day 2 of Nipissing summit

[kickingfrog]

http://www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3525350

 

 

Co-management of lake a priority, summit hears

By DAVE DALE The Nugget

Posted 7pm, Apr 4, 2012

 

More research is needed as Lake Nipissing deals with environmental changes.

 

And the lake should be co-managed by native and provincial governments.

 

Those are among the key points of consensus at the Lake Nipissing Summit this week.

 

The event, organized by Nipissing First Nation and held at Nipissing University, drew representatives from municipalities surrounding the lake, tourism operators, groups involved in watershed protection, native fishermen and non-native stakeholders.

 

Treaty rights, native commercial management efforts and a 100-year history of fishery pressure were reviewed, along with water quality and the impact of invasive species.

 

“We're not going anywhere,” said Nipissing Chief Marianna Couchie during her concluding remarks. “We've been here since time immemorial and we plan to be here just as long.”

 

Couchie said the summit was born out of a meeting between area municipalities and they'll be called together soon to suggest an action plan.

 

Most discussions at the summit focused on a recent steep decline in spawning-size walleye, which was first noticed in 2009 and backed up by subsequent fall index netting studies.

 

Meriza George, manager of Nipissing FN's natural resources, said it has reduced its quota twice since 2009 and fishermen couldn't net half of what was considered a sustainable yield last year.

 

George noted Supreme Court decisions regarding treaty rights have set fishery priorities to begin with species conservation, followed by sustenance harvesting for First Nations people and then First Nations commercial activities. Sport fishing (non-native angling or ice fishing) is legally considered the last priority, she said.

 

It was noted the North Bay Ministry of Natural Resources declined an invitation to speak about fisheries management issues, although a specialist spoke about how water level management decisions are made.

 

Corrine Nelson, acting district manager for North Bay working out of Kirkland Lake, told The Nugget late Wednesday a review of fisheries data from 1998 to 2011 is underway and will be made public when completed.

 

No reason was given when asked why the MNR didn't participate more fully.

 

Jean-Marc Filion, who presented on spiny water flea invasion, said the MNR is working on a fisheries management plan in isolation.

 

Several ideas were floated during wrap-up discussions Wednesday to protect the relatively larger numbers of small walleye in the lake so they can replenish spawning stocks.

 

Reducing angler limits, banning live bait and limiting ice huts for day use only might help keep the younger walleye safe, some participants said.

 

And the pros and cons of declaring the lake or walleye fishery to be in a “crisis” stage were also debated, with several participants saying such strong words would cause havoc on the tourism industry.

[kickingfrog]

and this...

 

http://www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3524761

 

MNR can do more, Nipissing FN says

Lake Nipissing Summit continues today

By DAVE DALE The Nugget

Updated 2pm, Apr 2012.

 

The North Bay Ministry of Natural Resources declined to speak about Lake Nipissing fisheries management at a summit involving all municipal stakeholders Tuesday and today.

 

Provincial officials did address water level and water quality topics, however.

 

Nipissing First Nation, which organized the two-day Lake Nipissing Summit being held at Nipissing University's Chancelor's House, outlined what it has been doing over the past decade.

 

Meriza George, manager of natural resources at Nipissing FN, said Tuesday afternoon they've put an average of $300,000 a year into fisheries management.

 

George said they have reviewed and revised quotas and its regulations based on annual harvest data, reducing it's commercial targets twice since a sharp decline in spawning age fish was noticed in 2009.

 

A moratorium on gill netting during the spawn has been implemented every year since 2004, George said, with a biologist and other staff hired in 2006.

 

Nipissing also established a certified catch program to reflect the value of the commercial management, although George said some restaurants and markets still purchase walleye harvested outside the approved commercial regime.

 

She said the province needs to put more of its resources into the effort to continue monitoring angling pressure, and suggested that the MNR creel surveys need to be reconsidered.

 

George cited a 1999 “complete trip” study the province conducted on two creel sections that showed the system of asking anglers how long they spent on the lake and their resulting catch underestimated pressure by more than half.

 

She said the province should also work “more collaboratively with Nipissing First Nation.”

 

More coverage of the summit to follow today's sessions.

[kickingfrog]

Day one's article:

 

http://ontariofishingcommunity.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=61768

[Rod Caster]

"Corrine Nelson, acting district manager for North Bay working out of Kirkland Lake, told The Nugget late Wednesday a review of fisheries data from 1998 to 2011 is underway and will be made public when completed."

Out of Kirkland? Acting manager?

The MNR is decimated, they can barely keep up with their current basic duties and in the new budget, The Feds loaded most of their environmental work onto the Provinces lap, in places where they could. Everyone is looking at the MNR to do things, because they hold most the decision making power, yet they can't even excercise their power because they don't have the resources for up to date studies and management.

 

I'm fine with having the Natives more involved in the Nipissing fishery...let them contribute to regulatory enforcement and lake management in places where the MNR can't handle it... although I have no idea if they have the resources/funds/support/will to do this.

 

A live bait ban would hurt local bait shops...although they seem to be bracing themselves for this already.