March 7, 2019 Mitch Baldwin…

March 7, 2019

Mitch Baldwin
District Manager,
Northeast Region
Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
5520 HWY 101 East, PO Bag 3020
South Porcupine, ON
P0N 1H0

Dear Mr. Baldwin,

On behalf of the Municipality of Temagami, we would like to thank you for being given the opportunity to provide our comments on the FMZ 11 Proposed New Fishing Regulations. We would also like to thank you for having staff from the MNRF attend our Council meeting and updating us on this new plan as well as hosting an Open House at our Community Centre, albeit later than anticipated thanks to Mother Nature. By providing us with their thoughts and an explanation of the processes that were followed, it was a great help educating us around these proposed changes. As you can appreciate the Temagami area is unique and we do value what our locality has to offer. Fishing in the Temagami area is also a very important part of our community. It also provides a certain economic base since we rely heavily on Tourism. Another interesting fact we are learning is that getting a consensus on a fishing plan that regulates our area is also difficult. However, with that said, we as a Community do have a few points we would like to make regarding the proposed PLAN.

The Municipality of Temagami is supportive of the efforts being put forth by the MNRF that are based on well detailed and balanced, scientific evidence that if implemented or maintained will sustain our fishing stocks for years to come. We do feel however, that the MNRF needs to do more to better educate our Community as to how their research is conducted, what is involved in doing Broad Scale Surveys and what conclusions are drawn from this information as well as what impact will they have etc..., on Lake Temagami. Involving local groups like our local Hatchery more in this process would go a long way in creating a local understanding and possibly a higher level of support for some of these directions.

The Municipality of Temagami however must also continue to find ways to ensure we have an economic base and environment, which can sustain the Community ensuring their continued ability to provide the services that our population expects and deserves. Our Community has gone through a number of difficult times over the years, with the loss of our main industries, government offices and more recent being devastated by a number of large forest fires last year that resulted in a negative impacted our Tourist Industry. As a Community we have the responsibility to stand up and protect what things we can do and offer. Therefore we call on the MNRF to take into careful consideration the following, prior to finalizing the proposed plan:

• Consider the impact of some of the major changes being proposed in the FMZ 11 Plan will have on our Tourist Industry; and rather than closing the trout season earlier look for other ways to decrease impacts like the introduction of slot sizes or reducing catch limits during the latter part of the traditional seasons.

• Where possible, have our fishing seasons and opportunities set similar to those in other zones as it relates to Walleye, Lake Trout, Northern Pike and Brook Trout. More consistency will enhance opportunities for our lodges, restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, etc..., rather than being diminished or lost, and our community will not be passed up by those looking for better and more available opportunities to enjoy their sport.

• We encourage taking the appropriate action against Hydro One and OPG, to ensure lake levels are maintained appropriately during times vital to sustaining a fish population such as spawning. Consider calling upon local Municipalities to assist in applying pressure together when and if needed. We have demonstrated that Municipalities in this area can act with a united voice.

We would like to thank you for being given the opportunity to provide our comments as well as potential solutions to the issues that would negatively impact our community. If you have any questions or concerns please get back to us. We believe that good, open dialog on these issues will bring people together and will help build support and cooperation for these outcomes.

Yours sincerely

Dan O’Mara
Mayor of Temagami