planning to harvest a lot of eggs and raise them to various life stages without it costing very much. Also, even if you believe that this will only result in more Walleye for the commerical nets, it's important to realize that sportsfishermen will have the chance to catch them in the 13-16 in range before they are caught in commercial nets. Hopefully enough make it past the nets to increase the adult Walleye population. In any case, doing nothing is not going to help and complaining about natives and commercial fishing hasn't achieved anything either. We prefer to do something positive that has the potential to work and definitely won't hurt. Jason

Disclosure: I run Rockview Cottages on Lake Nipissing and I am Treasurer of the Lake Nipissing Stakeholders Association I want to clarify a couple points made here. 1. Walleye fishing for sports fishermen (under 40cm) was fantastic here this year. It will continue to be for the next several years as there are now 4 strong year classes (2009-2012). The oldest of these are now just entering into the slot zone where they cannot be kept by sports fishermen. 2. The issue is that there is a very low adult Walleye population due to fishing pressure from both sportsfishing and commercial fishing. Continuing to take the same quantity of Walleye on an annual basis will cause a massive problem in a couple years unless we do something. Our suggestion is to implement our extensive Walleye re-stocking program rather than reducing limits as it is the best solution for everyone - residents, resort businesses, First Nations, tourists. See below for full details regarding plans/issues. Visit LNSA.net to contact us or ask questions here. The reduction in the Walleye daily catch limit will have a severe negative effect on the economy of this region. Tourism is a significant industry for the Lake Nipissing region and the Lake Nipissing Walleye fishery is a significant component with respect to attracting tourists. My estimates, supported by Ontario RTO13a data, indicate that the Lake Nipissing Walleye fishery attracts approximately $30 million annually in direct tourism spending to the region. This entire amount is now at risk because of the decision to reduce the Walleye daily catch limit. The North Bay/Lake Nipissing region hardly needs any more bad news with respect to our economic prospects. There are several facts that are agreed upon by all parties. Lake Nipissing has a low adult Walleye population. The Walleye population on Lake Nipissing is in a stressed condition. Something needs to be done to protect and grow the Lake Nipissing Walleye population. Ultimately there are really only two ways to increase the Walleye population. You can either take less Walleye out or put more Walleye in. Possible management actions include the following: 1. Extensive Walleye re-stocking. This will allow the commercial fishery and sport fishery to thrive without harming either and won't hurt tourism and the local economy. This action has been proven in numerous other juristictions and the conditions on Lake Nipissing are nearly perfect for a significant re-stocking effort. The MNR has a number of employees and consultants who are conceptually against re-stocking and have been unable to counter our arguements in favour of re-stocking at several public meetings. The conditions on Lake Nipissing are ideal for Walleye and an excellent fit for re-stocking. These conditions include a low adult population, a shallow wind-swept lake with good oxygen levels, good food sources and available/underutilized spawning beds. Re-stocking will allow the sportfishing segment to continue to enjoy great Walleye fishing, provide enough to satisfy the commercial fishing and leave enough adult Walleye to increase the adult Walleye population and eventually grow the overall Walleye population. 2. Regulate/reduce the catch limits for the commerical fishing industry. The Province of Ontario either does not have the will or ability to do this but choosing option 1 can make this unnecessary. This option also places a significant financial burden on First Nations fishermen and it's hardly fair to ask someone to stop providing for their families. 3. Reduce the cormorant population. This will unquestionably help the Walleye population. The double-crested cormorants are not native to Lake Nipissing and it appears the Province of Ontario does not want to upset the environmental lobbyists as there is no other reason not to do this and it enjoys widespread support among all area stakeholders. This option should be a given to be implemented but this option alone is unlikely to completely solve the problem. 4. Reduce the daily Walleye catch limit. This will definitely have a negative impact on tourism and the local economy. Local residents are also extremely disappointed that they are being further limited. The MNR has stated publicly that reducing the take limit will not be effective in reducing the number of Walleye caught so this option was clearly chosen for its optics not its effectiveness. 5. Deal with the variety of secondary issues such as water quality, spiny water flea, etc. The Ontario MNR stated in public meetings that these factors do not make a significant contribution to the decline in the Walleye population on Lake Nipissing. The Province of Ontario and the Ontario MNR has already chosen option number 4. By choosing this management action, our Provincial Government and the Ontario MNR have taken the easy way out - financially and politically. The Ontario MNR has already stated in public meetings that reducing the daily catch limit will have no positive effect with respect to preserving the Walleye population on Lake Nipissing. The Ontario MNR formed a Public Advisory Committee for consultation on this issue but it's clear that this committee was formed purely to help with public perception to help "sell" this decision. Many members of the Public Advisory Committee were strongly against this decision and offered alternatives - which include re-stocking Walleye and reducing the cormorant population. It is clear that a significant Walleye re-stocking effort is the best possible solution. The only issue would be the financial investment and labour requirements. I am part of a local group called the Lake Nipissing Stakeholders Association. We presented a re-stocking plan to the local MNR office over two months ago and have not received any feedback or response despite our repeated attempts to contact them regarding this. We have offered to fund the re-stocking effort and provide all necessary equipment and labour. Our group has been re-stocking Walleye in Lake Nipissing for over 25 years and we clearly have the skill set and expertise required to implement a significant re-stocking plan. Re-stocking Walleye is the only option that would be a clear win for all parties. The Provincal Government and Ontario MNR needs only to give their approval, support our efforts and continue to monitor the lake. As an individual directly impacted by this decision made by the MNR I would ask that you reverse your decision and leave the catch limit as is and give re-stocking a chance. There is the potential for great success without any downside risk. We are asking everyone in support of our efforts to contact the Minister of Natural Resources - Honourable Michael Gravelle at [email protected] OR [email protected] to voice their support for re-stocking and get the daily catch limit change reversed. Sincerely, Jason Broughton LNSA Treasurer