Native Species

[Tom S]

Interesting read:

http://interlochenpublicradio.org/post/great-lakes-fisheries-expert-time-forget-salmon-go-native-species

To bad about that Atlantic program though.... I'd love to see some success with it, but have not seen any real results yet.

[Jmo1685]

It's interesting to read this as I was at the annual Salmon Symposium this year in Port Credit and both fisheries management people from both the USA and Canada said they were continuing to stock Chinooks, Rainbows and Browns... So I find it odd that the article said they weren't stocking fish in the US ...

Also, if you go to my post called "Work 2015" or something similar you can see some of my work with the Atlantic Salmon program this past year. At the Weir in Duffins creek we caught the 2 biggest Arlantics that they ever have (both over 9pounds) and a total of 8 Atlantics in September (if I remember correctly).

I don't think that they're going to let the salmon population just disappear from Lake O, the market is waaay to big and brings in ALOT of money for all the charter boats. But I could be wrong and they may shift all their focus away from salmon on to other fish (which Inwouldnt personally complain about.

[smerchly]

It's a shame these big beautiful salmon aren't good table fare . It seems like a waste to put all that time and money into a fish and not consume them .We fish for carp for the thrill of the battle and release them as well . We need to clean up the lakes , keep a check on the lamprey eels and, as free trade expands , be ready to deal with more invasive species . We have spent billions trying to control everything from Asian carp to Zebras .

I remember (in the 50's) the millions of stinking dead alewives rotting on the beaches , and seeing some farmers using thousands of smelts for fertilizer .

It would be okay with me if Lake Ont . was a great trout - walleye fishery ......and some whitefish would be a bonus !

[Tom S]

It's interesting to read this as I was at the annual Salmon Symposium this year in Port Credit and both fisheries management people from both the USA and Canada said they were continuing to stock Chinooks, Rainbows and Browns... So I find it odd that the article said they weren't stocking fish in the US ...

Also, if you go to my post called "Work 2015" or something similar you can see some of my work with the Atlantic Salmon program this past year. At the Weir in Duffins creek we caught the 2 biggest Arlantics that they ever have (both over 9pounds) and a total of 8 Atlantics in September (if I remember correctly).

I don't think that they're going to let the salmon population just disappear from Lake O, the market is waaay to big and brings in ALOT of money for all the charter boats. But I could be wrong and they may shift all their focus away from salmon on to other fish (which Inwouldnt personally complain about.

I think it's great that you were able to get involved in the program, but seeing double digit returns (and that's being generous) on a quarter of a million fish stocked is just plain bad math. Not even a wall street accountant can make that look successful. The original spawning habitat is destroyed or close to urban centers, the forage in the lake has changed since native atlantics died out, and it seems like they can't compete or survive. I'm glad that NY sees the value in stocking Pacific Salmon. I don't blame the MNR for what they are doing - they are understaffed, underfunded, and having a program to bring back native species looks good politically. But there comes a time when they need to stop beating a dead horse and listen to the people who use the resource.

It's a shame these big beautiful salmon aren't good table fare . It seems like a waste to put all that time and money into a fish and not consume them .We fish for carp for the thrill of the battle and release them as well . We need to clean up the lakes , keep a check on the lamprey eels and, as free trade expands , be ready to deal with more invasive species . We have spent billions trying to control everything from Asian carp to Zebras .

I remember (in the 50's) the millions of stinking dead alewives rotting on the beaches , and seeing some farmers using thousands of smelts for fertilizer .

It would be okay with me if Lake Ont . was a great trout - walleye fishery ......and some whitefish would be a bonus !

I can't see Ontario becoming a super strong walleye fishery... it's not like Erie or Nippising which are shallow and full of forage. It's deep and cold, better suited to pelagic fish like Salmon or Lake Trout. But the coldwater spawning habitat is all damaged by urbanization, meaning stocking will probably be needed to the numbers of any of those cold water species up. Maybe we should petition for some coaster brook trout stocking instead of the Atlantics? Not sure how they would deal with the pollution though. Whitefish would be nice.

[Jmo1685]

Tom, I 200% agree. I was never a fan of the Atlantic Program from the start, but I'll gladly get paid to work with fish ! I did a lot of assessments in upper Duffins where a lot of stocking is done, and I have to say it's just beautiful and cold, but it's a long way from the lake for a fry to survive, go down to the lake, spawn and return.

I'd like to see a bigger push on recreational fisheries in more urban places. I think that stormwater ponds are a missed opportunity. I understand that water quality may not be great for all fish species, but there are a few in Brampton where there is quite a decent bass population, along with carp, catfish and panfish. A I type this I can think of a million things that people can complain about with trying to stock fish in urban places (#1 being fishing pressure and the white bucket brigade) but I think that some effort in these places will make fishing more accessible for more people as well.

[Tom S]

I'd like to see a bigger push on recreational fisheries in more urban places. I think that stormwater ponds are a missed opportunity. I understand that water quality may not be great for all fish species, but there are a few in Brampton where there is quite a decent bass population, along with carp, catfish and panfish. A I type this I can think of a million things that people can complain about with trying to stock fish in urban places (#1 being fishing pressure and the white bucket brigade) but I think that some effort in these places will make fishing more accessible for more people as well.

Shhh. No one needs to know about those opportunities...

[dave524]

But salmon are good table fare, Cohos are the best of any fish in Lake Ontario, far better than Chinooks or even Bows. I believe the article was referring to Lakers as the inedible fish and Browns are not all that great unless small.