Spiel

....Wonderful read John, I thoroughly enjoyed every word and read most of it aloud to the GF.

.....Good advice above but you are driving right past one of the best smallie rivers in southern Ontario where you can use it. Try exploring the Grand River in the Cambridge area. It's bass heaven.

....Good stuff Art. I was wondering as I read if a couple of those were blues but you've answered that question already. You know I'd be willing to drive down there for some of that action. I'm going to have to arrange it one year.

....I wish I hadn't clicked on either of those songs.....*gag*

Cormorants provide a valuable service in China July 19, 2008 TERRY SPRAGUE / intelligencer.ca Despite all attempts locally to control the population of cormorants, it seems likely they are here to stay. If those in both the commercial and sports fisheries are concerned about their presence, then perhaps it's time to give up the futile task of controlling them, and start contracting out their services. That's what they do in some parts of China, and Bloomfieldarea resident Ingrid Harrington was there recently to watch how it's done. "Cormorant fishing is an ancient custom," she explains, "and it is now a tourist attraction in some areas." While some tourists sit mesmerized and watch the stage show from the riverside banks, other tours permit people to get right on the boats with the fishermen and the cormorants. That is where Ingrid found herself one day as she photographed the procedure, and even had herself photographed while holding two of the fishing cormorants. The cormorants used for fishing are a species known as the great cormorant, a species widespread across Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. It is larger than the double-crested cormorant we see here in the Bay of Quinte area. In North America, the great cormorant is confined primarily to coastal areas, from southern Newfoundland to southern Nova Scotia. Like most birds, it is given to wandering, and there have been three confirmed sightings in the Quinte area, dating back to 1979, and the most recent, just four years ago, at Prince Edward Point. Although just a rare tourist here, in China the bird is put to work with no apology. Trained when young, a band is fastened near the base of the bird's throat, allowing the bird to swallow only small fish, but retaining any larger fish. The cormorant's wings are sometimes clipped to prevent the bird from flying too far from the workplace, and a length of string is tied around one leg which can be snared by the fisherman, and the bird brought back to the boat. By gently squeezing the bird's throat, the cormorant is coaxed into disgorging the fish into the boat, and is then returned to the water repeatedly to bring in additional catches. An experienced cormorant owner can often grab the fish before the cormorant attempts to swallow. When the day's work is done, the band is removed and the bird is rewarded by being allowed to enjoy its own meal, without sharing. If it has been a good day, one good cormorant alone can feed an entire family. The birds are fed and housed by their owners, and remain there as they await their next summons. Most commercial fishermen in China now use nets, living in modern boats and catching fish with elaborate net traps. While the traditional mode has been employed for more than 1,300 years, today it is primarily a tourist attraction. The stage show is a popular attraction during the peak tourist season, or demonstrations can be arranged for an evening's entertainment afloat. The boats are simple structures -- narrow rafts, consisting of a half dozen round bamboo trunks bound together and upturned at the stern. Standing on the raft, the fisherman uses a pole to propel himself along, his cormorants perched on his outstretched arms, and diving on command. What brings the audience back to the 21st century may be a cellphone protruding from the fisherman's pocket! In China, the Lijiang River in Guilin is one location where serious cormorant fishing continues. It is an area that is practically the stereotype of everyone's popular image of China, with its rice paddies, water buffalos and coolie hats. Elsewhere, ancient cormorant fishing is largely a performance, both to preserve a way of life, and to provide a hands-on entertainment opportunity for visitors like Ingrid who came away with an even greater appreciation for the country and its way of life. The classic humanitarian proverb, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime," actually has its roots in China. Ingrid is one person who believes the proverb is quite true in the country of its origin, even if it is sub-contracted out to cormorants!

Missing boy's body found in lake July 16, 2008 Douglas Gloin / barrysbaythisweek.com The search for Combermere-area teenager Brandon Zilney ended tragically yesterday when the missing boy’s body was found in Kamaniskeg Lake not far from where his empty boat was found near a cottage beach late last Thursday. A cottager spotted the body of the missing 15-year-old floating face down in the water close to shore at around 9 a.m. A cause of death had not yet been determined yesterday. A five-man crew from the OPP’s underwater search and recovery unit had been on the lake looking for the body when the discovery was made. The officers’ search area was 5½ to 6 kilometres long. “The problem was there was no definitive search area,” says OPP Constable John Edwards, the team leader. “We knew where he’d left from and his destination, and where the boat was seen floating along the way. “It was a huge search area. No one saw him; they just saw his boat.” Wind conditions made it more difficult to pinpoint a precise search location. Police used a five-side scan sonar, which searches the bottom of the lake. Lake depths in the search area ranged from two feet to 135 feet. “We wouldn’t be here if this young kid had had a life jacket on,” says Constable Sheldon Lapworth. The boy was boating to work at the Chippawa Cottage Resort Thursday morning but never arrived, police said. He was last seen heading out from Hinterland Beach, which sits in a relatively sheltered bay. It was a dull day with a strong northwest wind and the waters were very choppy, several residents said. And the waves get even worse when a boater passes from the bay on to what’s known as “the big lake” – a stretch of water Brandon would have to take to get to work. His four-metre Princecraft aluminum boat with a six-horsepower motor was found Thursday evening. Inside were an orange lifejacket and Brandon’s identification. The boat’s discovery touched off an intensive search. An OPP helicopter, its searchlights beaming down over the dark waters, made passes over the area through the night, while officers walked the shoreline and questioned cottagers as to whether they might have seen Brandon or his boat. The hunt continued each day until Tuesday’s sad discovery. Ann Farrington and her husband Larry were at their Oil City cottage when a police helicopter started making passes over the area, which is close to where Brandon’s empty boat was discovered. “I was almost asleep and Larry was sitting out on the porch when all of a sudden the helicopters started,” she says. “It came up over the cottage and down over the lake. “ Soon after, OPP officers on foot arrived and asked whether all the boats on the Farrington’s beach belonged to them. They walked the beach with their flashlights throughout the night, and returned there Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Ann Farrington said Brandon’s mother also joined in the search. “His mother was out looking and I said, ‘I wish there was something we could do to help you.’ And she said, ‘I just have to keep busy.’” “The police were absolutely wonderful,” Mrs. Farrington said. “They were very well-mannered and very intent on finding this young man.” At times there were up to four police boats involved in the search. This is the second fatal tragedy of the year on Kamaniskeg. In February, two students from Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy in Barry’s Bay drowned when the minivan they were in broke through the ice.

Rock’s Mill dam decommissioning being studied Plan no longer a source of contention July 18, 2008 By Jeff Helsdon / tillsonburgnews.com Rock’s Mill Dam is on the road to decommissioning. Long Point Region Conservation Authority, which owns the dam, hosted a public meeting in Springford Monday night to explain its plans. About 15 people turned out for the meeting, which is about a third of the crowd that appeared when the authority first suggested decommissioning the dam in the late 1990s. What was a contentious topic then, didn’t meet any resistance Monday night. Constructed in 1911, Rock’s Mill dam was originally built to provide power to the adjacent grist mill. LPRCA purchased the property in 1978 and rented it to the Noels brothers. The property was sold again, but the authority purchased it back earlier this year. Paul Gagnon, the authority’s lands and waters supervisor, explained an engineer identified a number of structural problems in 2001. In addition, the reservoir created by the dam warms the water downstream below the dam. Gagnon pointed to research that shows there is a 2° to 3° Celsius difference in water temperature above and below the dam. “When you warm that water up, you take away biodiversity, you take away habitat,” he said. Water quality is further degraded by Canada geese that don’t migrate south and defecate in the system year-round. Carp that make a home in the reservoir uproot natural vegetation and stir up the water, further degrading water quality and warming the water. Following meetings in 2002, the municipalities along the watershed decided not to put money into the maintenance of the dam. A bottom draw in the dam was opened last fall to draw down the reservoir above the dam, and a fence to hold back the silt was installed downstream. With the water level down, further problems were uncovered. Tree roots had created holes in the dam berm and beavers had made multiple holes in it. Gagnon explained the bottom draw has kept the reservoir down during low-flow times, but it builds back up after heavy rainfall and melting. The plan is to keep the bottom draw, which is on the side of the dam, open and to cut a notch in the centre of the dam to allow the water flow to continue while the water is high. In more detail, the proposal is to remove 18.41 metres, or one-third, of the arch and 7.85 metres of the apron that is below the dam. After the dam has been altered, the upstream banks will be planted with annual rye to prevent erosion. Next spring, trees will be planted along the bank. Removal of the dam will not affect the water levels in wells of adjacent property owners. Irrigation from the creek, which was a big issue the last time removal of the dam was suggested, can still take place from deeper pools in the creek. One of the benefits of removing the dam will be opening up the habitat above the stream to migratory trout. Following the public meeting, a report will go to the conservation authority board. If decommissioning is approved, and it is to take place this year, it must be completed by Sept. 30 so it won’t negatively impact spawning trout.

Ladies of the Lake bare their souls, in new fundraising calendar July 18, 2008 Miriam King / bradfordtimes.ca When the Ladies of the Lake first decided to “bare all” in their Naked Truth calendar, in 2006, it seemed like little more than a “gimmick” – hardly the sort of serious initiative that was needed to save Lake Simcoe from further degeneration, as growth pressures continue to erode the natural heritage of the watershed. The “gimmick” ended up raising awareness of the challenges facing the lake, from invasive species to Phosphorus pollution, putting Lake Simcoe front and centre in the minds of residents and politicians alike – and raising $250,000 for education projects. The Ladies are doing it again. With a $30 million Lake Simcoe Clean-up Fund established by the federal government, and a Lake Simcoe Act introduced by the Ontario government this summer, they haven’t rested on their laurels, but once again have bared their souls to create a new Ladies of the Lake Calendar. With dramatic photographs by photographer Jim Panou, the focus this year is on a traditional First Nations message of hope, guidance, and Thanks, for the scenic beauty and natural resources of Lake Simcoe. The theme, which came out of the Citizens’ Action Plan to Save Lake Simcoe (funded by the Ladies of the Lake in partnership with the Windfall Ecology Centre), is “Drink it. Swim it. Fish it. Love it.” Wearing costumes, and their familiar yellow t-shirts and blue feather boas, the Ladies of the Lake welcomed press and special guests to the launch of the 2009 Calendar, held at Crate’s Landing in Keswick. Sponsors for the event were BrightStar Corporation, which is building the condominium development on the site to LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) standards, and the appropriately-named “Naked Grape” winery. Ladies of the Lake had its roots in “frustration,” co-founder Annabel Slaight told the crowd. The lake was “sick - not due to any one thing, but because of thousands of things people were doing to it.” Slaight and co-founder Jane Meredith “moved from frustration to action,” with the help of friends and neighbours, and the “Ladies of the Lake” – now about 100 strong – was born. The 2009 calendars are available for only $15 apiece, and include a set of 16 “Lake Simcoe Action Cards”, that provide helpful environmental tips and information for residents. “We’ve kept the price low so everyone can help the environment by purchasing a few extra as gifts,” Slaight said; funds raised will be directed towards a new Youth initiative. Among the invited guests were York Regional Councillor Danny Wheeler; MP for York-Simcoe, the Hon. Peter Van Loan, and Ontario Minister of Culture, Aileen Carroll, who brought greetings from Environment Minister John Gerretsen. “We listened, as the government, and we will continue to listen to the people,” Minister Carroll said, referring to the new Lake Simcoe Act, introduced last month. “You have animated this process… bringing government and the people impacted, together.” In addition to the launch, John Blackburn presented a $15,000 donation to the Ladies of the Lake from BrightStar Corporation - and John Faggiani, of Naked Grape, announced a campaign that will donate $1 from the sale of every bottle of Naked Grape wine at the LCBO later this summer, to the Ladies of the Lake. And a note of interest to Bradford West Gwillimbury residents: One of the photographs in the calendar was shot in the Holland Marsh, in a field of carrots - featuring strategically placed baskets.

Region extends special pick-ups for dead carp 2008-07-18 Scott Howard / mykawartha.com Durham Region has bowed to public pressure and will continue curbside pick-up of dead carp until the end of the month. Plans to halt the collection of the dead fish were in place Wednesday (July 16) when the Citizen went to press, but were changed a day later. "We had a number of residents call in and request that we continue pick-up," said Joanne Paquette, communications officer for the Durham works department. The fish have been washing up on Lake Simcoe and other downstream water bodies for weeks now. Tests have still not shown the exact cause of the die-off. Brock Mayor Larry O'Connor also questioned why the Region had planned to stop collection. "Pick-up will continue until the end of the month and then will be adjusted accordingly. Our residents they can expect pick-up to continue to service their needs," he said in an e-mail. Collection will come Monday, Wednesday and Friday of next week (July 21, 23, 25) as well as Monday, July 28 and Wednesday, July 30.

Carp killer ID'd Ministry of Natural Resources has positively identified three strains of bacteria Sunday July 20, 2008 Bruce Hain / orilliatoday.com The carp die-off that’s plagued Lake Simcoe and Cook’s Bay for the past few weeks may be showing some signs of abating. Bloggers who have posted news on the Lake Simcoe & Area Message Board (www.lakesimcoemessageboard.com) in recent days have noted many fewer bodies floating in the water. And the Ministry of Natural Resources has positively identified three strains of bacteria resulting from laboratory testing including the presence of the koi herpes virus. Carp have been falling prey to pathogens, such as aeromonas hydrophila, a bacteria found in both fresh and brackish water that causes illness in fish. It may be passed on to humans through open wounds or ingestion and create gastroenteritis or septicemia, enterococcus, which can lead to bladder, prostate or epididymal infections, acinetobacter, a ministry spokesperson said. Swimmers are recommended to avoid areas where dead carp have been found. Testing of the species is continuing. Since late June, thousands of carp carcasses have washed ashore in different locations on the shoreline. The majority has been retrieved from the eastern shore of the lake in East Gwillimbury and in sections running north towards Lake Couchiching. However, the western side of Lake Simcoe, bordering on several Simcoe County municipalities, has been affected, too. Larry Allison, CAO for the Town of Innisfil, says although the issue of the dead carp hasn’t been particularly bad in the municipality, it has created a fair bit of work for area residents and town staff. Allison’s thankful the prevailing winds have meant the majority of the carcasses have washed ashore on the east side of Cook’s Bay. “We have picked up a number here, though,” Allison says. As of last Friday, “our parks department has collected about 200 (dead fish),” Allison reports. “Our operations staff has also picked up 70 bags from calls to town hall from residents. There has also been some indiscriminate dumping our road staff have taken care of.” “We’re keeping regular patrols out” this week to remove carp carcasses, he said. In Ramara Township, Mayor Bill Duffy reports residents of Lagoon City have found many carp floating in the canals and in other areas across the township. “It is suspected to be the same bacterium as caused the die-off in Lake Scugog last year,” Duffy says. “They say (the bacteria) has probably come down the Talbot River and come north. There have been reports of dead carp in Couchiching and the Black River.” Residents whose homes border a canal in the Bayou Park area north of Orillia have also reported large numbers of the fish floating belly up. “It’s disgusting,” said 12-year-old Ashley York. “We usually fish in here,” said Ashley’s mother, Bonnie. “I’ve never seen anything like this.” The County of Simcoe has been collecting bagged fish on regularly scheduled garbage days. “They have stepped up to the plate and I am thankful for that,” Duffy said. Kimberley MacKenzie, executive director of the Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation, an offshoot of the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA), says she was kept busy last Friday assisting in carp cleanup in East Gwillimbury. The LSRCA has reported the situation occurring in Lake Simcoe “is similar to what occurred in Lake Scugog and the Kawartha lake system in the summer of 2007.” Fish samples have been sent to labs to try and determine what is causing the deaths. The organization is encouraging residents to contact their municipality by phone or to check local websites for carcass collection and disposal details. Anyone removing a dead fish is urged to wear gloves and then wash their hands thoroughly afterwards with soap and water. Any tools or containers coming into contact with carp should be cleaned and disinfected, too, the LSRCA recommends. The Ministry of Natural Resources has set up a hotline to report fish die-offs at 1-866-929-0994. In Barrie, call 739-4255 for removal. Throughout the county, dead fish can be dropped off at landfill sites such as the Mara transfer station, 5200 County Rd. 169, Oro landfill site at 610 Old Barrie Rd W. and the West Gwillimbury transfer station, located at 2960 Line 12. Related Story

Not enough alewives to support Lake Michigan salmon July 17, 2008 Cindy Hodgson / Herald Times Lake Michigan hasn't experienced the dramatic decline in salmon that Lake Huron has seen, but there are "certainly a few warning signs that are going on," said Steve Hogler, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist serving Manitowoc County. The problem in Lake Huron is there were more salmon than the lake could support because of a combination of stocking and natural reproduction along with a decrease in the small fish the salmon ate, which was a result of invasive mussels, Hogler said. A similar situation is occurring in Lake Michigan, Hogler said. The lake is seeing higher numbers of salmon and trout than it can support. The DNR is concentrating its studies on Chinook salmon. "You can only feed so many fish given what the forage levels are," Hogler said. Salmon and trout in Lake Michigan eat alewives, Hogler said, and those small baitfish are declining. However, Capt. Keith Heberlein of Willie Bee Charters in Two Rivers said there is a large baitfish population in the Manitowoc-Two Rivers area of Lake Michigan. "We're one of the hot spots for the bait fish," he said. Capt. Scott Langman of Bald Beaver Charters in Two Rivers said while the number of bait fish was down in recent years, it has increased this year. Fish locators are showing large schools of baitfish, and when the salmon are caught, "their bellies are full," he said. That's different than elsewhere on the lake, where Hogler said the salmon have emptier stomachs than in the past and some of their fat has been replaced with water. Along with alewives declining in Lake Michigan, some species of salmon and trout are reproducing naturally, something that wasn't expected years ago when stocking began. Chinook salmon, in particular, are reproducing at such a high rate that about half of the Chinook in Lake Michigan are naturally reproduced. The effect of the changes is being seen as Chinook salmon caught in Lake Michigan are becoming smaller, Hogler said. A few years ago, a 4-year-old salmon weighed between 20 and 30 pounds, said Capt. Chad Scheinoha of Chinook Express Sport Fishing Charters in Manitowoc, but now the average is between 14 and 20 pounds. Heberlein said he had been seeing smaller fish for the past three years, but "this year we're actually seeing larger fish." In general, though, the salmon are smaller, Hogler said. He said the number of Chinook salmon in Lake Michigan has remained "fairly constant" over the past years as the DNR attempts to control the population by reducing stocking. The Wisconsin DNR as well as other states that are responsible for Lake Michigan began a Chinook salmon stocking reduction in the late 1990s, Hogler said. In the most recent reduction, the number of Chinook salmon stocked on the Wisconsin side of the lake dropped from 1.4 million in 2005 to 1.1 million in 2006. Langman said he hopes the stocking reduction is happening soon enough, but they will just have to wait and see what happens in the coming years. It would be devastating to the local economy for charter fishing businesses to close, he said. "Hopefully some of the lessons learned on Lake Huron can be applied to this lake," Langman said.

The Beaver River Trail Conservation Area grows again July 14, 2008 / Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority NEWMARKET: The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) closed the deal on another purchase of land in the Beaver River valley to add to the Beaver River Trail Conservation Area last week. This is the second closing in recent months and it adds another 30.2 ha (74.6 ac) to the conservation area. The Beaver River wetland complex is one of the most environmentally significant areas in Lake Simcoe’s watershed. Largely undisturbed by human activities, the wetland complex provides habitat for wildlife, acts as a filter to improve water quality and stores large amounts of spring runoff preventing flooding down stream. For these reasons, the conservation authority’s Natural Heritage Land Securement Program has developed a plan to acquire land along the river to protect it in its natural state. LSRCA’s Chair, Virginia Hackson, said, “The growing Beaver River Trail Conservation Area is a unique opportunity for us to preserve a natural environment and provide the public with passive recreational opportunities for trail users of all abilities and interests.” The Beaver River Trail Conservation Area provides almost 13 km of easy hiking along the bed of an old railway line in the Regional Municipality of Durham. Views of the marshes in the Beaver River wetland complex are exquisite. Kayakers and canoeists can enjoy the meandering river and quiet shallow waters. The towns of Blackwater, Sunderland and Cannington offer quaint diversions. Between 1978 and 1994 the conservation authority purchased portions of the abandoned CN Rail railway that runs through the Beaver Valley. This created the Beaver River Trail Conservation Area with approximately 50 ha (123 acres). Since 2005 the LSRCA has secured an additional 175 ha, or almost 435 acres, of land with the help of a bequest from the estate of Katharine Symons (administered by the Nature Conservancy of Canada). Further financial assistance came from the conservation authority’s partnerships with Ducks Unlimited, the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Greenlands Program, Ontario Heritage Trust, the Regional Municipality of Durham, and Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation. “We’re pleased that so many other groups share our vision and will partner with us to save land in the Beaver River wetlands for future generations to enjoy in its natural state,” Brian Kemp, Director of Conservation Lands at the LSRCA, commented.

Great Lakes face $200m annual economic risk from invasive species July 17, 2008 by Staff, The Guardian Two separate studies released yesterday reveal a dim reality for both the ecological health of the Great Lakes and the businesses that rely upon them. The economic toll of the 57 invasive species that ocean-going ships have dumped into the lakes since the St Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959 are costing the United States alone about $200m annually, or $2bn per decade. That number, released by federally funded researchers at the University of Notre Dame, does not include any impacts to the Canadian economy, and only looks at the economic damage done to the lakes' fishing industry, businesses that tap the lakes for their water and the regional wildlife viewing industry. It does not consider property-value losses tied to invasive mussel-fuelled algae outbreaks or damages to inland lakes. It also does not factor in costs to states outside of the Great Lakes region, a significant issue since zebra and quagga mussels have recently spilled over the Continental Divide and into California and neighbouring states. The $200m figure might be just "the tip of the iceberg," said study author and Notre Dame professor David Lodge, who added that the tabulation is far from complete. "There is much more economic information to uncover," he said. A report released simultaneously by the National Research Council of the National Academies, meanwhile, says political realities mean there is no quick way to fix the problem of ocean-going ships bringing in this biological pollution. That study panel was charged with the tough - and potentially conflicting - tasks of identifying options that would both enhance the potential for global trade into the Great Lakes region and eliminate invasive species introductions by ships. The study was funded by the Great Lakes Protection Fund, an endowment established by the Great Lakes governors. The study team eliminated the option of closing the Seaway to ocean-going traffic until the freighters can figure out how to adequately sterilise their ship-steadying ballast tanks, something that has been proposed by a coalition of conservation groups. "Although closing the Seaway to transoceanic shipping would reduce substantially the risk of aquatic invasive species introductions by vessels using the waterway, this action could not, in the committee's judgment, be implemented in a timely fashion," the report states. "Moreover, economic principles indicate that eliminating a transportation option would increase the cost of moving goods and therefore would not enhance trade." A separate study funded by the Joyce Foundation and released in 2005 figured the increased cost of bringing in the Seaway's ocean-going cargo by some other means would be about $55m annually. The shipping industry has criticised the report, though its authors successfully defended it before an independent panel of transportation experts, and those experts said the study provides a "good basis for policy deliberations". The National Research Council panel disagreed. "A single estimate with recognised limitations and imperfections is not a robust basis for informing a major policy transportation decision - whether to close the Seaway to transoceanic vessels," it writes. The National Research Council panel does recommend that Seaway ships be required to do more to ensure their ballast tanks are not carrying foreign organisms. It recommends that the Canadian and US governments create a more rigorous oversight program for the industry, as well as increased surveillance to identify new invaders. It also recommends development of a rapid-response program to contain new species introductions. "In the committee's view, many of these actions could be implemented within the next two to three years, if Canada and the United States have the necessary political will," the report states. Legislation that would require ballast-treatment systems on ships entering the Seaway has already cleared the US House. A similar measure is stalled in the Senate. One problem is the ballast treatment systems are largely still under development. The best option at the moment, say government ballast experts, is to require all ships entering the seaway to flush their ballast tanks with saltwater in mid-ocean to kill or expel unwanted freshwater organisms. US operators followed Seaway co-owner Canada's lead this year and began requiring ship operators to do just that. Ballast experts say that measure will go a long way - but not all the way - toward protecting the Great Lakes from the next unwanted organism. The Great Lakes are now home to more than 185 exotic species, and a new one is discovered with distressing regularity. The majority of invasions since the Seaway opened in 1959 are blamed on ballast water. Notre Dame's John Rothlisberger, who co-wrote the economics study with Lodge, said it is important for decision-makers to have dollar figures to reference when they are debating what to do about the shipborne invasive species problem. "Knowing how much a practice or behaviour costs is an essential part of making sound policy decisions," he said. An earlier version of the Notre Dame study released in May put the US costs at $300m annually. Lodge said the revised figure was the result of a more conservative means of calculating the economic impact. "What we've provided today is the bottom (estimate)," he said.

Report examines Cobourg Creek watershed July 11, 2008 Valerie MacDonald / northumberlandtoday.com About 9,900 people live within the Cobourg Creek watershed which is undergoing a thorough investigation, paving the way for a future development and governance plan. About 25 of those people came out to the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority's (GRCA) public meeting in Baltimore on Wednesday to see what scientists and engineers had found out about the water and lands where their homes, farms and businesses are located. The region covers the area south of Rice Lake which includes Hamilton Township, Cobourg and part of Alnwick-Haldimand Township. The creeks include Baltimore, Brook Road and Midtown: there are four branches that converge and empty into Lake Ontario. "We need to marry the science and community needs," GRCA water resource manager Mark Peacock said. A background report for the plan looks at features ranging from its geology, created by glacial activity, to the fisheries and human habitation. "Water is the engine that drives everything," he said. How the water moves through the watershed, and that impact, is key, and "Cobourg Creek is one of the gems in Ontario." Both the water quality and quantity are good and it is "one of the best fishery resources in Ontario," Mr. Peacock said. The Cobourg Creek watershed covers 123 square kilometres and includes the historic Lake Iroquois Shore Line when the waterline was much higher and is evident along County Roads 28 and 45, says GRCA stewardship technician Pam Lancaster. There are four tributaries, 32 private water structures and two dams: Pratt's at Elgin and Ontario streets in Cobourg and Ball's in Baltimore, she said. There are 37 fish species identified in Cobourg Creek, although most people only know about trout and salmon. Within 50 metres of the creek system, eight per cent of the lands are developed and 18 per cent is used for agriculture, Ms. Lancaster said. The plan to be developed is likely to include goals to preserve the quantity and quality of ground and surface water, enlarge the forested area, protect fish habitat and preserve the area's cultural heritage, she said. The public was then asked to share at least three concerns/priorities they had as input into shaping the watershed's future. Input and direction will also come from a community advisory committee for which members are being sought. For more information call 905- 885-8173 ext 247 or e-mail [email protected].

FOLLOW THE FISH Conditions A-OK for big ones; salmon, steelies in Lake Ontario can wear out best of arms Friday, July 18, 2008 Steve Pollick / toledoblade.com POINT BREEZE, N.Y. - Fishing for king salmon and steelhead trout here on western Lake Ontario, where both species grow big, is something like seeking the "perfect storm." No, not lightning-laden thunderstorm cells like the ones that, thank goodness, passed north and south of the trolling sport fleet here on Wednesday. Rather, it's about the coming together of the right water temperatures at the right depths, currents, winds, and schools of baitfish, all of which put big kings and steelies within striking distance of brightly colored spoons with bizarre nicknames like Rodney, Screwface, 42-Second, Purple Frog, and Raspberry Dolphin. The garish patterns of purple, chrome, pink, chartreuse and more - one of them even is called Monkey Puke - must look like a hot date to these sleek, silvery baitfish-eating machines. For when your trolling pattern or spoons slides into the perfect salmonid storm, you are in for a fishing treat. "My knees are still shaking," said Steve Hathaway of rural Port Clinton, who was on his first Lake Ontario salmon trip and who had just spent more than 20 intense minutes dueling with a drag-screaming 20-pound-plus king. It was part excitement, part fatigue. His left hand was a little cramped, too, from hanging onto the rod and a strong fish for so long. A retired Ohio watercraft supervisor, he was a member of a fishing crew of four aboard Ed LaBounty's Pirate Queen and had been on deck for the next fish when a long rod jestingly called a widow-maker started bouncing, a signal for fish-on. This rig is set up with a reel filled with 400 feet of lead-core sinking line, 100 feet of monofilament leader, and hundreds of feet of backing. In a typical trolling set-up, the spoon is 500 feet or more behind the boat and when a fish takes the bait, it may rip off hundreds of feet more line. Bill Nowak, who runs the Walleye Queen currently in port here, said one fish last week took the line-counter on a widow-maker to 972 feet before they turned it around. It wasn't long, however, after Hathaway's duel that he was ready for his next turn in the rotation - on the widow-maker or any of the other rigs trailing off the Pirate Queen's stern. "On dark days a dark pattern is better and on a sunny day the brighter colors seem to work better," explained LaBounty on spoon selections. His lure collection aboard would run well into four figures to replace. A resident of Graytown, he is a veteran of 26 years as a fishing guide in western Lake Erie's walleye haunts, doubling the years by also fishing Lake Ontario's famed salmon grounds. LaBounty is quick to admit that these fish are unpredictable. In other words, if a spoon type or pattern that makes no sense suddenly starts to work, he'll rig up with an array of patterns in similar colors and types. It pays to be flexible. Besides the widow-maker, LaBounty and most skippers drop "cannon-balls" on wire line off stern-mounted downriggers, running shorter but tough rods and reels full of 20-pound-test monofilament with spoons trailing at various depths. They also will rig some long, specially designed rods that handle reels with wire line, used in tandem with Dipsy Divers and a terminal rig called a "Spin Doctor," a fish-shaped, vaned piece of plastic containing an "e-chip" that emits slight, attracting electric current, plus a flasher fly. The idea is to set out a smorgasbord and hope that something will come to dinner. Not all of the tricks work all the time, but with veteran skippers in charge, something usually works at least some of the time. The fishing here this week was good, tending to be more steelhead than kings. Average catches were running eight to 10 fish per boat, with a "major" king of 20 pounds or more being a fair expectation. Kings as large as 29-3 have come into port in the last week. LaBounty's first day here was Tuesday, this after winding up summer walleye work out of Meinke's West Marina in Jerusalem Township east of Toledo on Sunday afternoon. Ask him sometime about getting his beamy, 31-foot, twin-engine boat onto a semi-trailer rig, safely to New York, and changed over to salmon gear by Tuesday morning. So you want to be a charter captain, eh? "I know more about these boats than I ever wanted to," he said, facing a laundry list of tweaks and fixes right on day one. "I like them, they're good boats, but …" They're boats - what more needs be said. LaBounty even brought along his two Labrador retrievers, Jig and Lady, a brother-sister act. "They're family," he said. The canines accompany him on his trips and are well-behaved and a welcome break between fish. Fortunately, LaBounty's long experience with boats and fish put his first run well into the plus column for fish, with steelies to 10 pounds and kings to 12 pounds the first day. He came back with the 20-pound king among three and an 11-pound steelie among seven the next day. His anglers were happy. The salmon and steelhead runs should concentrate as the fish stage off the Oak Orchard River here for fall spawning runs into early and mid-September. The thought of a brawny 20-pounder on a widow-maker or an acrobatic steelie silver-streak cartwheeling 40 feet behind the transom makes you want to go back. ---------------------------------------------------- Walleye action on western Lake Erie has been decent this week, especially in the more westerly reaches of the basin. Boats are working off in 12 to 22 feet of water in Crane Creek and between West Sister Island and the end of the Toledo Ship Channel and taking limits, using mayfly rigs or worm-harnesses and bottom bouncers when drifting, or trolling with small spoons, according to Rick Ferguson at Al Szuch Live Bait in Jerusalem Township. Farther east some walleye action is seen three miles west of West Reef and a half-mile off northeast of C-Can on the outer Camp Perry Firing Range, according to Rickard's Bait on Catawba Island. Some walleye anglers have returned to hair jigs with stinger hooks, according John Jokinen, of Jann's Netcraft. He said that about half of those going to the spring tactic are dressing the jigs with minnows, and the rest are using them without bait. "We saw the same thing last year," Jokinen said about mid-summer jigging, explaining, "the fish are on the bottom." Yellow perch action also has warmed up, Jokinen added, saying that anywhere in a circle from three-quarters of a mile to two miles from the Toledo Water Intake in 18 feet of water seems to be the active zone. Rickard's said perching has picked up in 24 feet off Lakeside and off the northwest corner of Kelleys Island. Western basin perch anglers are reminded that the daily creel limit for perch is 25, west of the Huron pier.

....Well I'll be...........I may crack open a bottle of my finest in your honour Roy. Have a fantastic day my friend.

....Burbot, lawyer fish, ling whatever. A key identifier of the ling is the barbel under the chin which can be seen clearly in the video clip. Yes they are usually a cold water fish and no I can't explain it's gulping behavior but it is a ling none the less.

....You're welcome.

....Right on, another good report from Jiggy Jiggy. The fish in question is definitely a ling

.....Tagged fish is part of a study for sure. Perhaps a stocking or movement study? Call the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (omnr) to report your catch. They'll likely ask a few questions on location, size, date, etc.

....Oh yes and I don't like being in that situation at all. You were being scouted as a potential ground source for a lightning strike.

You may legally gift your daily possesion limit of fish. If he's doing this morning and evening he is breaking the law!

....Oh the shame of it all. Not my finest moment Norm. (note to self....put Cliffy on mod Q. )

....You promised to keep this under your hat. Can't trust anyone these days.....

Sparking a fish comeback Electro-fishing crew sees good variety in lake, a sign conservation efforts are paying off Jul 17, 2008 TONY BOCK / TORONTO STAR Video: Electrofishing The electrical current coursing through the water almost completely immobilized the little silver fish. Now, scooped up out of the water, it lolls on its side in the white plastic tub. Centimetres away in larger containers, its predators thrash, attempting to use their bulk to overturn their temporary plastic prisons. The sun is setting. We're moving slowly across Humber Bay on Lake Ontario. The captured fish were rounded up during an electro-fishing excursion involving members of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. Our expedition is captained by senior project manager Rick Portiss. The conservation authority stuns, counts and records data on fish a couple times a year for about two weeks along the waterfront. The point is to determine the health of the city's aquatic ecosystems. Essentially, if they catch lots of different kinds of fish they know things are going well. "If you catch a lot of large predators, you know there are a lot of forage species keeping them alive," said Portiss, as he sorts through the fish, describing where they came from and explaining their various injuries. The conservation authority doesn't track fish populations. Instead, it measures density or the ratio of species, based on what they scoop into the boat. Portiss said the density of just about every species has remained static between 1989 and 2003 – with a new report on numbers coming out this fall. That is with the exception of walleye, which have been making a significant comeback since then, he said. In the past they only caught one or two a year and now the boat hauls in several every night, he said. Walleyes are the strong, sensitive type – they're top predators, but don't react well to changes in the water. The conservation authority helps create and protect habitats, and they take the walleye's comeback as proof that their efforts are paying off. The electro-fishing team works from just before sundown to the early morning hours. That's when little fish come to the water's edge to feed. It also allows the predators to back them up like diners at the edge of an all-you-can-eat buffet, explains Portiss. He likens the water under the boat to a "candy store," stocked with everything from perch, walleye, minnows and trout to carp, bass and pike. If you put them in a food pyramid, the minnows would be close to the bottom, getting snacked on by fish such as perch and walleye. Pikes, with their muscle and razor sharp teeth, eat anything they can catch. Carps are bottom feeders and get their bulk from aquatic vegetation and insects. There are also alewives – the "chocolate bars" of the water, said Portiss. "They don't deal well with stress," he said, releasing a limp little fish off the side. "You wonder why this fish exists." Almost on cue, a gull swooped in and there was one less alewife in the world. It's a seven-hour shift and the conservationists haul in about 200 to 300 fish a night. "In some cases, we need to stop the boat early because there is no room in the livewell," said Portiss. According to the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, most of the populations around the Toronto area are in good shape. "For a major urban centre, there is a surprising number of great fishing spots," said Jeremy Holden, fisheries biologist. ------------------------------------------------------------------- How electro-fishing works A customized steel platform boat – dubbed the Night Heron, in this case – generates an electric current which runs out clusters of slendera nodes suspended at the end of two poles. The metal boat acts as the negative, creating a web of electrical current approximately eight feet around the underside of the boat and eight feet deep. The electrical pulse causes the fish's muscles to contract, pulling them towards the front of the boat. Stunned fish drift limply through the water at varying depths and researchers scoop them up in large nets. The little fish, minnows, pumpkin seeds and alewives, bob close to the surface. With the larger fish, carp, salmon, trout and pike, all you get is a flash of underbelly or a shadow of toothy jaw before it vanishes back into the murky water. (Note to amateur electricians aspiring to become fishing enthusiasts: It is completely illegal to fish this way.) The captured fish are tossed into a livewell and taken back to a second craft to be separated, weighed and measured. By that time, the fish – some weighing more than 14 kilograms – are wide-awake and fighting mad. Once they are weighed and measured and the crew has taken a few photographs, the fish are released back to the water. - Emily Mathieu