I concur that it is…

I concur that it is essential that we protect our natural resources from invasive species however, some of the proposed implementation mechanisms lack depth in achieving this goal while balancing the interests of fishermen, their families, and friends.

The proposed amendments fail to take into account that individual(s) trap live bait for use in common by other family members and friends. This bait would not be taken out of the proposed licensing zone but used within the zone. The proposed rules fail to account for this. E.g. I trap bait and my 14 year old son wants to go out by himself and fish. He does not have a license to trap bait so he is now contravening the law. I go out fishing with a group of friends in two boats. The friend in the boat with me is lawfully engaged in fishing with me as I have a licence for the zone whereas the other boat of friends is not entitled to use the bait I have secured as they don't have a license.

Recreational fishing is, and historically has been, a social sporting activity the brings family and friends together to enjoy the outdoors. This needs to remain unfettered. Any new regulations must take this into consideration and not be unduly restrictive.

Any type of licensing regime should be without cost, and simplistic in approach. There should not be any type of course, exam, etc. An information sheet could be supplied to the license holder to outline the legal baitfish which may be harvested and any applicable restrictions. Unnecessary, burdensome regulation does not assist in meeting the objectives outlined in the Strategic Policy for Bait Management and creates dissatisfaction amongst outdoor sportsmen.

Youth and seniors should be able to acquire a bait license, independent of a fishing license. They are not required to purchase a fishing license and should be able to acquire a license to harvest their own bait.

Finally, license holders should have the option of selecting which license area they want their licence to be valid for. Many families own cottages or fish in areas outside of their residential locations.

[Original Comment ID: 209671]