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New Restrictions to minnow harvest and transport


Guest Gill Finigan

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Guest Gill Finigan

From the MNR today

January 8, 2007

ONTARIO GOVERNMENT ACTING SWIFTLY TO CONTROL FURTHER SPREAD OF NEW FISH VIRUS

Restricts Use Of Live Bait Fish For The 2007 Winter Fishing Season

TORONTO — The Ontario government is taking immediate steps to control the further spread of a new fish virus into lakes and rivers in central and northern Ontario, Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay announced today.

“Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) has recently been discovered in fish from the lower Great Lakes,” said Ramsay. “While not a threat to human health, it has been linked to the die-offs of at least four species of fish. We’re asking all anglers and bait fish dealers in the affected areas to help slow down the spread of VHS to protect fish species by observing the necessary restrictions on the transport and use of live bait fish this winter.”

Waters known to be infected with the virus include Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie, the Niagara River, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Restrictions are necessary because a large portion of the bait fish harvested for sale to anglers for winter fishing in Ontario is caught in Lake Erie and the upper Niagara River. If the virus spreads to Ontario’s inland waters and upper Great Lakes, it could have serious ecological, social and economic impacts.

To control the spread of the virus, effective immediately, Ontario has been divided into three zones – the infected zone, the buffer zone and the virus-free zone.

* In the infected zone, south of Highways 401 and 402 across Ontario, live bait fish will not be allowed to be commercially harvested or transported north of the two highways.

* In the buffer zone, north of Highways 401 and 402 to the northern limits of Fisheries Management Zones (FMZ) 16, 17 and 18, as well as all of FMZ 12 east of FMZ 18, and Zone 13 (Lake Huron), live bait fish can be harvested and used but cannot be transported north of these fisheries management zones.

* In the remainder of Ontario, known as the virus-free zone, live bait fish can be harvested and transported as usual.

VHS is an infectious disease of fish caused by the viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus. Several known strains of VHS are found in freshwater and saltwater fish around the world. Recently, a new strain of VHS has been found in the lower Great Lakes – the first time VHS has been detected in freshwater in Canada.

Ontario , the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans are currently working together on a comprehensive plan to be in place by the spring of 2007, to control the spread of the virus to new areas of Ontario and other provinces. Restrictions on the use of live bait fish are necessary while the more comprehensive plan is being developed.

In October 2006, the United States Department of Agriculture banned the import of certain live fish from Ontario and Quebec, as well as the transport of live fish within the eight U.S. Great Lakes states. In late November, New York State imposed additional restrictions on the harvest and transport of live fish, including bait fish, within New York State.

Note: See attached backgrounder and link to map of Ontario’s new Fisheries Management Zones.

Plus d’information :

* BACKGROUNDER : VHS AND RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER OF LIVE BAIT FISH IN ONTARIO

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Guest canadadude

Wow this new legislation is going to have a large impact on the winter fishery in areas such as Lake Nippissing! Most of bait used on the south shore was imported from Niagara Dealers and caught from Lake Erie!! This will a big blow to alot of industries not only locally but all across Ontario!! The way things seem to be going live bait fishing may soon be a thing of the past <_<

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Guest canadadude

The problem is the alot of Northern bait shops rely on southern Ontario bait in the winter and so do the lodges and camps!!! I know this is devestating news to alot in the fishing industry around the Nippissing area!! On the other hand the spread of the virus would probably be more devestating to the industry aswell as the fishery!! Its just ashame tough measusres have to taken sometime but the enviroment needs to be protected perhaps this virus will hopfully be controlled and not spread throughout the province,I think that is the most important issue!!

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Guest fishmaster

I do recall you buying minnows from me Tommy .....and maybe that why your not getting as many fish you can't beat live shinners for bait for walleye perch and crappies...now when you go north $5 a doz just turned into 8 bucks a doz ...

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Guest cplummer

I do recall you buying minnows from me Tommy .....and maybe that why your not getting as many fish you can't beat live shinners for bait for walleye perch and crappies...now when you go north $5 a doz just turned into 8 bucks a doz ...

OUCH <_<

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WRITE THIS DOWN!

It's going to lead to a total live bait ban, (minnows frogs cayfish and leeches) They'll let kids use worms and such but remember this thread as the beginning of the end of live bait in Ontario!

jjcanoe

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$5 a doz just turned into 8 bucks a doz ...

It's not always about the money, think about the future of the fishery. The problem with humans is that they are always thinking short term, mostly for the almighty buck. I'm going fishing. <_<

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Guest fishmaster

No Rick what im saying is if Northren bait shops have to catch there own bait is going to cost twice as much .....as for live bait ban it will take years ...

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Guest canadadude

No Rick what im saying is if Northren bait shops have to catch there own bait is going to cost twice as much .....as for live bait ban it will take years ...

If they can even catch enough to supply the fishers, I know the baitshop on the South shore of Nippissing goes through tons of shinners on a weekend!!! It is going to really impact the Lodge owners as well, if the fisher's don't get bait and don't catch fish they don't come back!!! The winter fishery up there is muli million dollar industry and alot of those camps rely heavilly on the winter fishery!!! Shinners will be like gold up there now!!!! Hopfullly they can get there bait elsewhere perhaps Simcoe but if your planning a trip to nip this winter better put a few extra $$$ away for bait <_<

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well some of what is said here really makes alot of sense if you think about it, you are already and have been for years, not supposed to transfer bait fish from one body of water to another, and people are encouraged not to dump left over bait into a body of water the bait didn't come from so sure it seems like a big deal for some people, eg people who like to stock up on bait before travelling north.Up around where my trailer is, it isn't all that uncommon to pay 8-9 bucks a doz for baitfish in the winter months for a few years now, I am lucky enough to have found 2 places where it is considerably cheaper,they catch thier own, most expensive is maybe pay like 4-6 bucks a doz, and that's for huge 7-8 inch chubs, and these places aren't so rediculous about counting them out one at a time. I am sure the immediate impact of the new rules will hurt a few people at first along the way...bait suppliers, and the outfitters at camps who rely on bait sales as well, but in the long haul, if it a step towards possibly saving a fishery, then that's good by me.

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As our trade intensifies with the other side of the globe, we can expect every disease & invasive species to be shipped over here and I don't think we can stop it . Nearly all of our goods come from the east and it will only esculate as we close down our manufacturing plants so more goods are made there . Now we have the Asian carp to contend with.....and the list goes on............ Think I'll just stick L.Erie & L.Ontario for all my fishing .....lots of fish right in our backyard ! <_< I'm going minnowing ! :dunno:

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"Salties" .....$ 20 a pound ! <_< ........no mention about salted minnows for bait......would the salt kill off the bacteria or virus that may have been in them ? I've seen salties do better than live bait .....tip a jig or lure with a saltie and you may do very well.

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I heard years ago that Ontario was going to slowly start to move to a complete ban on live minnows, so maybe this is just the start. Ontario is only 1 of 2 or 3 provinces in Canada that still allows the use of live minnows, most of the rest have long banned them. Mostly due to invasive-spieces problems. I believe the only live bait you can use in Quebec is worms at this point. But dead minnows are allowed in most areas.

My guess is that by 2010, we won't be able to use live minnows in Ontario...

Linz

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Guest fishmaster

"Salties" .....$ 20 a pound ! <_< ........no mention about salted minnows for bait......would the salt kill off the bacteria or virus that may have been in them ? I've seen salties do better than live bait .....tip a jig or lure with a saltie and you may do very well.

Saltys are being worked on in the program again smerch ...they stoped the sales of salties because of it maken the White Fish starel up on simcoe but is being looked at again for the future ...we also have been doing other things with minnows that will be out in the future if this crap happens ...like smerch says its here and we are not going to get rid of it ..i got alote of paper work from the Bait Fish Association yesterday and we are fighteing like hell to stop invasions....and the 1st step is stoping all angler of captureing there own bait for use and to stop Ballest dupming from ships ...anybody that has a harvset lic to capture bait had to take a HCCP course to learne more about invasions witch we all did and passed ...if anglers wana help stop invasions i think you should buy your bait from a dealer where you will find clean bait and have no worries of inturduceing invasion to other lakes or rivers ...if you going fishing in a area buy your bait there ..theres is alote of talk about if you get caught with bait from other lakes or river you could face huge fines in the near future ...and this story could go on and on ...

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some good points Steve, great input as you are one of the people who has a bit of a heads up on these issues, myself, speaking as someone who catches thier own bait, would really not see a problem if they even say made you get a special tag with your outdoors card to do so,but would like to see the monies go to the appropraite channels as well but that just brings up other issues, and perhaps even to help people become more aware of invasive species threats,issues of fish sterility like you mentioned, but as well as being aware of different species of baitfish that are on the endangered list as well, there is a place where I buy bait from near my trailer that has leaflets on lots of stuff right by the check out, and a little brocuere about baitfish that are on the endangered list, some people may not even know that a biatfish they are using is on the list.

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Guest bigfish1965

Of course the bait dealers want to stop us from catching our own..

A sensible law would be only using bait from the waterway you are fishing regardless of who caught it.

It was the law for many years then was relinquished (no doubt after pressure from the bait dealers).

So now that we won't have any minnows for sale here (cause the law also prohibits harvest of minnows from infected zones) and the border states also prohibit transport of baitfish from infected zones, there's little chance we could import minnows from non-infected areas at a reasonable cost.

In the infected zone, south of Highways 401 and 402 across Ontario, live bait fish will not be allowed to be commercially harvested or transported north of the two highways.
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Guest fishstick

I haven't had a chance to read all the replies as of yet....so if I don't seem to make much sense....well then, you know to ignore this one.

If the Northern outfitters depend on Southern live bait....

1. There will be a huge black market in live bait emerging

2. Most non-respectful anglers will ignore the new legislation and still carry live bait to their destinations

3. Most people won't care

4. Put the money towards stopping invasive species and ballast tanks from ships (this is not a North American source of the problem)

5. Make the St.Lawrence Seaway throw some cash into fighting the problem, since most of them are caused by the ships they let into the Great Lakes area

6. Unfortunately, this isn't like drug smuggling, and with the lack of C.O's....do you really think there will be an effort to stop this problem? Can't fight crime without some sort of force.

I dunno....this is a topic that will drag on for years I'm sure.

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Guest canadadude

:lol: I'm not to sure about this one: You know every time new rules come out they came from some $$$$$ to try and change something.Look at the walleye change in up north, that was just to please the cottagers to slow down the amount of boat traffic travelling their waters$$$$$$$. Now this could be that the bait shops are not making any $$$$ in the areas that the fishing is high because anglers are bringing bait from where they can get it to make sure that when they get there they will have bait. How many time have you gone up north only to find out there was no bait for miles. Now if it is to control a Virus then yes I would agree but who do you beleive the one's incharge medium-smiley-129.gif

The "Great Emerald Shinner Conspiracy of 2007" :P:lol::lol:

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If we catch our own minnows at Bertie Boat Marina, Queenston , Port Dalhousie , or 50 Point and fish with them in any area from Hamilton to Dunnville or Port Weller to Quinte I can't see any way of spreading this disease .....all connecting waters . If I get minnows at Port Dal.& fish there , there's zero chance of spreading the disease . If live bait is ever made illegal , I think ice fishing will go down the tubes .You can still get fish ,but can't beat live bait most of the time . It was mentioned that salties cause whitefish to become sterile if eaten ......They use to put tons of salties down the holes to keep them in the area . A salty on your line is small peanuts in comparison . I hope this VHS dies a natural death ....maybe a real winter with cold temps would help ....Funny thing is , there is so much live bait in the lakes , how do they survive ?

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Alot of people are wondering if the MNR has a freakin clue. Hey lets cut em back some more :lol: . They need to stop every ship in the mouth of the St Lawrence and microwave the ballasts or something. I agree with JJ Canoe. I see a total Live bait ban coming but only with a virus present they may include roe. What do you think now Charlie :lol: . The MNR already encourages you to refrain from using live bait citing fish get hooked deeper. It doesn't work for me :P

Steve I appreciate your wanting me to buy my bait instead of catching my own because I know that most people aren't smart enough to put them back where they found them or dump them on dry land to die when finished with them. EDIT

Besides where I get bait I'd be thrilled to find invasive species. That would mean all the barriers were fixed :lol:

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I have seen that sort of thing too Chilli, right down the road from me, see a truck leaving a spot, and see the "bi-catch" just left dead in the water as well, just seen it a couple days ago as a matter of fact, when I was on a search for my own bait, I just go dump iot back in the river if I have a supply at home and I didn't go fishing and it's starting to die, and even returned chubs back to "the chub spot" a couple times as well. have also over the years bought bait from different places that had baby sunnies, rockies, perch, cats in the mix here and there

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Guest canadadude

The more legislation the M.N.R puts on recreational activities the less people are going to want to participate!!! In fact by banning and restricting these activities they are only going to shoot themselves in the foot!!! Hunting is a great example of this, the sport is slowly detereorating because of governmemt red tape and the loss in revenue is being noticed much like the loss Provincial Parks are experiencing!!! People are not going to participate if rule after rule makes the sport unejoyable

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