OFAH wants nippising gill nets pulled !!!!!

[Oggie]

I am sorry that your vision of the people that fished lake Nipissing for 10,000 years before the first fishing regulation was ever written has taken a beating.

But they are not "just like us non-natives" because they did not claim ownership of mother earth and parcel it up for capital gain.

I am thankful every time I fish anywhere that we are granted the privilege.

Jim

You're selling but I'm not buying! Actions speak louder than words. If First Nations felt "privileged" to fish then they would respect the resource not plunder it. When you overfish you wipe out your credibility. Capital gain ....... the First Nations are overfishing to sell the fish to local distributors in North Bay. The jig is up Jim!

Dan O.

[Rich]

Ah, because only white men take advantage of the resources for capital gain, right.

[Metisfisherman]

It might be interesting to find out who are all the funders of OFAH are.

 

 

http://www.nugget.ca/2013/03/27/fishing-for-rational-thought

Fishing for rational thought

By DAVE DALE, The Nugget

Wednesday, March 27, 2013 6:49:37 EDT PM

NORTH BAY - The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources is a funny little group. Funny as in slightly annoying and fairly arrogant.

At least the top brass and wannabe brass appear that way with little regard for how they go about the business of public service.

Maybe it's the politics involved, with a revolving door of ministerial appointments and mandate changes. Maybe it's the lack of program funding.

Most of the guys and gals in the field seem more grounded. A few hard cases with bad cop attitudes give them a bad name.

But basically, MNR policies, protocols and mannerisms in general are counter-intuitive.

The Lake Nipissing Stakeholders Association certainly didn't enjoy its experience while seeking permission to ramp up its walleye restocking program. Meetings and requests started in earnest last fall and the group, involving many of the South Shore tourist operators and a broad range of stakeholders, tried to play nice.

Data and research from other jurisdictions which have built up depleted fisheries offered some hope for success.

Ontario got out of the restocking game more than two decades ago as budget tightening put the investment and science under a microscope.

Biologically, it's easy to lean toward a preference for natural reproduction. Genetic strength hinges on diverse factors.

And Lake Nipissing, with its sheer size and structure, makes it extremely difficult to manage and study to see what helps or hurts.

But the group wasn't seeking money and they were willing to do the work even if success was a long shot.

Data over the past several years showed a significantly reduced walleye fishery when it came to prime spawning age fish. There's several very strong year classes of immature walleye, the eldest of which make the best pan fry meal. Lots and lots of half-pounders, just not enough 20-inchers.

So they wanted to do something, both to show the world stakeholders were actively trying to reverse the problem (marketing benefit) while also giving Mother Nature a push ahead toward recovery.

The native blue walleye were fished to near collapse long ago and the yellow walleye seemed to do well when Nipissing was restocked, so why not?

Consider it a half-measure that keeps people busy and interested while other issues were explored, including all aspects of commercial gill netting, a cormorant population explosion, invading species and water quality changes.

The Lake Nipissing Summit organized by Nipissing First Nation last spring and involving all the community stakeholders in the area seemed promising too.

MNR participation was lacking, although they soon formed their own working committee of stakeholders meeting in private to discuss public issues.

Weeks turned to a month and more with no answer from the MNR, although it was clear they were not warming up to the idea.

And then, out of the blue and down from the MNR mount came the reactive decree that the possession limit was going to drop from four to two walleye. It was embraced like a chunk of coal found in a Christmas stocking.

If they were open and honest, they'd admit they took the easiest route as part of a political strategy to put pressure on Nipissing FN to reduce its commercial quota.

Smarter science would have considered more strongly the idea of changing the slot size to protect the next generation of spawners. Reducing the limit merely forced the meat-eating ice fishermen to become small walleye gluttons.

And by all accounts, the fishing was good this winter and I'd love to see how many people were caught taking more than allowed with increased enforcement effort.

Yet there was still no official answer to the association's request to go big on restocking as an immediate short-term part of the overall plan.

Even the Municipality of Callander asked through official resolution for the MNR to reconsider its reduced limit decision, suggesting instead a multi-prong collaborative approach that includes restocking. Nothing but silence followed.

Finally, the MNR brass saw fit to inform the commoners last week, although they didn't bother flexing their bulging public relations muscles to do it.

Instead, they let it leak out at a North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce that the MNR has ruled out restocking, as well as the idea of culling the nearly 3,000 nesting pairs of cormorants.

One day later, they arrived at a previously scheduled meeting with the stakeholders' association and gave them their answer.

Whether you agree with restocking programs or not, it's just plain rude to treat a willing and eager group of stakeholders in that manner.

Let's hope they grow some better manners and come to the next Lake Nipissing Summit this May with a more collaborative approach to forming the next MNR management plan.

Truth be told, the only thing keeping the walleye fishery afloat is very good spawning circumstances and poor fishing weather these past four or five years.

[email protected]

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Showing 10 of 16 comments

• 
  pinewood2 1 comment collapsed Collapse Expand

  I believe this: the local MNR staff want to do the right thing, but their hands are tied by the big guys at Queens Park. The MNR take a back seat to the Tourism Ministry in terms of Lake Nipissing policy. MNR represents the cost side of managing the lake because they know what's wrong and it's going to cost big $$$ to put it right. Tourism represents the revenue side, and you can bet the Premier wants good news, not bad news. Not doing anything effective and publicly-visible about the lake perpetuates the marketing Bull that "all's good at Nipissing" so come on up and spend your U.S. $$$$. The lake is nearly stripped naked, like a farmer's field planted year after year with the same crop, and no fertilizer. I have little hope that any government will act in the lake's best interests.
• 
  friend_or_foe 1 comment collapsed Collapse Expand

  Its sad to see people taking sides. We are one community weather we like it or not. I've lived in North Bay all my life and I have come to know many "Native People". Don't blame them for a government that makes promises it doesn't keep. These people have been very mistreated and injured. STAND TOGETHER AND BE STRONG and GOD BLESS!
• 
  largedoubledouble 1 comment collapsed Collapse Expand

  Most.....not all people of North Bay need to get educated. You look like the people from the deep south in the 50's and 60's who were against black people. Some day we'll look back and see North Bay the way we look at those people with disgust and embarrassment.
• 
  Pat Primeau 6 comments collapsed Collapse Expand

  Here we go again. Blame the aboriginals for everything. It's not the thousand of fisherman, it's the 10 or 12 aboriginals that have nets that fish to eat and that give those fish to the elders on the reserves that can't fish. Come out to the reserves and come and ask us questions. Too afraid of confrontation so you sit behind your computer screen. I think some of you need to look inside and address the real problems you have with your own issues!
• 
  lovesNB 1 comment collapsed Collapse Expand

  If you were right the fish stock would be healthy. The problem is not with fishing it is with commercial fishing. Fish & wildlife numbers remain healthy when people and I mean all people only take what they can eat. Market hunting and commercial netting is what destroys the resouce. Natives have always blamed the whiteman for the demise of the buffalo and now the tables are turned.
• 
  LeafFan90 4 comments collapsed Collapse Expand

  Especially when you see about 300 ice huts right in front of the septic plant in North Bay and about maybe 4 or 5 around the reserve.Ya the First Nation people are fishing out the lake......
• 
  lovesNB 3 comments collapsed Collapse Expand

  Like Pat Primeau your facts are wrong. At the most there might be 40 ice huts in front of the septic plant. As for the 4 or 5 around the reserve there are at least 20 with the majority of them put there by non-natives.
  Solutions will only be found with proper information.
• 
  largedoubledouble 2 comments collapsed Collapse Expand

  Yes, exactly lovesNB, get educated. Take off your blinders, open your eyes, see past your racism and prejudices. Get into this century.
• 
  bobby bovine 1 comment collapsed Collapse Expand

  in this case racisim is a largedoubledouble sided coin.
• 
  lovesNB 1 comment collapsed Collapse Expand

  The MNR is a joke. Go to their building and you are greeted by a panel of telephones so you can leave a voice mail message hoping someone will call you back. They are out of touch with the people. In the article they did not attend the Summit, case in point. If this stocking program is the answer then bring the natives on board as they can do as they please. The natives can also legally address the cormorant problem. They did on Manitoulin Island; raiding the nesting site and shaking the eggs before replacing them. The cormorants sat on dead eggs and did not re-lay. This method along with shooting solved the problem. Nipissing's future could very well be in the hands of the MNR; that is; the Ministry of Native Resourses.

http://www.nfn.ca/newsletters/2013/news_mar2013.pdf

2013 COMMERCIAL FISHING SEASON

This is a reminder that the gill net moratorium will be in effect from April 1, 2013

up to and including May 10, 2013. Our annual gill net moratorium is in place to

allow as many walleye to spawn as possible and we are seeing the positive results

from our management efforts.

Also, commercial fishermen registration nights will be held prior to the start of

the fishing season. Dates for these registration nights will be advertised in the

next newsletter.

Page 33

 

 

http://www.nfn.ca/newsletters/2013/news_apr2013.pdf

NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT

FISHERIES

Chief and Council are once again hosting the Lake Nipissing summit this Spring to inform our

neighbors about the financial commitment and management activities that Nipissing First Nation

have undertaken to benefit the Lake Nipissing fishery. More information on the Lake

Nipissing summit initiative can be viewed on-line at www.lakenipissingsummit.ca.

Prior to the opening of the commercial fishing season, Chief and Council will be considering

revising some of the regulations within the Nipissing Nation Fisheries Law. Revisions are being

considered following a review of the status of walleye report that was recently shared with

Chief and Council. The Natural Resources Department would like to share this report with

Nipissing First Nation band members to get input into possible management action.

Information on the Spring Moratorium, proposed changes to the 2013 Fisheries Regulations,

Risk Assessment Model is some of the information that will be available on the website for you

to view. If you would like to have a copy of any of the above documents, please contact the

Natural Resources Department 705-753-2050.

We are seeking input from membership whether you are a subsistence or commercial fisher.

Input can be provided to the Natural Resources Department office in the following ways:

- www.nfn.ca website

- One on one appointment at the Natural Resources Office.

- Focus group meetings (times and dates will be advertised on the website)

It is very important for band members to take this opportunity to review this report and to

share your thoughts on and be part of management decisions. Please contact Clint Couchie at

(705) 753-2050 to arrange an appointment.

Miigwech.

Page 5

 

 

http://www.nugget.ca/2012/12/12/walleye-catch-limits-reduced

Walleye catch limits reduced

By GORD YOUNG, The Nugget

Wednesday, December 12, 2012 12:34:22 EST PM

Daily catch limits for walleye on Lake Nipissing have been reduced in an effort to help rebuild the troubled fishery.

The Ministry of Natural Resources announced Wednesday the daily catch limit will be reduced to two walleye from four for sport fishing licence holders and to one fish from two for conservation licence holders.

The new catch limits will take effect when the winter season opens Jan. 1 and will remain in place until further notice. The slot size is unchanged for both licences.

The MNR said in a release that the reduced catch limits are in response to a drop in the walleye population over the past two years and build on the recommendations of an advisory committee created to assist in its recovery.

The MNR began eyeing potential changes to the fishing regulations on Lake Nipissing during the summer following a review of data from 1967 to 2011, which concluded mainly fishing pressure has placed the walleye population in a vulnerable state.

The Lake Nipissing Project Walleye Advisory Committee was formed in July, consisting of local anglers, Nipissing First Nation and other stakeholders, to develop recommendations to help address the problem.

Ministry spokeswoman Lindsay Munroe said reducing the catch limits is a first step and that the MNR is assessing other options, including a request from a community group to increase restocking efforts.

The MNR said consultation with the advisory group, as well as dialogue with local First Nations regarding the commercial fishery will continue as it develops a long-term management plan for Lake Nipissing.

According to the MNR's latest data review, Lake Nipissing's walleye population is estimated at half of what it was during its peak in the 1980s, when it was at about 400,000 kilograms.

The review acknowledges there have been other ecosystem changes, such as the colonization of Lake Nipissing by doublecrested cormorants and the spiny water flea. But it indicates that the human harvest target of 66,000 kg, which includes commercial and recreational fishing, is unsustainable based on the current estimated population.

The health of Lake Nipissing's walleye fishery has struggled for more than a decade, which has led to the introduction of a number of management regulations.

In 1999, the MNR introduced a slot size and catch limit of four instead of six -- long before such rules were in place for most other lakes.

Then, in 2005, the MNR introduced a winter slot size on the lake, and Nipissing First Nation adopted its own fisheries management plan, including bylaws regulating harvest quotas and methods. Nipissing First Nation has also since imposed an annual moratorium on gill netting during the spring spawn, sanctioned members caught breaching it and funded fishery research and enforcement.

The MNR also introduced new regulations in 2007, extending the winter walleye fishing season to March 15 from March 7. The move was opposed by most tourist operators, who argued it was too soon for the ministry to begin allowing more pressure on the fishery. But the ministry said the changes were in response to public demand for more fishing opportunities and that data over the previous two years showed the fishery could handle the added pressure.

[email protected]

 

 

http://www.cottagecountrynow.ca/news/news/article/1563994

Sudden decision upsets outfitters

Kelly McShane

Jan 10, 2013 - 3:06 PM

 

SLOW START.

NIPISSING – Local stakeholders are critical of the Ministry of Natural Resources’ sudden decision last month to cut Lake Nipissing walleye catch limits in half.

“It won’t have a positive impact on the walleye fishery based on data supplied by the MNR’s own biologist,” said Scott Nelson, owner of Glen Echo Cottages in Callander.

Nelson, a member of the Lake Nipissing Stakeholders Association (LNSA), attended an advisory committee meeting prior to the MNR’s decision to reduce the daily catch limits of walleye, also refered to as pickerel, 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 Jan. 1.

It was during the advisory committee meeting Nelson said the MNR’s biologist suggested other means of dealing with the declining walleye numbers. But Nelson says the Ministry disregarded the input of its own expert and opted for a quick fix – at least visually.

In a letter to Minister of Natural Resources Michael Gravelle dated Dec. 14, Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli called on Gravelle to rescind the decision.

Fedeli says Gravelle has taken the easy way out rather than find a long-term solution.

He says he offered the Minister multiple possible solutions and causes that needed to be examined prior to any management action to reduce catch limits. But he says the suggestions were ignored.

“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,” Fedeli says in his letter, referring to the LNSA of which Fedeli is a corporate member. “All they need, Minister, is your approval to proceed.”

According to Nelson, the LNSA has submitted two proposals to the MNR – one in August and the other in October – asking for permission to expand its walleye restocking program to have a larger impact.

Nipissing Mayor Pat Haufe said he is in favour of this plan.

Nelson said he hasn’t received response from the Ministry despite multiple attempts to make contact and currently has no idea where the proposal sits.

MNR acting marketing and communications specialist Lindsay Munroe included community restocking in a response on the MNR’s long-term plans.

“The reduction in daily catch limits is just one part of a broader long-term strategy for Lake Nipissing,” said Munroe, in an email. “Other management actions we are currently considering include encouraging exploration of additional angling opportunities for other species (e.g. yellow perch), a discussion with local First Nations regarding the commercial fishery, and community-based stocking.”

According to Fedeli’s letter, tourist operators around Lake Nipissing started receiving cancellation requests within hours of this decision becoming public.

Scott Chalmers, owner of Chilly Willy’s Ice Fishing Adventures in Callander, said it’s too early to know how the MNR’s decision will affect his business, but he’s definitely not onside with pointing the finger at anglers.

“I do believe they’re targeting the wrong people,” said Chalmers, who said he thinks it’s the commercial fishing that is affecting numbers.

Both Chalmers and Nelson said they would like to see a quota reduction on First Nation commercial fishing.

Nipissing First Nation Chief Marianna Couchie says there are fewer commercial fishermen on the lake now than in previous years.

“We’ve been working for years on trying to protect the walleye,” she said. “We have reduced our quota over the years in response to the number of walleye. It’s not like we’re not paying attention… We’re not taking anything near what the non-natives are taking.”

Couchie says there are other factors at play in the loss of walleye.

“Cottagers come up here and they want a green, green lawn, so they fertilize it,” she said. “There is so much pollution in this lake you can’t drink the water anymore. When I was growing up, the water quality was such that you could take a cup to the lake and drink the water. It’s not our people who are doing that.”

Couchie said in previous years the First Nations sponsored a hatchery to put fingerlings back in the lake. But wasn’t able to continue that program.

“It’s very expensive and we’ve had trouble coming up with the funds to continue that,” she said.

Chalmers argues there is more money to be had through tourism, which is being pushed aside to make room for more commercial fishing.

According to Chalmers, his eight rental huts bring in between $60,000 - $70,000 in revenue each season, which runs from Jan. 1 to March 15.

Nelson said he would like to find a strategy that creates more balance between all groups.

“It all comes down to one resource and we all understand the importance of conservation. It’s a matter of trying to find a way to align all of the groups,” he said.

Munroe said the MNR is currently in discussion about the commercial fishery with local First Nations – the only group currently involved in commercial fishing on Lake Nipissing.

“We respect that Nipissing First Nation members have court recognized existing treaty right to fish commercially on Lake Nipissing. Local First Nations have a shared interest in the sustainability of walleye and have taken actions to address the declining populations,” said Munroe. “For example, Nipissing First Nation implemented a voluntary spring walleye moratorium and made investments to monitor and manage the fishery, including hiring a full-time biologist and enforcement officer.”

In April 2012, Nipissing First Nation hosted a Lake Nipissing Summit with all municipalities on the lake invited to attend and sign a declaration of stewardship to improve the quality of Lake Nipissing and to ensure sustainability of its resources.

“It was a very positive event and I thank the First Nations for opening up the discussion,” said Haufe. “There is certainly going to be a struggle to keep Lake Nipissing sustainable.”

Couchie said another summit is being planned for the spring before the fishing season opens. This year she said she hopes the MNR will be involved.

Haufe said this is not a time to point fingers, but to look to the future.

“You have to be optimistic,” he said. “There’s no solution that comes out of aggressive pessimism.”

 

 

http://ufrca.com/index.php?page=native_fishing

Fishery: Gill Netters Slipping Through As Ice Recedes

Police patrols start Wednesday
By Dave Dale The Nugget
April 28, 2011

Reports of gill netters are beginning to trickle in as Nipissing First Nation tries to control rogue harvesters not respecting its self-imposed walleye conservation measures.

A resident of Callander said gill netters were confronted Sunday evening on the spawning beds of Lonely Island. Lights were seen again Monday evening. And Nipissing First Nation Chief Marianna Couchie said Tuesday two members face community sanction after the pair was caught coming ashore with nets and walleye.

"There's always one or two . . . who don't understand the importance of the moratorium," Couchie said of the annual ban on gill netting during the spawn. "They don't understand the conservation role we have. They think we are taking away a right."

This year's moratorium runs April 1 to May 10.

Nipissing First Nation exercises treaty rights to a commercial harvest on Lake Nipissing and has set rules for its members to follow, including quotas and size of nets.
Couchie said the late cover of ice this spring helped keep those who don't respect the conservation regulations off the lake. "It helped and we're disappointed to see it go," Couchie said.

The ice played a role in keeping noncompliant harvesters at bay, but it also kept resource staff, community monitors and the police providing security for the enforcement staff on shore.
On Monday there was still ice off the shore of Garden Village near Sturgeon Falls where resource staff usually launch their boats. But there's hardly any ice at Sturgeon Falls or east of Jocko Point and none near Duchesnay Creek, where the reserve borders North Bay.

Couchie said Nipissing will be ramping up the monitoring of boat activity as the lake opens up.
Anishinabek Police Service Sgt. Ken Dokis said Tuesday patrols were to begin Wednesday to help Nipissing FN resource staff enforce the moratorium. "We're here to provide security for the fisheries enforcement monitors for Nipissing FN," Dokis said. "All local police services and the Ministry of Natural Resources will be working collectively with routine patrols."

Wilfred Ramsay of Rocky Shore Road said his nephews went to the Lonely Island spawning grounds Sunday evening to investigate lights and activity. Ramsay said he was told they were pulling up the nets when two individuals arrived with their faces hidden. He said Ontario Provincial Police were called, but they were told a police boat wasn't available. Ramsay said they reported the incident to the Nipissing First Nation resource monitoring co-ordinator.

Ramsay and Dave Waye are part of the Lake Nipissing Walleye Restocking Association and they were busy Wednesday wrapping up their egg collection at Wasi Falls.

Waye said they support Nipissing FN's efforts to manage the commercial fishery, using the gill net moratorium during the spawn as a conservation measure. He said knowing the commercial harvest numbers helps all stakeholders react faster when the fishery shows signs of stress.
"It's discouraging that a community has taken the initiative to make this change, and then to have members of your community disobey their restrictions," Waye said, adding that Nipissing's chief and council must feel frustrated by the setbacks.

Couchie said members who support conservation measures are optimistic that enforcement will help. "Bit by bit, people will come to understand it was never our way to take a whole lot during the spawn," she said.

Clayton Goulais, Nipissing's natural resources enforcement officer, said the two young men they greeted coming to shore with nets and walleye are now considered noncompliant with community law and must attend a justice circle.

He said anyone with reports of gill netting activity prior to May 10 can call his office at
705-753-2922 during business hours or his cell phone after hours at 705-498-3823.

[email protected]
Posted: 4/28/2011

Nipissing FN Contemplating 10% Cut In Walleye Harvest

April 16, 2010

Nipissing First Nation commercial fishermen will use this type of gill net when the moratorium is lifted after the walleye spawn.— JEFF McLEOD Special to The Nugget
Nipissing First Nation is considering a 10% reduction in the commercial walleye harvest as a precautionary measure after fall 2009 index netting in Lake Nipissing registered surprisingly low yields.

And the Greater Nipissing Stewardship Council will "politely" ask the Ministry of Natural Resources to assign a full-time biologist to Lake Nipissing so it can have a better idea how of many walleye are taken by non-natives.

Kevin O'Grady, the council's board member for fisheries, said creel surveys are not being fully analyzed by the MNR because its biologist only works 10 months of the year. "We're not getting a fair picture of the non-native fishery," O'Grady said, adding that a projection of winter and summer angling success has not been available for two years. "The MNR is not giving Lake Nipissing its due . . . that's a big concern for us."

Stewardship council representatives were among 25 stakeholders who gathered at the Inn On The Bay last month where Nipissing First Nation biologist Richard Rowe gave an overview of the index netting data and the community's commercial fishery.

"All of a sudden, the numbers dropped off dramatically, sort of like the stock market did," O'Grady said, referring to Rowe's presentation.

He said the stewardship council agrees with the recommendation to lower the commercial quota this season until the mystery about why fewer fish showed up in the index nets after a successful fishing season last summer.

"I think it's a wise thing to do," O'Grady said, noting non-natives are curtailing their catch with the slot restrictions and lower limits, with a four-walleye maximum recently adopted.

Nipissing First Nation's annual gill netting moratorium started April 1 to give the early spawn a better chance to succeed, with the ban tentatively extending until midnight May 10.
Rowe said the recommendation — presented to the chief and council Tuesday — to lower the commercial harvest to 41,670 kilograms comes from its natural resource committee after consultations with local gill netters.

Before last year, the index netting data was trending upward toward more and bigger walleye, and Rowe said there's no way to know for sure if it was a one-time "blip" or warning sign. "While we can't dismiss the results, we have to be cautious," he said.

A Feb. 6 Nugget story highlighted the index netting results and Rowe's hypothesis that walleye may be moving in a different pattern due to altered food availability. He said anecdotal evidence suggests the smelt population ballooned, providing an easy food source for walleye, which may have also allowed the perch population to explode.

Commercial gill net harvesters met their quota early last year, Rowe said, and until the index netting project there seemed to be no lack of walleye. Such a change in diet could mean walleye may not move around as much to find food as the water temperature changes, which may explain why so few fish were caught in the nets this fall and why it seemed hard to catch them during the winter, he said.

Rowe had proposed a follow-up spring live-trap netting project to double check the decline, but the cost of a major lake-wide project of that size was too expensive. "It was too cumbersome," Rowe said, adding other biologists "put my feet back on the ground."

Rowe, who is the featured speaker at the stewardship council annual meeting April 21, said it looks like many other stakeholders, including the MNR and tourist operators, are witnessing changes to the ecosystem.

He said the spiny water flea invaded the lake and was discovered in 2000, giving it plenty of time to establish itself and become a big food source for perch and smelts in recent years. "The timeline (for the invading zoo plankton to take hold and predator species to benefit from the new food source) is definitely consistent" with what seems to have happened, Rowe said, although there's no "smoking gun" that proves the theory.

With walleye already congregating in the shallows near spawning grounds, Rowe said it's obvious the fish haven't disappeared at the rate indicated in the 2009 index netting data. "There are fish there," he said.

Traditional and subsistence spearing is taking place as the community fishery code allows and Nipissing First Nation staff are patrolling the lake with police to ensure members are complying with the gill net moratorium. Rowe said some nets were reported near Lonely Island Wednesday and it was confirmed the harvester was not from Nipissing First Nation. Rowe said he's not concerned about water levels on Lake Nipissing as far as spawning grounds are concerned.

A dry spell in 1999 left the lake 24 centimetres lower than it is now and it only peaked 14 cm higher, but he said it didn't lead to a walleye spawning failure. If fewer eggs hatch, Rowe said it leaves more food for the fingerlings which survive.

MNR staff were not available Friday to discuss the issue, but a media spokeswoman from Toronto said arrangements will be made to address questions Monday.

Source: Dave Dale - North Bay Nugget
Posted: 4/16/2010

Netting And Testing

PJ Wilson, The Nugget October 4, 2010

Things don't look very promising as the first net is pulled in.Thirteen yellow perch, two suckers, a red-horse and a small mouth bass. No walleye.

Richard Rowe doesn't seem too concerned. The net, one of four that are part of Friday's study, wasn't set in the most promising location. It's off Iron Island, on the west end of Lake Nipissing.

He doesn't have many expectations for the second net, to the southwest, but it's actually a lot better. There are five walleye in the catch, along with 31 yellow perch, two whitefish, a white sucker and a spot tail. That's a little better than what I would have expected," Rowe, the fisheries biologist with Nipissing First Nation, says as he and fisheries biologist intern Nikki Commanda clear the net.
A couple of gulls float on the breeze nearby, waiting for a chance to swoop in and get a free meal. After a while, realizing there won't be any handouts, they finally glide away.
The third and fourth nets yielded 15 walleye in each, as well as a few whitefish. There were 144 perch in the fourth net.

Friday was the fifth day Rowe and Commanda were checking the nets as part of the NFN's fall walleye index netting. The nets had been set out Thursday, three at depths of between two and five metres, the rest from five to 15 metres down.

Nets three and four are much more promising. There's a lot more walleye, but what catches Rowe's eye is a large whitefish. One of Nipissing's best-kept secrets," he calls it.
If you went to Georgian Bay, they love whitefish there. In eastern Ontario, it's bullheads. For the folks around here, though, walleye is king." There's also a sturgeon in one of the nets. Rowe and Commanda gingerly free it from the net, then return it to the lake. They lean over the side of the boat to watch it, not sure if it's going to survive its reintroduction to the lake, hoping the prehistoric fish makes it.

So far the netting looks better this year than last year, although Rowe admits it's difficult to make any predictions based on such preliminary findings.

The results last year were not what we would have thought," Rowe says. The expectations were pretty high for walleye last year, but we were not where we have been in the past." The index netting has been used on Lake Nipissing during the last 12 years to track the health of the walleye population. It isn't limited to walleye, though, and the health of other stocks, such as perch, pike, herring and suckers, is also studied at the lab set up at Nipissing First Nation.
In addition to Nipissing First Nation, the provincial Ministry of Natural Resources is also netting fish for testing.

This year, there will have been 80 nets set up on the lake for testing during the two-week period. The 200-foot gill nets have a range of mesh sizes and are in place for 24 hours, then lifted. The fish are counted and measured for length, weight, sex, maturity, age and spawning potential. Stomach contents are also studied.

The fall netting last year was one of the" pieces of the puzzle" that led Nipissing First Nation to cut back its allowable commercial fishery by 10% this year.

But Rowe points out that the walleye fishery in Lake Nipissing, for as long as he has been on the lake, has been considered stressed. It hasn't been in a healthy state as long as I've been here," he says. It has been showing signs of improvement over the years, but last year's results of the testing were a bit of an anomaly." He says a number of theories have arisen, and these theories are being studied. One was that walleye were changing their diet, moving to the mid levels of the lake to dine on smelt, instead of going deeper into the lake to feed on freshwater shrimp.

Nipissing First Nation uses the FWIN information, together with commercial harvest reports and the angler harvest reports collected by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources during its angler creel surveys, to set sustainable fishing regulations each year.

Fewer than 500 walleye are usually captured during the study. Any edible fish captured are cleaned and donated to a local food bank.

Source: PJ WILSON THE NORTH BAY NUGGET
Posted: 10/4/2010
Email: [email protected]

Fishery Critics Should Look At History

PJ Wilson The Nugget October 4, 2010

Anyone who blames Nipissing First Nation for the declining walleye stocks in Lake Nipissing should take a look at the history of the lake, according to Nipissing First Nation fisheries biologist Richard Rowe.

According to Rowe, the Lake Nipissing fishery is entering its fourth era, one he hopes will result in a sustainable walleye population.

I think we're turning the corner to a sustainable level harvest by everybody," Rowe said Friday. We are seeing a slow, steady improvement in the fishery."

Rowe said the first era for the Lake Nipissing walleye fishery stretched from the 1970s to the 1980s, when 1.5-million hours of sport angling took place on the lake every year.
That's a lot of pressure on the lake," he says.

That pressure, he believes, caused the stress on the walleye fishery that exists to this day.

The 1990s, with the implementation of slot sizes on the catch marked the second era, with a much-reduced harvest.

It was also the time when a lot of fingers were pointed at Nipissing First Nation for the reduced harvest.

But it was also that time when the Anishinabek Fisheries Resource Centre was formed and began to gather data on the walleye fishery to help manage the resource.
That period, he said, was a good era, a sustainable era" for the fishery.

The third era began in 2003 as the demand for walleye grew, but the concern over the resource began to grow within the community.

The fishery, he said, took a turn for the worse. The biggest harvester was the commercial fishery, and it worked to come up with a sustainable fishery management system. It closed down the commercial fishery in the spring, and put other restrictions in place to try to restore walleye stocks.

"Sustainable fishing regulations were taken to members of Nipissing First Nation, who backed them in a plebiscite. This past year, for example, the commercial fishery was cut 10% following a blip in the fall walleye index netting last year which indicated the fishery was in trouble. It was just to be on the safe side, but if you make a mistake, what's the worst that will happen? You'll have more fish in the lake," Rowe said.

Source: PJ WILSON THE NORTH BAY NUGGET
Posted: 10/4/2010

First Nation Introduces Fishery Rules

Council takes ‘progressive stance’ to protect lake

Bryn Weese
Local News - Friday, April 13, 2007 Updated @ 10:12:30 AM

The Nipissing First Nation has, for the past year, been regulating its commercial fishing and
collecting data on the harvest.

With scientific evidence on hand, as well as a fisheries biologist, a new set of regulations has
been put in place this year to sustain the fishery for the future.

Included in the regulations is a moratorium on netting during the walleye spawning period, a
measure that was introduced four years ago because of declining fish stocks. This year, the
moratorium began Tuesday and will last until May 10.

“We’ve always been responsible for the fishery,” said Marianna Couchie, chief of Nipissing
First Nation, noting outside pressures convinced the council to impose regulations last year.
“It was the increased pressure on the fisheries from anglers, cottagers and ice fishing.”

Couchie said the regulations, which include netting permits, daily harvest logs, regulated
seasons, quota limits and equipment standards, were necessary to ensure the First Nations
could continue to manage its fishery resource.

“We took a stand (against looming government regulations),” she said. “It’s our inherent right.
We’ve been harvesting Lake Nipissing since before the European contact, and as a council, we decided we would take a more progressive stance in protecting the fishery.”

The next step for council is to revisit its enforcement bylaws to add weight to the management plan.

Richard Rowe, a former Ministry of Natural Resources biologist who now heads up the Nipissing
First Nation fisheries department, said the increased management of the fishery by both the MNR and Nipissing First Nation over the past few years has yielded positive results for the walleye population.

The fishery is sustainable now, he said, and based on data collected during last year’s harvest,
Nipissing First Nation has been able to design quotas and size limits for this year that will keep it that way.

“Under this kind of management, we’re going to see some positive results. We already have, but I think it’s only going to get better,” he said. “Nothing ever goes as planned. There will always be bumps along the road, but we’re definitely heading in the right direction. We’re very excited about the fishery’s future.”

Rick Stevens, a Nipissing First Nation councillor, said the true benefit of the fisheries management plan — which has cost council “a six-digit figure” because of equipment and increased staffing costs — will be realized once it is combined with data collected by the MNR on the sport fishing harvest.

While Couchie doesn’t think the MNR response has been positive since Nipissing First Nation began regulating and monitoring its commercial fishery, Stevens thinks the time of co-operation is nigh.

Likewise, Dave Payne, the Nipissing district MNR supervisor, said he thinks collaboration with
Nipissing First Nation is a good idea. Although he admitted he wasn’t aware of all the details of the commercial fishery management plan, he said he is anxious to learn about it.

“We hope that we can create a partnership together and work at managing the lake. They are the people collecting the data on the commercial fishery and we’ve always maintained that in order to manage the lake, we’re going to have to combine the fisheries data for commercial fish and sport fish to get an overall picture of the lake,” Payne said. “We’ve been saying that forever and that has not changed.”

Regardless of when a formal partnership suitable to both parties can be reached, the Nipissing
First Nation fisheries department will begin its surveys for this year as early as Monday.

The staff is also anxious about a program being tested this year where walleye eggs on the verge of hatching are placed in traditional, but recently unused spawning grounds. The hope, according to Rowe, is that the fish that hatch on those beds will begin to use them again.Posted: 4/15/2007

Commercial Fishing Regulations On Lake Nipissing Dec. 17, 2004

NEW REGULATION WILL HELP MANAGE LAKE NIPISSING FISH STOCKS
Ontario Government Amends Regulation for Commercial Ice Huts
The Ontario government has amended a regulation to require licences for commercial ice huts and allow the ministry to limit the number of huts that tourist operators can rent out on Lake Nipissing, Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay announced December 17, 2004.
“Right now, there are no restrictions on commercial ice huts on Lake Nipissing,” said Ramsay. “Controlling the number of ice huts on the lake will help us assess the impact on the fishery.”

The amendment allows existing commercial ice hut operators on Lake Nipissing to continue their operations this winter with roughly the same number of huts as last winter. There will be no fee to register commercial ice huts this winter.The ministry will monitor and assess this year’s activity to develop a fisheries plan for Lake Nipissing that will determine whether new huts will be allowed in the future. That plan should be in place within a year.

“We are committed to maintaining and enhancing our healthy, world-class fishery,” said Nipissing MPP Monique Smith. “This change will help us meet that commitment.”
The ice hut registration system for recreational anglers remains unchanged.

 

[fishindevil]

The MNR hands are tied due to the many years of cutbacks the govt will not listen to the biologists and will not listen to the people and fishermen the facts are still the facts the netting is decimating the spawning aged fish and the ones that are left cannot keep the fisheries going !!!!!! Too many years of unregulated native netting has ruined the fishery and as long as the MNR is being told what to do by the govt it's doomed !!!!! Stop the netting for a few years reduce the quota and listen to the biologists and the stakeholders and the FN

[bigugli]

The MNR hands are tied due to the many years of cutbacks the govt will not listen to the biologists and will not listen to the people and fishermen the facts are still the facts the netting is decimating the spawning aged fish and the ones that are left cannot keep the fisheries going !!!!!! Too many years of unregulated native netting has ruined the fishery and as long as the MNR is being told what to do by the govt it's doomed !!!!! Stop the netting for a few years reduce the quota and listen to the biologists and the stakeholders and the FN

The province cannot stop native netting. It is a federally recognized treaty right which the courts will uphold. The only way to stop the netting is for the natives to stop commercial netting themselves. Hence my suggestion the MNR walk away and let NFN manage the fishery.

[Headhunter]

The province cannot stop native netting. It is a federally recognized treaty right which the courts will uphold. The only way to stop the netting is for the natives to stop commercial netting themselves. Hence my suggestion the MNR walk away and let NFN manage the fishery.

As much as it makes me have internal convulsions, I have to agree with biguli on this... unfortunately that would mean that we are destined to repeat ills of the past...

Anyone remember why/how the Lake’s Blue Pickeral became close to extinct?

HH

On a side note, I am thinking about booking a trip to Europe to discuss with the folks who live there, how the land they are on is actually part of my heritage and therefore not theirs! Only REAL difference being I don't have a stained, torn and faded agreement in my back pocket! LOL

[capt bruce]

As much as it makes me have internal convulsions, I have to agree with biguli on this... unfortunately that would mean that we are destined to repeat ills of the past...

Anyone remember why/how the Lake’s Blue Pickeral became close to extinct?

HH

On a side note, I am thinking about booking a trip to Europe to discuss with the folks who live there, how the land they are on is actually part of my heritage and therefore not theirs! Only REAL difference being I don't have a stained, torn and faded agreement in my back pocket! LOL

But you do, Canada after world war 2 signed Many treatys with Germany , Italy , Japan , etc. lets just go and tell them we didnt really mean it AND NOW WE WANT WHAT IS OURS !!!!!!!!!!

[fishindevil]

Well seeing how the govt won't grow a pair maybe us the voting people should stand up to this crap !!!!!! And just refuse to let it happen .... It should be majority rules and it sure isn't them that's the majority we are......

[Gerritt]

Well seeing how the govt won't grow a pair maybe us the voting people should stand up to this crap !!!!!! And just refuse to let it happen .... It should be majority rules and it sure isn't them that's the majority we are......

 

 

The problem with that logic is.... they are special..

 

Even though we bleed the same colour...

[crosshairs]

I know why the blue walleye in lake nipissing became close to extinction, it was non natives netting food for the Military personnel in the war. NFN members had to hide to get fish or game at that time. That is why night hunting and fishing has been done for years. The indian agents controled every aspect of their lives, they weren't allowed fire arms, needed permission to leave the reserve etc.

 

Headhunter, on 16 Apr 2013 - 13:09, said:

As much as it makes me have internal convulsions, I have to agree with biguli on this... unfortunately that would mean that we are destined to repeat ills of the past...

Anyone remember why/how the Lake’s Blue Pickeral became close to extinct?

HH

On a side note, I am thinking about booking a trip to Europe to discuss with the folks who live there, how the land they are on is actually part of my heritage and therefore not theirs! Only REAL difference being I don't have a stained, torn and faded agreement in my back pocket! LOL

 

 

Now on the article, OFAH uses OMNR data. What data do they have?? NFN does the FWIN, NFn does the sturgeon assessment, NFN is doing shoreline studies, NFN organizes and pays for summits to help better lake nipissing, NFN gathers their communities numbers and omnr use and do what?? Seriously in past years the total harvest for anglers was as low as 7000 and 10 000kg for the entire year. Now this year with a reduced limit anglers took out an estimated 14000kg in just in 3 months and the lake sustainable harvest is around 30 000kg (OMNR numbers for 2013). Plus this past winter a greater enforcement presence was seen and from what I heard most charges laid ever for over possession and slot size. NFN is putting the pressure on omnr to actually do their job. Maybe OFAH should have called the NFN to get some data, OMNRs data can't tread water. Again OMNR is getting $$$$$ to manage this resource, and a small community of less than 1000 members living here has to foot the bill to do OMNRs job.

 

I have 1 idea about stopping the netting, these commercial fisherman should just get into the ice hut business. crap they don't permission, they can put out as many as they want and where ever they want then everyone will be happy. More fish out but hey the netting is stopped. 15 commercial fisherman times 25 huts each, whats another 375 commercial huts set up all over south bay and deep water point. This would work and they would make more money.

 

Anyhow NFN community takes out so many fish whether by rod or nets and anglers take out so many fish. It all equals to many fish taken out. NFN community around 50 000 walleye a year and anglers are over that but know one really knows how much. Where is the mismanagement??? I'm gonna stop here posted all this before just gettin tired of the old finger pointing game.

 

Time for everyone to realize everyone taking out fish is part of the problem. As you can see by the 2013 numbers, an over harvest is going to occur again and unless serious sanctions are put on both fisheries immediately, in 2 years time everyone is going to be sorry that finger pointing on both sides just didn't seem to help the fishery. No tourism, No commercial fisherman, and no personal use for all the locals (native or not) to enjoy.

 

And for the treaty jokes they are good for laughs, it shows just how uneducated you are on the topic. But thanks again for the laughs.

 

Miigwetch for your time.

[Twocoda]

If the outfitters and others that have a staked interest in the lake would work with NFN ...im sure there could be an intelligent solution ...fishful thinking i suppose when its sooo much easier to just sit and blame

[Headhunter]

Thanks for the info on the blues Crosshairs... I was aware of the past decline, but was not aware how it came to be. Regardless of who did it, obviously netting can be argued to be the culprit.

I can't speak to past mis-deeds, I had nothing to do with it. Do I in any way support what has been done in the past, nope... but I am also not willing to take the blame either. Current generations can't be held accountable for the actions of the past... that's just chasing your tail.

Your tongue and cheek suggestion that NFN start up their own outfitting businesses is actually IMHO a very good idea. And you are right, there is way more money in outfitting, accomadations, restaurants etc, then there is in netting, processing and selling fish.

A state of the art hotel, casino if needed and outfitting business I would think could thrive, especially with our friends south of the border, should the fishing opportunities be worth it to our American friends. Under current conditions, not worth the energy, much less the $$$.

HH

[fishindevil]

dont know where you get your numbers from crosshairs ??? saying anglers take more than the native gill netters ....ya whatever....maybe you are the one who needs educating not us....

[addy79]

dont know where you get your numbers from crosshairs ??? saying anglers take more than the native gill netters ....ya whatever....maybe you are the one who needs educating not us....

X2

 

Have you actually convinced yourselves that these numbers are facts?! Get real.

[Muskieman]

.

Edited April 19, 2013 by Randy from Sturgeon

[Metisfisherman]

http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2013/04/18/minister-praises-son-for-negotiating-fishing-agreement

Minister praises SON for negotiating fishing agreement

By Denis Langlois, Sun Times, Owen Sound

Thursday, April 18, 2013 10:41:37 EDT PM

Ontario’s Minister of Natural Resources David Orazietti.

The Saugeen Ojibway Nation “voluntarily” negotiated with the province for a new commercial fishing agreement even though they are not obligated to do so under their treaty rights to fish, Natural Resources Minister David Orazietti said Thursday.
Those rights are “unfettered,” he said. First Nations officials are not compelled to negotiate, for example, catch quotas or the timing or location of commercial netting with the province or to consult with other stakeholders, such as sports anglers.
“I commend the First Nations for, while they have a court-recognized treaty right that is without exception, that they were prepared to sit down with the Ontario government, the Ministry of Natural Resources, to enter into an agreement because they too are concerned about the long-term sustainability of the fishing resource,” he said in a telephone interview.
Orazietti is scheduled to attend a ceremonial signing Monday of the five-year agreement which, among other things, permits commercial fishing to “resume in Owen Sound and Colpoys Bay on April 26 and continue year round over the term of the agreement.”
The signing event is tentatively set to take place at the Saugeen First Nation band office.
Both Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker and MP Larry Miller, along with many sport anglers, have raised concerns about the agreement’s potential impact on the area’s recreational fishery and events such as the Salmon Spectacular derby. The province has also been criticized for not consulting with sports fishing groups and others before signing the deal.
A group of “concerned anglers” has scheduled a “town hall-style, non-confrontational information meeting” on the agreement for April 27 at 9 a.m. at the Hepworth-Shallow Lake Legion in Hepworth.
The group, in a letter to The Sun Times, says the agreement could adversely impact sports fishing in the area.
“Owen Sound and Colpoys Bay should be declared sanctuary waters by MNR and SON from all forms of commercial fishing,” the letter says.
The two bays are confined, have been stocked with fish by the Sydenham and Bruce Peninsula sportsmen’s associations for decades and support a “tremendous sports fishery,” group member Arnie Clark said.
He said the agreement should be revoked pending full consultation. Former natural resources minister Donna Cansfield said in 2008 that there would be consultation with all parties before the next agreement is signed, he said.
The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters released a statement Thursday that says the agreement will impact the Owen Sound Salmon Spectacular and the recreational fishery on Lake Huron.
“The provision in the agreement that allows for the netting of fish in close proximity to the mouths of tributaries could negatively affect the spawning runs of several fish species. And the expansion of the commercial fishing area into both Colpoy’s and Owen Sound Bays could pose a serious threat to public safety and impact negatively on conservation of the resource,” the statement says.
The OFAH is criticizing the province for not consulting with “all affected parties” before signing the agreement.
Orazietti said the MNR “very clearly represented the interests of non-Aboriginal anglers” while negotiating the agreement.
“Staff are well aware of the recreational importance of, for example, the Salmon Spectacular derby, the recreational opportunities and the tourist opportunities and how that is important to the region and the economy and have very clearly made those representations as part of the discussions,” he said.
People have also criticized the agreement for including an $850,000 payment to SON over five years.
Orazietti said the money is to be used to ensure the “management and sustainability” of the fish resource.
“This is not, as some may suggest, a payment for fishing. That is absolutely the furthest thing from the truth. It’s about the expenditures that need to take place to make sure the resource is managed properly.”
Orazietti said this is the first time the province has made the commercial fishing agreement “transparent.”
He said he is confident both recreational and commercial anglers can safely coexist on Owen Sound and Colpoys Bay and a “thriving” sports fishery can continue.
“I believe that no one that has an interest in the fishery in the region wants to see any negative impacts. That’s the reason why we have been working with the First Nations and that’s the reason they have been working with us. They also want to see the sustainability of the resource and so do I,” he said.
Orazietti met Tuesday with Owen Sound Mayor Deb Haswell, Walker, Saugeen First Nation Chief Randall Kahgee and Chippewas of Nawash Chief Scott Lee at his office at Queen’s Park.
Haswell said she was pleased with the meeting and the MNR’s commitment to distributing information to the public on the agreement as soon as possible.
“Owen Sound’s interest is to make sure all fishing communities can be safe on the bay,” she said Wednesday.
Walker said he reiterated to the MNR at the meeting it was wrong to not consult with recreational anglers when drafting the deal.
“I communicated that had the local sport fishing groups and I been involved in the discussions, perhaps the outcome would have been more positive,” he said in a statement.
He said he pressed the MNR to initiate communication with local sport fishing associations and keep the lines of communication open.
“It is my hope this is the start of meaningful dialogue to find a solution that meets the aboriginal community’s needs while continuing with the sport fishing traditions of the area. The goal needs to be that this matter can bring the community together rather than one that perpetuates frustration and finger pointing,” he said.

http://anishinabeknews.ca/2013/04/18/whitefish-river-fn-still-has-a-rainbow-of-fish-species/

Whitefish River FN still has a rainbow of fish species Print This Page | Contact the Editor | Email This Page

Posted on April 18, 2013In News

Sarah Couchie holds a Longnose Gar captured in the Bay of Islands, Whitefish River First Nation.

By Maureen Pelletier

Whitefish River FN has always been in the forefront in ensuring their natural resources remain intact – and this year was no different. Having completed studies on Walleye (pickerel) and Lake Whitefish in 2012, the First Nation will be gearing up once again for another project this spring in McGregor Bay.

In April 2012, 120 Walleye were tagged at the mouth of the Whitefish River (all were sampled and released). Captured Walleye were between 3 and 19 years of age.

In order to track the walleye and their growth, each captured fish had a Floy tag inserted near the dorsal fin.

All tagged fish should be reported to the WRFN Band Office or the A/OFRC. Previous walleye studies by the A/OFRC, WRFN and the MNR have dated back to 2001 when abundance was at a low.

At the end of July, Whitefish River First Nation also completed a Lake Whitefish Index Netting in the Bay of Islands area.

Twenty-one different species were caught in the Bay of Islands, including the invasive species sea lamprey and round goby.

A total of 24 nets were set resulting in 61 Lake Whitefish being sampled.

One interesting note was the capture of a 22-year-old Lake Whitefish! It weighed 4.3 pounds and was 21 inches long.

This article originally posted April 18, 2013.

[esoxansteel]

OFAH isnt that the same organization that would NOT support a 2 fish limit for steelhead in Lake Ontario (FMZ 20), when all OFAH zone areas were in support of the 2 fish limit. Thats what i call representing your members well

 

Looks like im eating alot of crow, and my sincere appologies to the OFAH, as Chris Robinson senior biologist for the OFAH, explained to me personally how the Zone areas work and the executives on each Zone area as well, and as always OFAH decisions are based on scientific evidence whenever possible. Thanx again for your pm Chris I would have posted sooner but it took a long time to get the crow feathers out of my mouth

[Metisfisherman]

http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2013/04/22/minister-son-chiefs-say-fish-deal-a-new-chapter

Minister, SON chiefs say fish deal a new chapter

By Scott Dunn, Sun Times, Owen Sound

 

Monday, April 22, 2013 7:08:01 EDT PM

Attachment(s)

• SON Substantive Commercial Fishing Agreement Final Signed Version 2013 (pdf)

Local First Nations chiefs and the Ontario Natural Resources minister heralded their latest five-year commercial fishing agreement as one which marks the beginning of a new relationship between them.

"It's Earth Day today. What a fitting day to celebrate this agreement," said David Orazietti, the Minister of Natural Resources, at the conclusion of the ceremonial signing of the fishing agreement, which has drawn so much attention since it was announced in March.

Orazietti repeated his publicly expressed position that the Saugeen Ojibway Nation didn't need to enter into a fishing agreement with the MNR because they have a court-recognized aboriginal treaty right to a commercial fishery.

But by entering into the agreement, the MNR obtained some safeguards to help ensure a sustainable fishery and compliance with the terms of this joint commercial fisheries management agreement, which is the government's interest, he said.

"As the Crown, we're responsible for the broader community's interest. And we're quite confident that they can peacefully co-exist, that the recreational sport fishermen, industry and associations and groups can prosper and can continue to enjoy recreational fishing as they've done for years."

That doesn't conflict with native right to the commercial fishery here, he said.

"We are the first government in the history of the province of Ontario to create a separate, independent Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs. It's something that I think is long, was long overdue," Orazietti noted.

Chippewas of Nawash Chief Scott Lee expressed his "deepest gratitude" at the comments from the Ministry of Natural Resources about the fishing agreement. "We've never heard that kind of commitment, those kind of acknowledgements of our rights.

"It's something many of our ancestors have fought for. Have sat at many tables to hear that."

Lee said he wanted to celebrate having this new relationship with the provincial government, "a partner that we can uphold and rely on."

Saugeen First Nation Chief Randall Kahgee stressed the agreement represented the fruits of a "government-to-government relationship."

All three remarked on the criticism from parts of the sports fishing community and local federal and provincial parliamentarians. The agreement allows native commercial fishermen to set nets in Owen Sound and Colpoys bays as of April 26 and after that year-round.

Setting nets in the bays is viewed by critics as an attack on the sports fishery, which relies largely on stocked salmon, rainbow and brown trout in the same waters plied by native commercial fishermen seeking lake whitefish. The agreement's stocking working group will examine impacts and make recommendations.

SON has a longstanding concern about the impact of stocked, non-indigenous fish into Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.

Lee echoed an ode Kahgee expressed to the memory of Chief Ralph Akiwenzie, a longtime Cape Croker chief and one-time professional teacher, who believed the cause of native rights would be served by continued efforts to educate people about them.

"I believe that that responsibility falls back on us as the leadership to come. To continue that educational piece for those who will listen and even for those who won't because maybe eventually they will come around with some acknowledgement of our rights. And I think this is a great step forward in what we accomplished here."

He said the benefits and opportunities from the agreement, for both native and non-native people, need to be highlighted and discussed. Part of the fishing agreement includes a commitment to do that. The first meeting of the governance committee is scheduled to take place today.

"There has been a lot of negative things said about this agreement. A lot of it uninformed. A lot of it very unfortunate. But we are committed to work with those who would want to work with us to understand that rich history we have in this place."

The connection to "the lands, and the waters and the resources" has sustained the community and will do so for generations, Kahgee said. "And it's that relationship that we alway seek to protect. And we are grateful that we have a government that is willing to sit down with us in a spirit of reconciliation. I can't remember a time when that has been the case in a very long time."

Kahgee said "it's very easy for our people to mistrust the government because there is a dark chapter in our history. But we need to move beyond that. And we need to start looking at how we can reconcile and how we can continue to move forward and protect those things that are important to us."

Kahgee said he finds it "so fundamentally offensive" when he hears people say "Oh, the First Nations are going to obliterate the fishery . . . It's not in our best interest to see that resource disappear."

Kahgee said they have the right to fish commercially in local waters and opinion that doesn’t acknowledge that “comes from a deeply ingrained ignorance, something that nothing I could never do, no one else could ever do could change that."

Rather than "pander" to those people, he wants to educate those willing to listen.

 

 

http://www.aldervillefirstnation.ca/events/index.html

TREATY 20 RELEASE

The following is document outlining the areas and regulations if you wish to immediately hunt within the boundary recently set where members have had their rights to hunt and fish recognized by the province and MNR
TREATY 20 RELEASE

 

 

http://www.aldervillefirstnation.ca/events/TREATY%2020%20RELEASE.doc

 

ATTENTION HUNTERS AND FISHERS

IF YOU ARE A FIRST NATIONS MEMBER HOLDING YOUR STATUS CARD, THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE IN CLASIFICATION OF HUNTING AND FISHING RIGHTS WITHIN TREATY 20

 

IF YOU WISH TO HUNT IMMEDIATELY WITHIN THIS AREA:

-TAGS NOT REQUIRED

-SEASONAL RESTRICTION DO NOT APPLY

-THOSE MUST BE BALANCED WITH THE RIGHT TO HUNT AND FISH FOR FOOD, CEREMONIAL AND SOCIAL PURPOSES ONLY (NO COMMERCIAL USE)

- PROTECTION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES MUST BE ADHERED TO

- TREATY 20 HAS BEEN INTERPRETED TO 1.9 MILLION ACRES, PLEASE DO NOT HUNT OR FISH OUTSIDE OF THE AREA IDENTIFIED OR RISK CHARGES.

IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT THE BAND OFFICE AT 905-352-2011

 

[Twocoda]

Its shameful the uninformed and unfortunate comments had to come from the mouth Larry Miller and his coerts.... Show him the sidelines at the next election and that should teach him the meaning of a progressive party

Edited April 23, 2013 by Twocoda

[Metisfisherman]

http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2013/04/25/anglers-to-protest-against-province

Anglers to protest against province

By Rob Gowan, Sun Times, Owen Sound

Thursday, April 25, 2013 8:55:14 EDT AM

 

A fisherman trolls past the grain elevators located along westside of the Owen Sound harbour.

 

Some anglers plan to mark the beginning of the new fishing agreement between the province and local First Nations on Friday with a peaceful protest in the Owen Sound harbour.

Anglers from across Ontario are being invited to the protest at 3 p.m., being held to allow those who fish in Lake Huron and Georgian Bay to voice their displeasure over the Ministry of Natural Resource's new agreement with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation.

"It is simply a chance for the community that is not in support of the agreement to show the government that people are not happy with how things took place," said Michael Hutt, one of the organizers. "They got it written down and on paper that we didn't need to know about it, yet it is our tax dollars that are funding it."

Major concerns over the new five-year agreement are that it permits commercial fishing year round in Owen Sound and Colpoys bays and that sports fishing groups and others weren't consulted. There has also been criticism of the $850,000 payment over five years to SON.

Natural Resources Minister David Orazietti has said his ministry "very clearly represented the interests of non-Aboriginal anglers" while negotiating the agreement. He also said the $850,000 is to be used to ensure the "management and sustainability" of the fish resource.

Orazietti has said SON voluntarily negotiated the agreement with the province even though they are not obligated to do so under their treaty rights to fish.

Hutt, a lifelong angler, said it was the province that negotiated the agreement without consulting the public so the protest is directed at the government. He emphasized it is in no way aimed at the First Nations.

"As far as I know the natives have their own thing going on that day," said Hutt. "We are telling everyone not to turn it around and try to blame the natives. It's towards the government and I would appreciate if nobody even mentions the First Nations. There is no need for it."

Hutt said if any of the organizers hears anyone being negative towards the First Nations during the protest they are going to explain what the event is really about. He has been contacted by Owen Sound police and told them organizers intend to keep the protest peaceful.

Hutt said the idea to hold a protest came out of a comment he made on Facebook suggesting anglers should meet in their boats in the harbour as a way of making others aware of their displeasure over the agreement. The idea just took off.

"It's a peaceful gathering," Hutt said. "There is no sense anybody being down there as a speaker and getting uptight and everything. There is no need for it. Everyone can smile and be nice and polite. There is going to be kids and families around."

Organizers will also have a petition from Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker available to sign. It asks that the fishing agreement be repealed and a new accord be negotiated with other stakeholders involved.

Hutt said Friday's protest is being held to create awareness about the issue and with a similar goal of having the agreement renegotiated, specifically the part that allows fishing nets in the bays year round.

"There's no need for the nets to be in that close (in Owen Sound and Colpoys Bay)," said Hutt.

Petitions have been distributed throughout the province and Hutt has collected more than 400 names himself.

"It's as far as Toronto and Parry Sound," said Hutt, an Owen Sound resident who is on the water as much as he can be. "If I pulled out the papers now . . . I bet it is more tourists that have signed it. I couldn't believe it. I was walking along the wall and talking to people who would sign it and I couldn't believe how many were from out of town."

 

[Metisfisherman]

http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2013/04/26/small-turnout-at-commercial-fishing-protest

Small turnout at commercial fishing protest

By Denis Langlois, Sun Times, Owen Sound

Friday, April 26, 2013 9:08:50 EDT PM

One of the main organizers of a “peaceful protest” Friday against the province’s new commercial fishing agreement with Saugeen Ojibway Nation said he figured more people would have showed up for the event.

There has been a lot of “talk” about the five-year deal, said Michael Hutt, and more than 1,000 signatures have been collected on a petition that calls for it to be repealed.

“Everybody complains, complains, complains so I figured, have a gathering to show your support (for the sports fishery). But, there’s a lot of people that I think are afraid to show up,” he said in an interview at the west-side boat launch.

Hutt said the protest was against the government of Ontario, not native commercial anglers.

About 80 people attended the event, which was held on the day the controversial agreement took effect.

Several police officers, including some in a police boat, stood watch.

Most people stood and chatted on the harbour wall. No one held placards or chanted slogans.

About six small recreational fishing boats with Canadian flags on them were launched at the start of the protest.

Hutt said he is concerned about the “future of fishing” and the safety of anglers on the water — because of gill nets — now that the agreement states that commercial fishing can resume year round in Owen Sound and Colpoys Bay.

He said he is also upset with the provincial government for not consulting with local sports fishing groups before the deal was signed.

“It feels like the agreement was done up and no one was told about it,” he said.

Dave Fidler, a recreational fisherman for about 50 years, said he doesn’t think the entire agreement should be repealed. Commercial fishing, however, should be banned from Owen Sound and Colpoys Bay, he said.

“I have concerns about what these gill nets will do to the fish,” he said.

Arnie Clark, an avid angler, said he would like the two bays declared “sanctuary waters” where sports fishing is allowed but not commercial fishing.

He said he would like the current agreement repealed and a new one negotiated with consultation from the sports fishing community.

Natural Resources Minister David Orazietti has said his ministry “very clearly represented the interests of non-Aboriginal anglers” while negotiating the agreement.

He has said SON voluntarily negotiated it with the province even though they are not obligated to do so under their treaty rights to fish.

A petition from Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker was being passed around for people at the event to sign. It asks the Ontario Legislature to repeal the agreement immediately and re-negotiate a new one “in consultation with all key stakeholders including the sports fishing community.”

Walker, who was at the protest, said he will continue to meet with local sports anglers and other stakeholders and come up with possible amendments to the agreement to present at Queen’s Park.

Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP Larry Miller also showed up for the protest.

A meeting, organized by “concerned anglers,” is scheduled for Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion in Hepworth.

[Twocoda]

I was actually preparing to go to Owen Sound to witness this protest when i received an invite from Cape Crocker to attend the ceremony at the Mason Centre in Saugeen Valley....It was a no brainer as to where i went...Celebration or protest...Owen Sound Sun Times picked the wrong location...lol...

[JimC]

Oh joy ... an MNR sponsored "new" 20 Year plan for Lake Nipissing ... I can't wait! That bunch has shown over and over they simply don't care about the sport fisherman or the local resort owners / operators trying to keep their businesses afloat. I look forward to reading everyone's thoughts and comments after these meetings conclude:

 

http://www.nugget.ca/2013/04/28/lake-management-plan-underway