Letter to MNR

[TJQ]

 

Fedeli sends MNR Minister an open letter

Hon Michael Gravelle, MPP

Suite 6630, 6th Floor, Whitney Block

99 Wellesley Street West

Toronto, Ontario M7A 1W3

 

Dear Minister:

 

I’m writing to ask you to rescind your decision to reduce the daily walleye catch limits on Lake Nipissing from four to two for those anglers with sport fishing licences and from two to one for those with conservation licences effective January 1, 2013.

 

Minister, you have taken the easy way out rather than perform due diligence in finding a longterm solution in the best interests of all Lake Nipissing stakeholders and interests. In my letter to you dated August 28, 2012, I outlined possible solutions and causes that needed to be examined with regards to declining walleye stocks prior to any management action to reduce catch limits.

 

You and your Ministry have been silent on these suggestions, so I can only assume I was correct in my August letter when I stated you had already made up your mind at that time.

 

If you had done your job, you would know that there are Lake Nipissing stakeholders ready to pay for and fully implement a walleye restocking program for the lake on their own without government assistance. Restocking has been scientifically been shown to be effective elsewhere. All they need, Minister, is your approval to proceed.

 

I will again point out that Lake Nipissing’s cormorant population has been allowed to grow over the last decade. The birds now take over 100,000 kilograms of fish – more than four times what anglers draw from the lake. You and your Ministry can no longer ignore this issue and need to

address it directly.

 

Minister, tourist operators around Lake Nipissing started receiving cancellation requests within hours of this decision becoming public. They should not have to pay for your Liberal government’s years of failure and mismanagement of this fishery. It’s time you admit this decision is wrong-headed and short-sighted. There is still time for you to reverse it and engage with stakeholders to find a long-term solution. I look forward to your prompt response.

 

Sincerely,

Vic Fedeli

MPP Nipissing

[Twocoda]

Liberals always stand behind their wrong headed and short sited decisions...i hope he doesnt hold his breath waiting for a response...it could be detrimental to his well being

[kickingfrog]

Political Bull from another politician.

[Rich]

Im pretty sure were on the verge of uprising/anarchy anyway, no worries

[wormdunker]

I applaud the efforts of Mr. Fedeli as he is working to help the tourist operators. I would question the statement of 100,000 kilos consumed by cormorants. How is a quantity like this obtained?

[bushart]

I applaud the efforts of Mr. Fedeli as he is working to help the tourist operators. I would question the statement of 100,000 kilos consumed by cormorants. How is a quantity like this obtained?

 

 

I would imagine info like this is gathered by studying the cormorant population over a period of time and applying averages---likely biologists

 

This is why Gov't cutbacks on scientific study will hurt where you live

 

But we won't make this letter from a politician political

[Rod Caster]

I appreciate his effort. Any attention to lake Nip is good right now. But, as KF said.... it's nothing less, nothing more.

 

Twocoda, good job taking a strong political stance in the first post

Edited December 15, 2012 by Rod Caster

[outllaw]

at least the mpp has regarded the situation. hopefully with pressure maybe there can be an honest answer. we all know the mnr orders are a simple download from the holders of purse strings..the north bay region will feel the financial brunt if theres no reversal. lodge operators to gas stations.sad scenario as we all know canadians cherish there outdoors and natural resources.

[ecmilley]

I applaud the man can't say he is not trying

[Headhunter]

There was a point made in the other Nip thread that has been eating away at me for the past couple of days...

Let's face it, with so many cancellations hitting Nip outfitters and folks on the fence about where they are going to spend their vacation money, I can't help but be concerned for the other bodies of water that are going to be taking the brunt of the Nip fall offs...

Assuming that I am correct for a moment, won't that mean that not only is Nip in a position of stress, but won't these new Nip rules cause smaller lakes to be under more stress then they currently are, when anglers start hitting them hard for their Pickereye fix?

Kinda sounds like a spreading cancer...

The solution is simple and obvious...

HH

[kickingfrog]

This is a problem that goes beyond political boundaries, scope and office term. The simple fact is this is a 20 year (at least) problem in the making and needs a 20 year (at least) solution and that is beyond what any political party can, or is willing, to do

 

Much of the Canadian fishing tourism is made up of Americans. The American economy has been in a down turn and our dollar has been on par for 4-5 years. Those are two huge factors for some of our American friends.

 

Couple that with what we have all read here, and elsewhere, some very negative reports form anglers that have had limited success on Nipissing the last number of years as well. That also has an effect on people spending hard earned dollars for a vacation.

 

No doubt the reduced limit will have some looking elsewhere, but how often will people keep coming back to a place that doesn't produce the number of fish desired in the first place regardless of limits?

[capt_hooked]

Thanks for posting TJ.

 

Good comments kickingfrog...!

 

 

I think Mr. Fedelli is jumping in a bit late here. As far as I understand.. Mr. Fedell's idea of tourism is building a casino in North Bay...

 

He is just shooing his mouth off here...

 

Hope he does better at hedging his bets at the roulette table.

 

[Rich Nelson]

Although not a solution to the current problems regarding Nipissing, but....maybe its time for meat hunting anglers to become more conservation minded. I have no problem with eating the odd catch here and there, but cancelations due to a decrease in possession limits? Whatever happenened to fishing being a relaxing activity, to enjoy being on the water with friends, and for the thrill of the fight. Catcgh and release is pretty rewarding as well.

Want to eat lots of fish? Go to a store. Its usually the ones doing the most complaining, are the type that are responsible for the current state of declining fisheries to begin with.

[pics]

Go to the store and buy what? Farmed fish is almost toxic to eat and pretty much anything else is depleted in the wild....

[Gerritt]

Although not a solution to the current problems regarding Nipissing, but....maybe its time for meat hunting anglers to become more conservation minded. I have no problem with eating the odd catch here and there, but cancelations due to a decrease in possession limits? Whatever happenened to fishing being a relaxing activity, to enjoy being on the water with friends, and for the thrill of the fight. Catcgh and release is pretty rewarding as well.

Want to eat lots of fish? Go to a store. Its usually the ones doing the most complaining, are the type that are responsible for the current state of declining fisheries to begin with.

 

 

Go to a store??? Are you serious? You want to support the gill netters! Insane.

[Rich Nelson]

Yes, a store... And if you dont want to do that, just keep less from angling, and not eat fish as often. If people actually cared at all about the future of the fishery, then it would be a very small sacrifice, and would be the responsible thing to do.

I like eating pizza. If someone told me I had to eat half the pizza I do now, because of a tomato shortage, then I wouldnt be too upset about that...

Get over yourselves, and start taking responsibility for your actions.

I know angler harvest isnt the only cause of the low numbers, but its a big part of it. Looking to all the other factors while disregarding the only one within anglers control is foolish!

[lookinforwalleye]

Like Rob said this problem has been going on for years, I used fish nip quite a bit back in the 70 and 80 and it was a great fishery. Everybody knows what the problem is but the issue is political

And until the politicians grow a pair nothing will change!

[craigdritchie]

Good effort, but that letter will go straight into the blue box.

[Rich Nelson]

MNR is underfunded, and lits of things need to change... But at least they are doing something about it to try to protect the fishery. Why try to fight them on it? Instead, suck it up for a while, and push to get them to address the other issues as well?

[spinnerbaitking]

There are lots of people that go catch 4, 5 or 6 fish depending on the species & the Limit, go home clean & go back to do this again, 2 or 3 times a day & maybe numerous days in a row, they are worried about getting caught going home but not worried about getting checked when their catch is cleaned & put in their freezer or given away & go back & catch another limit the same day, if you drop the limit to 2 that means if they keep doing that now they will have 6 fish a day taken home in 1 day instead of 15 or 18 fish a day, I really don't think anyone needs that much in their freezer but maybe I'm wrong, 1 easy thing to do is take picture, document what you see & report it

Just My .02 Tight Lines SBK

[Headhunter]

MNR is underfunded, and lits of things need to change... But at least they are doing something about it to try to protect the fishery. Why try to fight them on it? Instead, suck it up for a while, and push to get them to address the other issues as well?

Unfortunately, taking the "suck it up" position means that we will not have learned a thing from the past, when the lake had to be re-stocked because of netting devastation.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

HH

[Rich Nelson]

Unfortunately, taking the "suck it up" position means that we will not have learned a thing from the past, when the lake had to be re-stocked because of netting devastation.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

HH

When I said suck it up, I was refering to accepting the lower limits...Its a start. Maybe these guys would prefer to keep on eating everything they catch, and wondering in 10 years why they no longer have a sustainable fishery.

[SirCranksalot]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=CA&v=rNQRfBAzSzo

[Headhunter]

The vast majority of anglers follow the rules... that's been my experience. Those who don't should be caught and punished by the law. The anglers who don't shouldn't have to pay a price because others don't play far.

The whole thing is so obvious, but essentially, if they made Nip a catch and release only lake for Pickereyes, it would still be doomed to the same fate. Sure it may take a little longer, but it will happen.

If all parties agreed to cutting their numbers in half, more enforcement of regs and agreements, then using science to determin next courses, then I for one would understand that being a positive go forward position. So far only one group has been made to "take one" for the lake.

HH

[dickie]

Although not a solution to the current problems regarding Nipissing, but....maybe its time for meat hunting anglers to become more conservation minded. I have no problem with eating the odd catch here and there, but cancelations due to a decrease in possession limits? Whatever happenened to fishing being a relaxing activity, to enjoy being on the water with friends, and for the thrill of the fight. Catcgh and release is pretty rewarding as well.

Want to eat lots of fish? Go to a store. Its usually the ones doing the most complaining, are the type that are responsible for the current state of declining fisheries to begin with.

If I come once or twice a year, travelling 300 miles, I would love to bring home a feed for my family. TWO DOES NOT CUT THE MUSTARD. Is that asking too much for paying a years licence? I'm a fruit and veggie farmer and cannot take time to fish in the summer. Some people are not meat-hungry fisherman.