The future of fishing in Rouge Park

[John Bacon]

Fishing to be banned in Rouge Park?

The Thursday January 29th edition of the Scarborough Mirror contained an article about the Rouge Park. Based on a quote from MP Michael Chong the park "explicitly bans, hunting, fishing and theft of cultural artifacts in the park".

I am not sure what the exact boundaries of the park are; but the Rouge does provide a lot of steel head fishing. Many of these areas may be off limits to fisherman once this passes.

If you ever fish the Rouge then I would advise you to contact your MP about the future of fishing in the new National Rouge Park.

• Michael Chong seems to the Conservative MP involved with the formation of the park.
• I believe that John McKay is the Liberal environment critic. He may be worth contacting as well.

 

The steel head fishery exists primarily due to stocking by volunteers. And now we face the possibility of not being able to fish for them.

Edited January 31, 2015 by JohnBacon

[Gerritt]

That would suck if it was allowed to pass..... My bet is residents are sick of the slobs leaving garbage behind.

 

This is going to become a common theme if people do not change their habits.

 

G

[Dozer]

With the area becoming a National Park soon means they will have new, ENFORCED rules. I spent an afternoon with a staff member and she explained to me that rules such as venturing off marked trails will be punishable - they are trying to protect the area from human impact ( a small walking path a foot wide in the forest is considered to be harmful ), the spread of invasives and trying to keep it pristine - Rouge is host to a handful of rare species and its a major turtle producing factory. So what that translates into is no walking alongside the river.

 

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/toronto-s-rouge-park-may-become-canada-s-first-national-urban-park-1.2207564

[Dave Bailey]

I wouldn't have too much problem with this. You have to understand that the population density would make this one of the more pressured parks anywhere, with or without consumptive uses. In fact it already is. Anything that will reduce the impact, and keep the ecosystem as unmolested as possible, would be a good thing. Just consider it a sanctuary, something which benefits the surrounding areas. I imagine that fishing will continue at the mouth, it's so urbanised that it would be senseless to try to make it wilderness, and it's so well known and used that taking it away would, rightly, be a public relations disaster.

Edited February 1, 2015 by Dave Bailey

[MJL]

I don't see why fishing should be banned in the Rouge even if it is a National Park. I fished in Banff and Jasper last year. Paid for a permit in the parks office and went at it.

 

I fished the Rouge my whole life. I live 10mins away and would hate to have to a local haunt closed to fishing.

[Fishenforcer]

I have been in meetings with Parks Canada with respect to the establishment of the Park. Nothing was mentioned about banning fishing. I will ask at the next meeting but the only thing indicated was the park wardens will be enforcing MNR regs.

[Sinker]

If hikers can hike, bikes can bike, and birdwatchers can watch birds, fisherman should be able to fish.

 

I'm all for protecting it, but banning fishing is Bull.

 

S.

[Dozer]

If hikers can hike, bikes can bike, and birdwatchers can watch birds, fisherman should be able to fish.

 

 

 

Yup, but all that can be done from the marked trails, fishing cannot. Current rules say you are only allowed to stick to marked trails but no one can enforce them. This switch to a national park is bad news for the parks users if you ask me - thankfully they wont be charging us entrance fees

[fishermccann]

I can walk to the RR from my back yard, what are the new rules going to do to me. Do I have to lock the gate in my back fence?

[Garfisher]

Well it becoming a national park means no lead fishing tackle allowed in the park

[Dave Bailey]

Well it becoming a national park means no lead fishing tackle allowed in the park

 

Which is a good thing.

[John Bacon]

I am still waiting for an official press release; but it looks like it will just be commercial fishing that will be banned in the park.

 

The only commercial fishing that may occur on the Rouge would the harvest of minnows for resale. I am not sure if this currently occurs on the Rouge. Some of the rivers in the GTA do have some commercial bait fisherman harvesting minnows.