I do not support this change…

I do not support this change for several reasons, as a whole I think it is placing unnecessary inconveniences on anglers, which are already supporting and promoting environmental initiatives. These inconveniences I believe could make it harder on the working class to fish. I will explain how this change affects me as an angler, and an environmentalist. My passion for the environment led me to get a degree and a diploma in Ecological Restoration. I use my two weeks of holidays every year for fishing trips. One of the ways I feel I connect best with the environment is fishing.In order to reduce the amount of the live bait I buy and use I have purchased about 100 dollars worth of aquarium stuff so that I can keep minnows alive. Baitfish is my preferred bait as a large percentage of the fishing I do is from shorelines as I don't own a boat, and cannot afford one of my own. If I was to fish while visiting my girlfreind on the weekend, who lives in a different zone in both current fishing regulations and the proposed new baitfish regulations, I may buy minnows at a local store, if I have leftover I will put the leftover into an aquarium when I return home to the Alliston. With the proposed regulation, I would have to dispose of my bait just to buy it the next weekend. Now, I am unable to fish Friday night with bait fish, which were already purchased in that zone. and two weekends in a row, I will have to drive a half hour at least out of the way Saturday morning. This change is something that would certainly limit how much I will fish, and make it harder to justify buying a fishing licence, and increase disconnection between myself and nature. These impacts will be felt similarly among other anglers.

I think this change has the potential to reduce the number of people buying licences, and fishing in general, this will impact the fishing industry, local bait-shops especially. Most anglers know that bait shops owners are almost always working class people, who would be very impacted by these changes. I have not met an angler with an intention to damage a fishery yet. Why create more headaches for people who are already supporting the health of there fisheries?

[Original Comment ID: 209261]