Closing ice W/E fishery?

[Lee Borgersen]

Ministry yet to respond to call for closure of the recreational winter walleye fishery.

  ...
By GORD YOUNG, The Nugget

Thursday, November 3, 2016

  ......
There's still no word from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry if there will be a walleye ice fishing season on Lake Nipissing this winter. 

  ....
The ministry responded to enquires about possible changes to the upcoming season Wednesday by reiterating a previous statement, indicating it will “continue to work collaboratively with Nipissing First Nation, as well as other users on the lake, toward the recovery and sustainable management of the walleye population in Lake Nipissing.”

 
The possible closure of the recreational winter walleye fishery became an issue in September after Nipissing First Nation called on the ministry to shut down the 2016-17 ice fishing season as a temporary measure to address stressed walleye stocks.

“We recognize the importance of the fishery to all users on Lake Nipissing and we are aware of Nipissing First Nation’s interest in closing the recreational winter walleye fishery,” ministry spokeswoman Jolanta Kowalski said in an email.

  ...
Her response noted that the ministry continues to follow the Lake Nipissing Management Plan, which focuses on an “adaptive management approach.” And it suggested that “management actions, including fishing regulation changes, may be required throughout plan implementation to ensure the sustainability of Lake Nipissing’s fisheries.”

The ministry also notes a number of regulation changes have already been made which have reduced pressure on the walleye population, including new size and possession limits.

But with only weeks to go before the season is slated to open, operators are left to wonder if they should be advertising and accepting bookings.

“There is definitely concern among the operators,” said Linda Andersen, owner of Promised Land Camp.

She said the problem is the ministry has made previously regulation changes at the 11th hour. And, she said, there is little trust among operators that it won't happen again.

As a result, Andersen said, she's  opted not offer ice fishing at all this season. And, she said, several other operators have made the same decision.

“It's just too dicey,” she said, noting those who are still planning to operate are “holding their breath.”

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 ministry 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, it 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.

The daily catch limit was then reduced in 2012 to two walleye from four for sport fishing licence holders and to one fish from two for conservation licence holders.

In March 2014, the ministry said the walleye fishery was in serious decline and only half of what it was in the 1980s, mainly due to the combined pressure of both the recreational and commercial fisheries.

As a result, the ministry did away with a slot size restriction aimed at preserving spawning walleye 40 to 60 centimetres in size and instead introduced a new minimum size limit to protect walleye up to 46 centimetres. The move was aimed at safeguarding young fish that have not yet had a chance to spawn.


[attachment deleted by admin]