Nipissing walleye limit issues

[kickingfrog]

http://www.nugget.ca/2013/05/09/walleye-limits-failed-summit-hears

 

 

 

NORTH BAY - The winter walleye harvest was higher this year despite reduced daily catch limits on sport fishing in January by the province, according to the Nipissing First Nation fisheries.

“The reduction in the limit hasn't worked,” said its natural resources manager Clint Couchie.

Nipissing First Nation eliminated its quota for its commercial fishery this year in favour of a system that reassess the fishery every time 5,000 kilograms of walleye are caught by working with a biologist to determine if they need to alter their catch limit.

“If we feel that we're getting into a high-risk area, that's the time we can make proposals and comments to the chief and council and the decision will be theirs,” Couchie told the opening day of the second annual Lake Nipissing Summit.

The summit heard the commercial fishery last year set a quota of 36,000 kg and instead harvested 26,000 kg. The First Nation currently estimates it can harvest between 17,000 kg to 21,000 kg to remain sustainable.

The summer walleye season opens later this month, and Couchie suggested better information and tracking of sport fishing is needed now and throughout the summer instead of waiting to analyze data at the end of the season when it could be too late.

Couchie said the First Nation is projecting the sport fishing harvest will be higher than what is sustainable for the lake, and he urged other groups to make the same adjustments as the fishery to protect the walleye population.

First Nations should set their own management numbers to meet their needs, said Nipissing First Nation resident Fred Bellefeuille, a lawyer who has been involved with treaty claims and speaks on aboriginal self government.

The Robinson-Huron Treaty signed in 1850 guarantees that if the walleye catch must be reduced, then the needs of the First Nation fishery supercede sport fishing and should only be shut down as a last resort for conservation purposes.

The summit heard many of the groups involved with recreation and protection of Lake Nipissing have the same goals in mind. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness about issues facing the lake and find ways to work together toward a solution.

The summit heard concerns about the use of gill nets and whether some anglers circumvented the catch limit by bringing their families with them as a way to legally increase their catch.

The summit also heard the tarps, beer cans, lumber with nails and other debris left behind after the ice fishing season is an eyesore and will pose a danger to boaters.

The Ministry of Natural Resources increased its presence on Lake Nipissing to enforce the new walleye catch limits and found 10% of the 1,700 sport fishermen contacted had infractions that included too many fishing lines, violating slot sizes and not following the catch limit.

The MNR received at least a couple of calls daily about possible infractions this winter, said conservation officer Tim Caddel.

The summit is scheduled to continue Friday with panel discussion about the future of Lake Nipissing.

[Kingsalmon]

I guess their working to make the recreational fisherman the only reason why the fishery is failing. Come on guys, pull your heads out of your a_ses, a net kills all fish that get stuck in a net. A spear kills the larger walleye when they are spawning. A rod catches a fish but it can be released. Rec anglers are governed by possesion limits and slot limits. Yes, some will break the rules, but 10% is stretching it a bit. The natives and their lawyers have an agenda and they won't stop until Nipissing is their playground, and only their playground.

[fishindevil]

Like the first few lines say quote: "according to NFN fisheries" so it means unsubstantiated claims !!!!! It's Bull!!!!!! Oh but the small number of natives want 17-21 thousand kilograms of fish !!!! Ummmm what's that 30,00"lbs !!!!! What a joke as usual..... Oh but there was nothing about the over harvesting of the native gill netters !!!!!!!!

[Rod Caster]

. Yes, some will break the rules, but 10% is stretching it a bit.

Under stretched if anything. Lot of people kept fish for "spite" this year.

[bigugli]

Wouldn't be surprised if walleye are close to recreational anglers in 5 years, and the fishery still collapses.

or....

The fishery may recover. After all there will be fewer tourists at the fishing lodges buying walleye at the roadside.

[Bernie]

I call horse **** on this.

 

In the 60's and 70's you could hardly drive the boat across the bay for the number of boats around fishing.
The fishing lodges were full of people fishing. Yet fishing remained good.
Where we fished at the mouth of the French River there was a string of boats end to end on the reefs. Yet the fishing remained good.
Remember also the limit was 6 and no slot either.
There were guys out ice fishing back then too. I must admit not the numbers there are now, but I'd say it evens out with the small numbers of fishermen in the summer.
The last 3 summers on the long weekend in July I was out I could not see one other boat on the water.

[capt_hooked]

"

First Nations should set their own management numbers to meet their needs, said Nipissing First Nation resident Fred Bellefeuille, a lawyer who has been involved with treaty claims and speaks on aboriginal self government.

The Robinson-Huron Treaty signed in 1850 guarantees that if the walleye catch must be reduced, then the needs of the First Nation fishery supercede sport fishing and should only be shut down as a last resort for conservation purposes"

Er.. excuse me BUT in the year 1850 the yellow walleye did NOT exist in Lake NIpissing! They were introduced in the 1920s through a massive stocking effort by the MNR.

Mr. Bellefeuiille should get his facts straight...!

Peace and Love...

the Cap't...

[Fisherman]

"

First Nations should set their own management numbers to meet their needs, said Nipissing First Nation resident Fred Bellefeuille, a lawyer who has been involved with treaty claims and speaks on aboriginal self government.

The Robinson-Huron Treaty signed in 1850 guarantees that if the walleye catch must be reduced, then the needs of the First Nation fishery supercede sport fishing and should only be shut down as a last resort for conservation purposes"

Er.. excuse me BUT in the year 1850 the yellow walleye did NOT exist in Lake NIpissing! They were introduced in the 1920s through a massive stocking effort by the MNR.

Mr. Bellefeuiille should get his facts straight...!

Peace and Love...

the Cap't...

Nice find Capt Hooked.. . And I'm pretty sure they didn't have motor boats and nylon nets then either.

[jimmer]

Under stretched if anything. Lot of people kept fish for "spite" this year.

That's sad to hear if people are keeping fish in "spite". I was always taught that two wrongs don't make a right. I only fish Nipissing in the winter and usually don't catch too many fish, so I have little impact on that lake. However, I fish the kawarthas 4-5 times a week and have made a personal decision to release the walleye that I catch as my part to help the population. I will keep panfish if I want a meal. I know it sounds crazy, expecially since I see many boats keeping their limits on opening weekend. I feel good about doing my part though.

[Rod Caster]

That's sad to hear if people are keeping fish in "spite". I was always taught that two wrongs don't make a right. I only fish Nipissing in the winter and usually don't catch too many fish, so I have little impact on that lake. However, I fish the kawarthas 4-5 times a week and have made a personal decision to release the walleye that I catch as my part to help the population. I will keep panfish if I want a meal. I know it sounds crazy, expecially since I see many boats keeping their limits on opening weekend. I feel good about doing my part though.

Yup, there was a big "they think they are more important than us?" attitude this year.

[doubleheader]

Very sad state of affairs and the major reason why after a number of years i won't be returning any time soon.

[jimmer]

Very sad state of affairs and the major reason why after a number of years i won't be returning any time soon.

I think we will be losing many of our friends from the south. I have seen USA tourism drop in Kawarthas and now it will be Nipissing.

You guys have some amazing walleye fishing down there, so not sure why anyone would spend the time and dollars to come north.

[capt_hooked]

Actually many of our guests have had not trouble catching walleyes during the last 3 years! Most of the complaints have been that the fish are all in the "slot" and have to be released.

 

My believe is that fish are best fresh. If you and your buddy catch 2 walleyes each that is 4 fish to fry up... (8 filets)... that should fill your bellies, even if you are as big as Chris Christy.

 

If we had all practiced responsible fishing in the past there would be no problem today!

 

I suspect that most fish that are taken home to the "freezers" often are forgotten in the thrown out.. Anyway if you do fry up the fish after too long a time the taste is just not there.. If you like fresh fish .. go to the market, it is cheaper...

 

But if you like a few days in the wilderness (away from the noise. heat and pollution of the cities).. breathing in fresh air, looking at wild animals, sparkling blue waters and quiet.

 

If you enjoy perhaps cooking fish over an open fire on the shore some deserted island... then come north...!

 

if you idea of a fishing adventure is based only on the number on just one species of fish you can catch (while ignoring all the other fish species that are just as tasty) - interested only some type of competitive count? If you have no respect for where you are and are blind to the nature around you... if you are what we call "meat eaters"... referring to those whose idea of the successful fishing trip only about the daily bragging ... Then do us all a favour and stay home...!

 

the cap't...

 

[lew]

But if you like a few days in the wilderness (away from the noise. heat and pollution of the cities).. breathing in fresh air, looking at wild animals, sparkling blue waters and quiet.

 

The exact reason I spend so much time up there Kevin

[kickingfrog]

http://www.nugget.ca/2013/05/10/summit-one-site-for-lake-research

 

 

 

Summit: One site for lake research

By MARIA CALABRESE, North Bay Nugget

Friday, May 10, 2013 5:59:26 EDT PM

 

NORTH BAY - The annual tradition of placing bets at Demarco's Confectionary about when the ice is off Lake Nipissing could help shed light on what's happening under the water.

The second annual Lake Nipissing Summit led by Nipissing First Nation looked primarily at concerns about walleye decline and drew attention to pockets of research already underway to explain the changing ecosystem.

The public can play a role in that research but have been slow to participate, the summit heard.

“It's frustrating because a lot of the input comes after the fact,” said Scott Kaufman, a biologist with the Ministry of Natural Resources in North Bay.

The MNR and its Lake Nipissing Fisheries Management Plan Advisory Council held a series of open houses in the district with the highest per capita attendance at the Dokis First Nation for input into its proposed 20-year plan.

The plan from 2014 to 2034 would include reviews every five years.

So far the advisory council has looked into the increase of yellow perch in the lake which doesn't explain the magnitude of walleye decline, although it points to a change in the ecosystem, Kaufman said.

The summit heard promoting the harvest of yellow perch worked in southern Ontario, although the fish has a reputation for having worms in the summer.

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters recommends controlling the number of cormorants which Kaufman said eat 70 times more perch than walleye, yet perch numbers have been six times higher since 2006.

The more likely reason for the decline in walleye is human exploitation, he said, adding walleye in Lake Nipissing have been overfished since record keeping started in the 1970s.

Walleye are reaching 35 centimetres when they're about 2 1/2 years old instead of four years in part because there's less competition for them to feed and grow.

Overfishing juvenile walleye limits their early entry into spawning stocks which are at their lowest level in 15 years, Kaufman said.

Canadore College has conducted Lake Nipissing projects dating back to the 1970s that haven't been compiled yet, and even data such as the annual ice-off dates recorded since 1901 have a place in this research to better understand the lake, the summit heard.

Nipissing University announced during the summit it's offering to host a web portal to keep all this data in one place.

Government, universities and colleges are working with smaller budgets, and it makes sense to combine their efforts, said geography professor Dan Walters.

He's part of a Lake Nipissing State of the Basin report funded by the university and the province to look at fish stocks as well as temperature, invasive species and chemistry of the lake including phosphorus and toxic blue-green algae.

The geography department is also installing a buoy in Callander Bay where these blooms have formed in a separate project to measure temperature and dissolved oxygen at various depths, said Canada Research Chair April James.

The summit held at Canadore College ended Friday with a plan to form a committee to continue discussions with the different groups attending the two-day event, and to bring in other interests that weren't represented.

[email protected]

[Rod Caster]

I like that news release, sounds like the MNR is farming the area for science... It's not necessarily going to fix things quickly, but good science will allow for better management of lake Nipissing, including water quality, shoreline use and water levels.

 

The squeeky wheel gets the grease; I'm glad that everyone is calling attention to the lake, it should result in better things.

[Parnelly]

There have been a couple of these threads I have read here before. Some of the members here are coming across with discriminating comments. Has anyone ever given any though to the fact that this is a public forum, and their may be Natives that use it? Just because people are native doesnt mean they only use nets to catch fish. Have some respect. There are bigger issues than just netting. I find it odd that no one ever mentions tourism and immigration in the discussions.

[Rod Caster]

There have been a couple of these threads I have read here before. Some of the members here are coming across with discriminating comments. Has anyone ever given any though to the fact that this is a public forum, and their may be Natives that use it? Just because people are native doesnt mean they only use nets to catch fish. Have some respect. There are bigger issues than just netting. I find it odd that no one ever mentions tourism and immigration in the discussions.

damn immigrants! They took our jooobs!

[Nipfisher]

There have been a couple of these threads I have read here before. Some of the members here are coming across with discriminating comments. Has anyone ever given any though to the fact that this is a public forum, and their may be Natives that use it? Just because people are native doesnt mean they only use nets to catch fish. Have some respect. There are bigger issues than just netting. I find it odd that no one ever mentions tourism and immigration in the discussions.

 

Parnelly, if you have read any of the other threads on Lake Nipissing you will see that we have a few members who are native and offer terrifiic input. Blame can be shared everywhere. Netting and sport angling definately take the most fish out of the lake period!

[Woodsman]

Oh but the small number of natives want 17-21 thousand kilograms of fish !!!! Ummmm what's that 30,00"lbs !!!!!

Actually 37,400 - 46,200 lbs aprox.

[Headhunter]

There have been a couple of these threads I have read here before. Some of the members here are coming across with discriminating comments. Has anyone ever given any though to the fact that this is a public forum, and their may be Natives that use it? Just because people are native doesnt mean they only use nets to catch fish. Have some respect. There are bigger issues than just netting. I find it odd that no one ever mentions tourism and immigration in the discussions.

Inequities of birth right have people upset on both sides of the issue.

HH

[doubleheader]

I think we will be losing many of our friends from the south. I have seen USA tourism drop in Kawarthas and now it will be Nipissing.

You guys have some amazing walleye fishing down there, so not sure why anyone would spend the time and dollars to come north.

Here in western PA I live within a two hour drive of 4 fine walleye lakes. My home water is 15 miles away and a beautiful lake with 100 miles of shoreline and no private camps or resorts on any of the water, Lake Erie, a trophy fishing, is just an hour to my west, Chautauqua lake is just 45 minutes to my north and Pymatuning is 2 hours to my south. The thing is, the reality is, none of these waters match the beauty of Lake Nipissing. Every place I go, even in other waters in Canada, I always find myself comparing that water to the west arm and invariably they come up short. Last year I was at Lady Lake Evelyn, a tremendous walleye fishery, and a very nice lake, but no comparison to the west arm in terms of scenery. For this reason alone I don't see much of a fall off in tourism for the west arm as a result of the walleye decline. Most obsessed walleye fisherman moved on to more productive remote water a long time ago, and the west arm still boasts great bass, pike, and trophy musky fishing. No, I'm surely in the minority in my decision; perhaps I just need to reset my expectations or target another species when i plan to come that way again, who knows. For right now though I'm kind of fighting that idea.

[pics]

Personal use should be just that...1 or two meals a week...it shouldn't include the thousands of pounds sold roadside and "under the table"