Comments on Proposed…

Comments on Proposed Strategic Policy for Bait Management in Ontario

As the Member of Provincial Parliament for Timiskaming-Cochrane, I am both interested in and concerned about the Strategic Policy for Bait Management in Ontario. Many residents of Timiskaming-Cochrane identify fishing as part of their culture and this riding is home to many tourist operators and outfitters who depend on sport fishing as part of their livelihood. Geographically, the riding is covered by parts of proposed Bait Management Zones A and D. Since the riding borders the Province of Quebec, many local fishermen have developed a working knowledge of the Quebec bait regulations. It is important to note that those residents whom I spoke with regarding the new regulations are in favour of a regulatory regime that protects our water bodies from invasive species.

The ability of the Ministry of Natural Resources at their current staffing levels to enforce current regulations was a common concern for many residents. They wondered how the new, more stringent guidelines would be monitored without increased staffing levels in the field. These concerns echoed comments I have made in the Legislature on several occasions. New regulations may appear to solve the issue from a policy perspective but if the ability to support those regulations is not possible due to diminished resources, they will not protect anything.

Many residents raised issues of concern regarding the Draft Policy and I would to focus on those points.

The Draft Policy proposes to ban the possession & use of live bait in certain classes of Provincial Parks. While overall reaction to this proposal was definitely mixed, examples were brought up where this regulation would not be enforceable or scientifically defendable. For example, the Englehart River Fine Sand Plain and Water Way Park covers parts of the Long Lake Tourist Region. Under this proposal, live bait would be banned in specified sections of this waterway but does not include the entire system and there are no barriers that would impede fish or angler movement from one area to another. Patrons of one tourist outfitter would be allowed to possess live bait while their neighbours would not and the bait will not respect these imaginary lines. This Provincial Park was created to protect certain parts of the shoreline, not to protect a certain species of fish. Since there are other similar examples in my riding that have been raised regarding this draft policy, there must be more examples across the Province. If a provincial policy does not reflect logical & science based initiatives, it will not be effective.

If the government proceeds with the policy to ban live bait from certain Provincial Parks, I strongly urge that each Provincial Park be evaluated on an individual basis, and that current classifications which may have nothing to do with fisheries management, not be used in a blanket policy.

The second topic of concern is the movement of bait between the zones. As an example, there is one commercial bate dealer in my riding whose bait trapping area is on the D side of the Zone A/D border but the main customer base is on the A side of the border. The proposed regulations would essentially destroy the viability of this local business. Since similar scenarios could happen near all the borders of all zones, I urge the MNRF to take into consideration the impacts on local communities of interest while developing the Provincial policy. If individual consideration is part of the equation, there will be more support from the local community resulting in a more effective process.

In closing, I would like to acknowledge the MNRFs work in presenting this draft Policy for public comment. It is my sincere hope that the MNRF works with the local anglers, fishing organizations and tourist operators to ensure the actual policy is practical, workable and allows residents to work together while protecting our waterways from invasive species.

Respectfully Submitted,

John Vanthof, MPP Timiskaming Cochrane

705-647-5995

Email – jvanthof-co@ndp.on.ca

[Original Comment ID: 209749]