Restricts Use Of Live Bait Fish For The 2007 Winter Fishing Season

[nautifish]

Click on link below.

 

 

 

 

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/csb/news/2007/jan8nr_07.html

[GbayGiant]

Nice heads-up, I hope they can fix this problem.

[bigfish1965]

I think this is following the lead of the US states along the infected areas. Hopefully this can be contained.

[fishindevil]

yes rick i hope so as well,and as long as everyone will pay attention to the news release and obey it,maybe you should pin this up for the ice fishermen to read ,and maybe they can pass it on to their friends..it might help

[nautifish]

Well i did not want to cut and paste the whole thing in here. Thought it would be easier with just the link for people to click on.

 

I do hope everyone does take the time to read this it is a bit lengthy but worth the read.

 

I also hope that people adhere to it also.....& if anyone is unsure of anything then please call the Numbers given on the link page okay.

 

Thanx

[Rich]

Bad news for a lot of bait businesses down here in the south, but it must be done.

 

On the bright side, it may give the perch and bass populations a fighting chance of expanding while the meat hunters scramble to find a bait to replace their precious minnows.

Edited January 9, 2007 by Rich

[camillj]

Has anyone spoken with the folks at the bait shop on the 400 (just north of wonderland) where I suspect a huge number of Simcoe anglers get their bait on their way northbound - hopefully they wont be affected - or at least have access to a safe supply.

[gonefishn]

As Rich said this well really hurt the bait dealers and if the dealers run out of minnows in the central and northern parts of the prov no bringing them up . That well make the icefishin a little tougher if the ice gets here.

[FinS]

sure will hurt bait dealers here in the south but what has to be done needs to be done

i guess we will just be using dead minnows like they do in quebec

[nautifish]

Bad news for a lot of bait businesses down here in the south, but it must be done.

 

On the bright side, it may give the perch and bass populations a fighting chance of expanding while the meat hunters scramble to find a bait to replace their precious minnows.

 

 

Yup it is 1st we have no ice down here in our neck of the woods and now this.

[John Bacon]

sure will hurt bait dealers here in the south but what has to be done needs to be done

i guess we will just be using dead minnows like they do in quebec

 

Actually, I believe that it is illegal to sell dead minnows... at least the salted ones anyways.

 

I found the following statement from the article interesting:

"In the infected zone, south of Highways 401 and 402 across Ontario, live bait fish will not be allowed to be commercially harvested or transported north of the two highways."

 

Does this mean that it would be legal for an individual to harvest minnows south of the 401? It would make more sense to completely ban the harvest minnows south of the 401 not just the commercial harvest.

 

Also, is it only commercial operators that cannot transport minnows north of the 401; or individuals as well? I.e. would I be able to purchase minnows from Rerries and take them to Scugog or Simcoe? The minnows would have had to come from north of the 401 anyway since there is not harvest south of the 401.

Edited January 10, 2007 by JohnBacon

[Rich]

Actually, I believe that it is illegal to sell dead minnows... at least the salted ones anyways.

 

Yes salted ones is illegal because it had some effect on whitefish apparently? But you can buy pre-packaged frozen minnows, they sell them down the road from me at the gas station.

[007]

I noticed in the MNR release it states that the virus "has been linked to the die-offs of at least four species of fish" - presumably in the infected Lower Great Lakes. Does anyone know what species these are?

 

Also, do we know which of the remaining species are likely to be most affected by the disease? Could it affect the fishing opportunities in the coming years for bass, pike, carp, panfish etc in Lake O?

 

007

[jason27fish]

that is going to hurt the bait shop down by toronto big time.

[Garyv]

If you read the release , commercial bait harvesters are not permitted to catch bait fish for resale anywhere south of the 402 and where it meets up with the 401 in London and south of the 401-402 from the Western Ontario border to the Quebec border. The transportation part is meant for the private fisherman that catches minnows and states they cannot transport from one area to another. I.E. If you catch minnows and are using them at one location and you want to pack up and move a mile to a different area, and you are south of the afore mentioned highways you as a private citizen CANNOT bring the minnows in your possession with you. The ministry dosent have to worry about commercial transportation as since they are not allowed to catch baitfish there are none for them to transport.

 

There is a buffer zone from North of the 420-402 to approx Tobermory and to Lake Simcoe where bait can be moved by private citizens as well as harvesters if caught in that area, but to be safe if you want to avoid and Bull should you be asked. Get a receipt from the bait seller and/or be able to document where you obtained the minnows. All this is due to the VHS virus...and we all thought that VHS was dead oh wait, not that kind of VHS!

 

Kepp watching MNR releases for additional information.

Edited January 11, 2007 by Garyv

[John Bacon]

I noticed in the MNR release it states that the virus "has been linked to the die-offs of at least four species of fish" - presumably in the infected Lower Great Lakes. Does anyone know what species these are?

 

Also, do we know which of the remaining species are likely to be most affected by the disease? Could it affect the fishing opportunities in the coming years for bass, pike, carp, panfish etc in Lake O?

 

007

 

 

We were not allowed to bring Coho into the Ringwood hatchery this year because of fears that they had VHS. A sample of Coho from this year's run were sent for testing. If they are free of VHS we may be able to raise them next year. Next fall will be the final run for Coho if no further stocking takes place - unless they can form a self sustaining population.

 

I don't believe that VHS actually harms trout or salmon. But they can transmit it other species with are more vulnerable. I think walleye are one of the species that can experience die offs from VHS.

 

Yes salted ones is illegal because it had some effect on whitefish apparently? But you can buy pre-packaged frozen minnows, they sell them down the road from me at the gas station.

 

I thought it was because there were huge quantities of salted minnows beging sold; and that banning the sale of salted minnows would reduce the harvest to more manageable numbers.

[Rich]

I'm waiting for the worms with DVD.

 

You're probably right about that John Bacon.. I only heard the tale second hand from some old man.

Edited January 11, 2007 by Rich

[Dano]

 

I don't believe that VHS actually harms trout or salmon. But they can transmit it other species with are more vulnerable. I think walleye are one of the species that can experience die offs from VHS.

 

Yet another reason to stop breeding and introducing these government sanctioned invasive species.

 

Thanks for the link nauti.

Edited January 11, 2007 by Dano

[John Bacon]

Yet another reason to stop breeding and introducing these government sanctioned invasive species.

 

Thanks for the link nauti.

 

Before pacific salmon were introduced to Lake Ontario there wasn't much of a fishery at all. I would rather have a fishery based on introduced species than no fishery at all.

 

Native species can can disease too.

[Dano]

Before pacific salmon were introduced to Lake Ontario there wasn't much of a fishery at all. I would rather have a fishery based on introduced species than no fishery at all.

 

Native species can can disease too.

 

Its is just a quick way to keep anglers happy and the tourist money rolling in with no forethought as to the impact of these introduced species on the eco system as a whole. Its a much cheaper and dirtier way to keep mouths shut rather than addressing the real issues of pollution and habitat loss. I vote for no fishery if this is what it takes.

Edited January 12, 2007 by Dano