Netting Waste

[jasonk]

For those of you who think the netting on LOTW is no big deal because "they have quotas and only take so much", here is what is not reported. Fish that are not the perfect size are often just dumped and left to rot. South of Thompson Creek a mile or two we saw a ton of eagles in a little bay so we pulled in to investigate. Dead fish all over. Most were suckers and ciscoes, but there were plenty of northerns, smallies, and some really nice walleyes also. And this is not just one isolated incident. Talk about frustrating. I can take home only 2 walleyes with my Conservation License to "protect the resource". I can take home only 10 crappies to "protect the resource". There is a slot limit on northerns to "protect the resource".

I called the MNR and their official stance is that this is not allowed. I have been told by others close to the situation that it is not at all enforced. The fish, by the way, are bought by a government owned cannery and then sold at a profit by the government. Interesting.

Does this drive anyone else insane? Where is the common sense in all of this?

And those of you who buy a walleye dinner when you take your wife out to eat are part of the problem also.

Let's not let this thread devolve into racism.

I have pictures. Anyone care to help me post them?

[MuskieDowg]

You're not the first person I've heard fed up with the netting on LOTW. My father has been going up there since the early 70's and has expressed his concern about the netting too. I've seen the nets in the water but have never seen a pile of culled fish like you're talking about. Sure would like to see those pics! Can you e-mail them? My e-mail is [email protected]

[swedishpimple]

I too have rounded the corner and seen hundreds of Eagles. It was probably 4 years ago, late in October in Dawson Channel near the Basil. I never saw the fish, but that is what we suspected too.

[Lotwfisher]

I have seen this problem alot, but one point you made needs to be cleared up. The fish is bought by many different parties. A large buyer is Sysco foods, many different small stores in the local area and many restaurants throughout Ontario and Minnesota. The Government is informed of sales and fish crossing the border, this is to keep track of the quotas put in place.

[jasonk]

When I contacted the MNR about the issue they offered to send me some information. I got the book yesterday. The lake is divided up into sections for survey purposes. Guess what percent of walleyes harvested in the large area of the lake from Morson SW to the border for "commercial and subsistence" purposes is? 72%. Northern's in the same area? 99%!

This Atlas, as it is called, is full of good info. One thing I found interesting though. The numbers are what has happened. No where in there have I seen goals for the future.

I can post numbers for other parts of the lake if anyone is interested.

[Tman2]

I've always thought there was a incredibily low number of northerns around there. For all the tossin' I've done, I have not had many hits.

[bushdoe]

Info. The commercial fishery has a set quota of 142,000 pounds of walleye for the entire LOTW. On the Ontario side anglers will harvest aprox. 258,000 pounds.

Also the mnr of Ontario conduct there own gill netting which is part of their "crill sampling" This takes place through the LOTW and helps to determine through the Atlas a cross section or bio-diversity and population of the lake.

All fish caught in these nets are left for the birds and prey species.

dnr estimates for the Minnisota area of the lake are 600,000 pounds of walleye taken from the lake each year. No commercial fishing there.

Each agency operates different mangement programs and not much in the way of collective work goes on between each agency.

[jasonk]

Well if it was a MNR creel survey net that was dumped it would explain why nobody I emailed there ever got back to me. Interesting.