This new live bait proposal…

This new live bait proposal will have an adverse affect on many Ontario residents & tourist not to mention people in the bait business. Many commercial bait dealers have to get their bait in different zones. Now they won't be able to do this. This will cause the prices to go up & availability to go down. There will be job loss in this industry as well as causing some to go out of business. Thousands of tourist that visit Ontario each year exclusively for the sport of fishing will not be coming to Ontario if this bill passes as they have been using live bait (minnows & leeches) for decades. This will have a ripple affect throughout province.

We urge you to leave the live bait policy as it is in our area. We are a small tourist outfitter in Northwestern Ontario that rely heavily on live bait for our guest to have memorable fishing trips often with their children who are the next generation of anglers, These tourist are what keeps our small towns & tourist outfitters alive & our business going.

With this new proposal one side of our waterway will be able to use live bait but not the other. This is ridiculous!! There are imaginary boundaries everywhere here. How are people supposed to know where they can & can not use live bait? Also they have to carry an invoice with them that proves where they purchased the bait?? Not to mention the cost of initiating & enforcing this new regulation??

We also want to see solid proof in our area that bait fish are causing a major problem. We suggest if southern Ontario is having a problem with invasive species then concentrate your efforts there! To our knowledge there is not a big problem here as the current regulations are keeping invasive species in check.

Thank you

[Original Comment ID: 209722]