Fish Hut Registry Update

[Fish Farmer]

For everyones concerns on the portable fish hut registration.

I just received this today from the OFAH Fisheries Biologist Jeremy Holden.

I just got of the phone talking to him and he says they will be posting this on the OFAH site, within the next few days.

I hope this helps in clarifying the issue.

Thank You very much Jeremy

 

Fish Farmer

OFAH member

 

OFAH FILE: 422/424D

January 23, 2008

Mr. Chris Brousseau

Fisheries Section

Ministry of Natural Resources

[email protected]

Dear Chris:

Subject: Ice Hut Registration

This is a follow up to our phone conversation on January 21 about the confusion on whether or not portable ice huts are required for registration according to the regulation and definition that appears on page 11 of the 2008-09 Fishing Regulation Summary.

Upon consulting the 2005-06 Summary, there was no definition printed for what constituted a fish hut, and it was generally accepted that portable huts (huts that are transported on and off the ice with each fishing trip), were exempt from this registration. The confusion seems to arise in the 2008-09 Fishing Regulation Summary, because the actual definition of the huts that are to be registered has been included. While you confirmed on the phone that the intent of the regulation remains focused on the registration of “permanent” huts that remain on the fishing grounds for the majority of the season, the definition does, in fact, capture most of the commercially available portable ice huts. Based on conversations with our members, there seems to be a lot of confusion on this subject, not only within the angling community, but also at the District M.N.R. level, based on responses anglers have received.

Although I have not heard of any particular charges being laid, we recommend, as an interim measure, that a communiqué be put out clarifying to the public and to M.N.R. staff that portable huts are not the target of this regulation. As a long-term fix to the problem, it is recommended that the M.N.R. consult with anglers and the angling industry, to create a definition that properly excludes portable huts from the registration process.

Yours in Conservation,

Jeremy Holden

Fisheries Biologist

cc: O.F.A.H. Board of Directors

O.F.A.H. Fisheries Advisory Committee

M. Reader

T. Quinney

 

 

Ministry of Natural

Resources

Fish and Wildlife Branch

P.O. Box 7000, 300 Water Street

Peterborough ON K9J 8M5

Ministère des Richesses

naturelles

Direction de la pêche et de la faune

C.P. 7000, 300, rue Water

Peterborough (Ontario) K9J 8M5

February 1, 2008

Mr. Jeremy Holden

Fisheries Biologist

Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters Ontario Conservation Centre

4601 Guthrie Drive

Peterborough ON K9J 8L5

Dear Jeremy:

Thank you for your letter of January 23, regarding the application of ice hut registration requirements in Ontario.

The regulatory direction regarding placement of huts on ice for the purpose of fishing is set out in Sections 37 and 38 of O. Reg. 664/98 (Fish Licensing) under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997. The regulation, among other things, describes the size of the ice hut registration number (6.3 cm or 2.5 inches in height) and exempts tents made of cloth or synthetic fabric that have a basal area of two square metres (21.5 square feet) or less when erected. Regulations to register ice huts in certain areas of Ontario have been in place for many years. Recent amendments to this regulation expands the requirement to register ice huts to certain Fisheries Management Zones and identifies the dates when ice huts must be removed for those zones.

The regulation allows for the identification of the owner of the ice hut for management purposes, requires the removal of a hut before it becomes a navigation hazard in the spring, and allows for enforcement action against the owner for violation of these provisions and may help in the prosecution of various other offences (e.g. littering).

As pointed out in your letter, it is the first time that the regulation pertaining to ice huts made of cloth or synthetic fabric and the size restriction have been placed in the Fishing Regulations Summary which has led to questions from manufactures and anglers about portable ice huts. I want to confirm that the intent of the regulation is for the registration of ice huts that remain on the ice for the season, or parts thereof, and is not intended to apply to anglers who take portable, cloth or synthetic ice huts with them when they go fishing, and take them off the ice at the end of the fishing day.

This has not been an issue since the regulation has been in place, but I agree that by putting the size restriction in the fishing summary that it will cause confusion amongst anglers on whether they have to register portable ice huts that fold out to larger than 21.5 square feet.

 

MNR supports your recommendation of consulting with anglers and the angling industry, to create a definition that properly excludes portable huts from the registration process. This will also involve a review of how other jurisdictions deal with this matter.

In the interim, however, the regulation is in place and cannot be ignored. In the mean time our Enforcement Branch will update Conservation Officers concerning this issue and the purpose of the provision which will assist them in making good judgements in the field when encountering potential violations. However, our best advice to anglers at this time is to ensure that they have registered all ice huts which meet the present criteria and to display their registration number as provided for in the regulations To help achieve this, the registration procedure has been simplified and anglers may apply in person, phone, fax, or e-mail the MNR office to receive a free registration number. The number assigned is valid for all ice huts owned by the angler and is valid anywhere in Ontario and is not restricted to MNR District or Fisheries Management Zone boundaries.

We would be pleased to meet with you to discuss ways of consulting on this subject and to hear your ideas so we can incorporate changes at the next opportunity to amend O. Reg 664.

Yours truly,

Chris Brousseau

Senior Fisheries Biologist

Fisheries Section

c: L. Deacon, Enforcement Branch

[Roy]

Good stuff FF. Thanks for taking the bull by the horns on this.

[Terry]

so for the time being we need to register the portable huts..yes..no

[Joey]

Ya, sure, that cleared everything up

 

Thanks!!

 

Joey

[tonyb]

Clear as mud

[Beans]

so for the time being we need to register the portable huts..yes..no

 

" However, our best advice to anglers at this time is to ensure that they have registered all ice huts which meet the present criteria and to display their registration number as provided for in the regulations"

 

As much as I don't agree that portables should need registration as long as they are removed each trip...it appears the answer to your question is YES...

 

However...seeing as how the registration is free it is really just a PITA!

[fishnsled]

Well after following this over the past couple of weeks, it good to see some kind of a response. (Thanks Fish Farmer!) It's pretty clear (as mud) that you'll need a number until they sort this mess out. So I called and got mine in about 2 minutes. Good to go. The main reason for doing this is that I'll be up on Nippissing this weekend and the portable will be on the ice all weekend. Even though it will be taken down and locked in a vehicle at night. After the nonsense I went through this summer I'm making sure that all the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed and that the oil is hot before I skin a fish.

[Spiel]

....I stopped reading after this quote....

 

"I want to confirm that the intent of the regulation is for the registration of ice huts that remain on the ice for the season, or parts thereof, and is not intended to apply to anglers who take portable, cloth or synthetic ice huts with them when they go fishing, and take them off the ice at the end of the fishing day."

 

Good enough for me.

[sonny]

Well seems pretty clear,,,The only problem that i had in the first place was having to register in all the boundy's every time you wanted to go to a differant location you would have to get a new number,,,but they have changed that part of it for now saying that the number is good in all of ontario,,,which makes sense to me!

[irishfield]

....I stopped reading after this quote....

 

"I want to confirm that the intent of the regulation is for the registration of ice huts that remain on the ice for the season, or parts thereof, and is not intended to apply to anglers who take portable, cloth or synthetic ice huts with them when they go fishing, and take them off the ice at the end of the fishing day."

 

Good enough for me.

Yah.. but don't miss this part....

 

In the interim, however, the regulation is in place and cannot be ignored. In the mean time our Enforcement Branch will update Conservation Officers concerning this issue and the purpose of the provision which will assist them in making good judgements in the field when encountering potential violations. However, our best advice to anglers at this time is to ensure that they have registered all ice huts which meet the present criteria and to display their registration number as provided for in the regulations

[Fish Farmer]

Talking to Jeremy, he says you don't need to have it registered if it's taken out and brought back in the same day.

[irishfield]

I hear what you're saying Dave... but unfortunately he's not the guy with the ticket book and the MNR response clearly states to abide by the regs as printed unit it's worked out...which ='s registering your portables that are over 21 sq ft.

[Terry]

yup

when you read this

In the interim, however, the regulation is in place and cannot be ignored. In the mean time our Enforcement Branch will update Conservation Officers concerning this issue and the purpose of the provision which will assist them in making good judgements in the field when encountering potential violations. However, our best advice to anglers at this time is to ensure that they have registered all ice huts which meet the present criteria and to display their registration number as provided for in the regulations

got have got to be afraid the CO that checks you might be a Donny