Proposed Regulation Change Rainbow Trout Catch and ... Fishing and 2 for Conservation still applies...
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Ontario.ca/zonecouncils Proposal To lower rainbow trout limits in Lake Ontario From: 5 fish per day (Sport Fishing licence) 2 fish per day (Conservation licence) To: 2 fish per day (Sport Fishing licence) 1 fish per day (Conservation licence) Note that the aggregate limit of 5 for Sport Fishing and 2 for Conservation still applies for Trout and Salmon: Sport Fishing license aggregate limit of 5 trout and salmon - 2 of which can be rainbow trout. Conservation licence aggregate limit of 2 trout and salmon - 1 of which can be rainbow trout. Purpose Rainbow trout populations have declined in Lake Ontario and are a highly valued part of the Lake Ontario recreational fishery. Exces- sive fishing pressure is viewed by the public as a stressor on Rainbow Trout populations. If implemented, the proposed reduction in catch and possession limits for rainbow trout will: • Contribute to increasing the abundance of rainbow trout in Lake Ontario; • Reduce harvest of rainbow trout; • Harmonize Lake Ontario rainbow limits with those of its tributaries; • Align limits more closely with the New York side of Lake Ontario ; • Contribute to achieving Lake Ontario’s Fish Community Objectives and the management objectives of tributary watershed management plans. Zone 20 consists of Ontario waters of the lower Niagara River, Lake Ontario, and the St. Lawrence River Proposed Regulation Change Rainbow Trout Catch and Possession Limits for Fisheries Management Zone 20 (Lake Ontario)
Transcript of Proposed Regulation Change Rainbow Trout Catch and ... Fishing and 2 for Conservation still applies...
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ProposalTo lower rainbow trout limits in Lake Ontario
From:5fishperday(SportFishinglicence) 2fishperday(Conservationlicence)
To: 2fishperday(SportFishinglicence) 1fishperday(Conservationlicence)
Note that the aggregate limit of 5 for Sport Fishing and 2 for Conservation still applies for Trout and Salmon:SportFishinglicenseaggregatelimitof5troutandsalmon-2ofwhichcanberainbowtrout.Conservationlicenceaggregatelimitof2troutandsalmon-1ofwhichcanberainbowtrout.
PurposeRainbowtroutpopulationshavedeclinedinLakeOntarioandareahighlyvaluedpartoftheLakeOntariorecreationalfishery.Exces-sivefishingpressureisviewedbythepublicasastressoronRainbowTroutpopulations.Ifimplemented,theproposedreductionincatchandpossessionlimitsforrainbowtroutwill:• Contributetoincreasingtheabundance ofrainbowtroutinLakeOntario;• Reduceharvestofrainbowtrout;• HarmonizeLakeOntariorainbowlimits withthoseofitstributaries;• AlignlimitsmorecloselywiththeNew YorksideofLakeOntario;• ContributetoachievingLakeOntario’s FishCommunityObjectivesandthe managementobjectivesoftributary watershedmanagementplans.
Zone20consistsofOntariowatersofthelowerNiagaraRiver,LakeOntario,andtheSt.LawrenceRiver
Proposed Regulation ChangeRainbow Trout Catch and Possession Limits for Fisheries Management Zone 20 (Lake Ontario)
Background
AnativetothewestcoastofNorthAmerica,rainbowtrout(alsocalledSteelhead)werefirststockedintoOntariowatersofLakeOntariointhelate1920s.Bythe1960srainbowtroutwereestablishedinmanystreamsandriversflowingintoLakeOntario.
Underthecurrentbi-nationalfisheriesplanforLakeOntario,therearetwoobjectivesspecifictorainbow trout:• Theoffshorepelagicfishcommunitywill becharacterizedbyabundantpopulations ofrainbowtrout,and• Naturallyproduced(wild)salmonand trout(especiallyrainbowtrout)willbepres entinamountsthatareconsistentwith fisheryandwatershedplans.
Theseobjectivesreflectaninterestinmaintain-ingandenhancingLakeOntario’srainbowtroutfishery.Toachievetheseobjectives,theprovincereliesmainlyonthesustainabilityofitswildpopu-lationsasthemajorityofLakeOntariorainbowtroutarenaturallyproduced.Rainbowtroutac-countforlessthan10%ofthetotalnumberoftroutandsalmonstockedinLakeOntarioandstockinglevelshaveremainedrelativelystablesincetheearly1990satabout160,000rainbowtroutperyear.
Provide FeedbackTheministryisencouragingthepublicto providefeedbackonthisproposal.
Pleasesendcommentsincludinganindicationofwhetherornotyousupportoropposethisproposal to:
MarcDesjardinsLakeOntarioManagementUnit41FishHatcheryLane,RR#4Picton,ONK0K2T0Phone:(613)476-3287email:[email protected]
Rainbowtroutrankedasmostsoughtafterbyanglersina2003MNRsurveyofanglersintheLakeOntariowatershed.Itisthesecondmostencounteredspeciesintheboatfisheryandtheprimarytargetofthetributaryfisheries.Ofthenearly21,000rainbowtroutcaughtin2005,17,500wereharvested(aharvestrateof84%).
RainbowtroutabundanceinLakeOntariopeakedinthelate1980sbuthassincedeclinedwhilecatchratesintheboatfisheryhavesteadilydeclinedfromthemid1980s.SimilartrendsinrainbowtroutabundanceweredocumentedonotherGreatLakesduringthisperiod.Factorscitedincludedegradedenvironmentalconditionsandincreasedfishingpressure.
EstimatedupstreamcountsofrainbowtroutattheGanaraskaRiverFishwayduringAprilandMay1974-2009(blue)andrainbowtroutcatchratesintheLakeOntarioboatfishery(red).
Zone20fisheriesAdvisoryCouncil
Theproposedregulationchangeforrainbowtroutinzone20wasdevelopedbytheMinistryofNatu-ralResourceswiththehelpoftheFisheriesMan-agementZone20AdvisoryCouncil.Theadvisorycouncilisacommitteeofvolunteerswhorepre-sentthepublicandabroadarrayofstakeholdergroupsthathaveaninterestinthelocalfisheriesresources.Tolearnmoreabouttheroleofadvi-sorycouncilsinmanagingOntario’srecreationalfisheries,visitwww.ontario.ca/zonecouncils.
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