Rice Lake is in the news again!

[Ron]

http://www.northumbe....aspx?e=2547513

 

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP -- A Ministry of Natural Resources biologist faced with a motion from Northumberland County and Hamilton Township asking to specially designated Rice Lake and hold public consultations to develop fishing regulations says these discussions have already taken place.

 

Dan Taillon said that before putting the first-ever panfish limit in place last January and expanding to year-round fishing in Zone 17, including Rice Lake, an advisory group made up of many stakeholders met for about three years to discuss the changes. There were a total of about 30 meetings, he said. The council made recommendations and then there were public consultations last spring and only then did the ministry put regulations in place, he said. The process in this zone was one of three pilot projects across the province. Of the 900 online survey responses to the recommendations, 100 were from Americans, Taillon said. While there wasn't advisory committee consensus on the fishing limit, a series of factors were considered before deciding on the 300 panfish limit for those with a sport-fishing licence, he said. This is for both the number caught in a day and the total number in a person's possession at any time whether in the boat, freezer or in a cooler, Taillon said when asked this month by Hamilton Township Mayor Mark Lovshin. A conservation licence's limit is 15 panfish of any size.

 

"Data shows Rice Lake bluegills are showing symptoms of over-harvest," Taillon said of the data that has not been well publicized.

 

This is one of the scientific reasons for the larger size limit on panfish, he said.

 

But members of the Rice Lake Tourist Association have argued before both county and the township council, that if that is the case, why has year-round fishing been introduced at all.

 

Some members of the association have petitioned that the ice fishing permitted this winter be reversed next year. At the same time, they oppose any panfishing limits because this is what tourists, especially Americans, come to the lake for during the warmer weather. They eat the fish while here and return with quantities that are cleaned and packed for transport across the border.

 

Panfish include species like sunfish, pumpkin seed, bluegill and crappie.

 

Taillon said that the size and overall limits will safeguard the panfish resource that Americans, and growing numbers of local anglers, are fishing for in Rice Lake. Once fish start maturing at smaller sizes, the larger size can be lost, he said of the science behind the decisions.

 

"We may never get the chance again."

 

He said that Rice Lake is in one of the two smallest zones in Ontario and that changing fishing regulations frequently doesn't provide enough time to determine how the fish are responding to them.

 

As to specially designating Rice Lake with regulations that are different than the rest of the bodies of water in Zone 17, including the Kawartha Lakes, some members of the advisory council wanted a level playing field through the entire area without special enforcements on Rice Lake. He noted that there were far more similarities to other lakes in the zones that differences including the size of Rice Lake.

 

"This is the first time in over 80 years" that there has been ice fishing on Rice Lake, he said. Huts had to be removed from the lake by March 1.

 

Deputy Mayor Isobel Hie, who is also a Rice Lake resort operator, said that the voluntary catch and release program for sunfish has been in place for many years and that the new regulations are "kind of jerking people around."

 

But Taillon said only with regulations can there be enforcement and fines.

 

Lovshin asked if there had been instances of people ice fishing species such as pickerel out of season this past winter. He was told the ministry conservation officers did not catch anyone, although the police had caught and fined one person.

 

Ministry area supervisor Tammy Tellier said that workshops are being put in place for early-May so that municipalities can air their concerns. The 10-year plan will also be reviewed in five years, councillors were told.

 

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Article ID# 2547513

[Tom McCutcheon]

I told you Ron; that this hasn't been put to bed yet.

 

All we (you and Mike) and the rest of us who have an interest in this can do is stay vigilant and try to keep on top of the RLTA and their short sighted agenda.

 

Please keep us informed as you have been. If you need me and my POINTY WHITE HAT just let me know.

 

Tom.

Edited April 23, 2010 by Tom McCutcheon

[Michael_Brown]

I still miss the concept of how their voluntary program needs to end.

If it was so successful then continue. Of course for those anglers who did not want to participate in the voluntary program they now have a regulation stopping them at 30 over 7 inches. I don't think allowing someone to harvest a total of 380 panfish under the new regulation is "jerking them around".

 

The other program they wanted to try was to identify the sunfish spawning areas and then have rotating santuaries on those spawning areas. Nothing like pinning a giant "FISH HERE" sign on an open spawning area.

 

I would actually like to meet with the RLTA at one of their meetings to dicuss this issue with all of their members and present some ideas that might benefit their tourism opportunities.

 

Of course they might not want me there but at least I can offer.

Edited April 23, 2010 by Michael Brown

[jimmer]

I don't believe that the RLTA (or a few members) will ever let this go.

[rapala14]

I love how in Nothumberland TODAY it reads "Catch limits will safeguard panfish resource: biologist" extra emphasis on BIOLOGIST. Not "Some persons OPINION that there should be no limits because I think there are lots of fish in Rice Lake and this is the way its always been"

[Twocoda]

Now that they exposed themselves to this board as fools i guess they need to go through the media to ensure the whole province is aware they are

[ecmilley]

it makes you wonder what's worth more a million dollars or all the nickels in the rlta heads

[Garry2Rs]

As a part time Yankee, I am suspicious of the generic "American."

Who are these people they are talking about?

 

Every year I spend six months in the States.

I don't know of anybody down there who wants to travel to Canada to target Panfish!!!

 

Let's face it, in most of the USA the growing season is longer, so their fish get bigger faster. Add to this the fact that their regulations more angler friendly...IE no closed season on Bass and multi-rod Spider rigs for Crappie etc.

 

Therefore, I seriously doubt that any significant number of American anglers are crossing the border for Panfish! These visitors now need a passport to return to the US and the inspection lines are an hour long. In Canada everyday items like food, gas, beer and booze is 33% to 50% more expensive, plus we have two taxes on top of an inflated price!!!

 

If the real issue is reduced tourist revenues, I don't think you can blame it on a reduced size or lower limits on panfish. Better to put the blame on an American economy that is suffering and our high taxes and the artificially high prices created by our various "marketing boards" making everything a visitor buys seem like a huge rip-off!

 

A few years ago, when our dollar was at 65 or 75 cents US, perhaps it was more acceptable, but with the two dollars at par, I can understand why many Americans might chose to stay closer to home this Summer.

 

Put the shoe on the other foot....Even at par, would you drive to Rochester to fish for something you have at home? I bet you're saying "No Way!"

Garry2R's

[cheaptackle]

Garry that economic/semantic arguement along with American fishing opportunities were all used in one way or another with the RLTA. Bottom line is they aren't making enough $$$ and need to position a scapegoat, ergo attack the recent change in regulation because it's the ONLY thing that's changed (yeah right!). I almost want to support giving them their desired goal only to prove it ain't gonna make their businesses any better, but two wrongs are twice as bad in my book. Now that the politicians have been told by a LEARNED source it's pretty much out of the RLTA's hands. I'm sure they won't go quietly into the night, because that would be admitting they were wrong.

I said before and still believe that if they would quit causing the bad press, channel their efforts instead into developing new opportunities for themselves based on the new regs (ice season accomodations etc.) they can turn their perceived potential losses into great successes.

I have, however, avoided stating what I feel an obvious conclusion - can anyone spell "RLTA wants a government economic bailout"? Why else would they pursue such an obvious losing battle? This is one time I'd not mind being wrong (serious!) but I just can't figure out why else they'd beat this issue to death.

7 days left in the month - wanna bet they're in the news again before the 30th?

 

Michael

[Stoty]

Gary, I have first hand expeience with all the American's that come up here year after year to panfish. I worked at Golden Beach Resort and 70-80% of the people staying at the resort were Americans from Ohio, NY and Penn. It's a HUGE market up here for that.

 

With that being said, I still agree with limits on the fish. I ant believe people are pissed about a 300 fish limit. Are you kiddin me??? It's 300 fish per person! If you bring your family of 4 you can keep 1200 fish. Man oh man. How many fish does a person need?!?!

 

People need to think about the future of all of our fisheries.

[Michael_Brown]

Credit is due to Mike Reader of the OFAH for a good article in May issue of Ontario Out of Doors magazine, concerning the new panfish limits in zone 17.

 

 

A nice plug for the Bridgenorth Winter Panfish Festival as well.

 

Thanks Mike.

 

FMZ 17 regulations can work for all

 

In January 2010, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) introduced new Fisheries Management Zone

17 (FMZ) regulations, which for the first time in eighty years provides for an all year fishery in the

Kawarthas for yellow perch, black crappie, northern pike, and sunfish. Sport fishing licence holders

are able to catch and possess a limit of 300 sunfish, 30 of which may be greater than 18cm (7.1 inches).

Conservation license holders have a possession limit of 15 sunfish, any size.

The change came about after extensive input, most notably from the FMZ 17 Advisory Council, one of

three pilot councils formed in 2008, as part of the new provincial Ecological Framework for Fisheries

Management. The council is comprised of several stakeholder groups, including the O.F.A.H., which is

highly supportive of the changes. The overharvest of larger sunfish can contribute to the stunted

growth of populations, due to the opportunity for smaller sunfish to spawn, and therefore,

devote more energy to spawning rather than growth. Managing for quality-sized sunfish means

incorporating regulations to protect a number of larger sunfish from being harvested. We also

support the harvest limit of 300 sunfish per angler, as it regulates sunfish populations.

The O.F.A.H. supports the creation of a year round fishery for these species because it allows

for greater angler opportunities and will contribute to the recruitment of new anglers. In many

ways, ice fishing is not only easily accessible, but may require less financial investment on the

part of the beginning angler. Winter fishing also makes a great family activity and will provide

In additional economic return for local bait shops and tackle stores, at a time of year when business

is traditionally slower in many cottage and tourist areas of the province. In fact, the benefit to local

businesses and area residents was one of the key factors behind the Ministry's decision to

move to year round fishing in the zone.

Unfortunately a small group of tourist operators in the Kawarthas have suggested that the recent

regulation change to FMZ 17 will cause a decline in U.S. tourists on lakes within FMZ 17, and on Rice

Lake in particular. At the heart of their disagreement with the change is the new possession limit of

300 sunfish per angler, which they believe will jeopardize the fishery and hurt their business during

the summer months. They have suggested instead that the limit be raised to 500 with the fishery

restricted to six months a year, an idea founded not on science, but on self-interest.

Based on statistics from the 2005 Survey of Recreational Fishing in Canada produced by the

Department of Fisheries and Oceans, there were 1.4 million licenced anglers in Ontario (not including

those under 16 and over 65 who are not required to be licenced). Of these, two thirds were Ontario

residents, the rest from out of province or from the United States. Licence fees alone contributed

almost $39 million to the province's Special Purpose Account (SPA). Rice Lake is the sixth largest fishery

in the province, and the Kawartha Lakes region is second only to Lake Huron in terms of popularity

for recreational fishing. With the addition of year round fishing in the Kawarthas, these numbers are

expected to grow significantly. The economic benefit to local businesses is also significant, with the

Rice Lake fishery worth at least $50 million.

 

The creation of a year round fishery in the Kawarthas was a long time coming, and was the result of

extensive hearings through the FMZ council. It also recognizes a new brand of tourism,

which attracts as many Ontarians to the area as it does those from out of province. Depending solely

on the influx of American anglers, particularly at a time of economic uncertainty, ignores the huge

potential of the market here at home. Witness the success of the Bridgenorth Winter Panfish Festival on Chemong

Lake this past January, which attracted 1,000 participants during Ontario Family Fishing Weekend, 600

of these being children experiencing ice fishing for the first time. What better way to bring families

together, to enjoy time in the great outdoors, and introduce a new generation to the joys of fishing.

Aside from Lake Simcoe, Rice Lake is one of the area's most notable destinations for anglers, and the

ability to fish year round will, in our view, enhance this reputation and bring more business to the area.

Over time, we hope that the small number of tourist operators on Rice Lake who are seeking to derail

this great new opportunity will come to see it not as a detriment, but as an important recreational and

economic benefit for all.

 

 

 

 

Also a recent post in the Northumberland news.

 

http://www.northumberlandnews.com/opinion/article/153119

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

thanks for the continued updates. this issue is a definite precedent setter for anglers and self-motivated tourist associations/cottagers associations alike.

[mjack 7]

As a cottage owner on the lake, I can just about guarantee that there is more panfish harvested in one day in the summer, lake wide than there was the entire winter at rice. There was next to no pressure on the lake this winter and the catches were few for the most part.