Starting with Reducing the…

Starting with Reducing the Legal Bait Species list. It is already difficult sorting and eliminating by catch and aquatic plants as well as species at risk. What is legal today will be an illegal practice tomorrow. Best Management practices should be put in first. Most Harvesters do their dilligence to remove darters sculpins and stickleback minnows. This is wrong to put more restrictions on the Harvester when it is the Angler who doesn't know one species from another. As stated before this will be another enforcement tool and what is a legal practice today will be illegal tomorrow. Personally by banning or isolating where Anglers can trap heir own bait seems to be a major issue, This is the demographic that should be targeted for education on one species from another. Anglers not knowing a sculpin from a goby or a red belly dace from a red sided dace. The Harvester knows the difference, what species to and not to harvest at different times of the year. I agree with the 3 Strikes policy and where bait is being distributed.

Current zone proposal is too restrictive! As it stands the EBR proposal put forward will cripple the commercial bait industry. There will be an over abundance of bait in some regions and shortages in others. jor example making referance to the map provided by MNR on the mail out, Zone F produces 50 % of the bait in the province and providing it is harvested in the white zone can go anywhere. zone E does not produce a lot of bait and has few harvesters so it will suffer with bait shortages, this zone is also dependant on leeches from zone D and will no longer be able to get product from the north. Zone F( southern Ontario) will also suffer with shortages of leeches as well because they cannot bring them from zone D and other zones. Zone D will be in the same position as zone F it produces a lot of Dace and leeches. The market for more than 50% of their product is to Zone A and the southern zones E, and F. We should follow the CFIA and seperate the zones at the watershed divide.

The current Pilot Project for testing of Emerald Shiners Works, These fish are the only certified bait in the province. The Management and Enforcement of the project is the problem.There needs to be more control from the time the Emerald shiner is Harvested, where it is held and the distribution of the product as well as evaluating how much product can be held in a specific location to qualify to be in the program. This should be a seperate entity to current license program.

Current Harvesters who Harvest in Ontario Parks shold be Granfathered for life. This was a negotiation with MNR through the BAO and it should be Honoured. These Granfathered licenses are to remain in the individuals name and not to be transfered. Theirs as long as they remain in buisness. Unused BHA's are the best form of conservation, Government is still receiving the revenue from the license and the area is untouched. I find the proposal confusing practice conservation and protect species at risk but if you don't use the license you will loose it, to be re alocated to another individual? End result is most of the problems facing the Bait Industry are external, Agriculture, Urban sprawl, Pollution, Importation etc... There is no conclusive data to support that the Bait industry is the reason for the demise of any species. The presence of other Govenment agencies were requested throughout this entire process, CFIA, DFO, MOE to take ownership and do their part in dealing with some of these complex issues. These are bandaid solutions that will have very dire financial concequences all across Ontario. There needs to be a formula developed to Compensate people being negatively affected by Government Policy. Commercial Bait Harvisting is not the Primary cause but it is the only solution put forward. Thank you

[Original Comment ID: 209668]