My comments on the Strategic…

My comments on the Strategic Policy for Bait Management in Ontario are as follows:

1.I am agreeable to reducing the number of minnow species to 33 as presented.

2.The boundary between BMZ’s A and D bisects a number of communities including New Liskeard, Elk Lake, Gowganda, Shiningtree, Chapleau and Wawa. I am proposing a transition zone on both sides of the line of 100km. This would allow communities to enjoy the same regulation. The invasive species of concern are much further south in Ontario. 3.I find the two week expiry on the bait receipt to be over restrictive. At certain times of the year, bait can easily be kept longer than two weeks. Many anglers freeze dead bait to use at a later date. 4.I agree with banning bait in natural brook trout lakes. Most of these lakes in our area occur in access restricted areas and are not heavily utilized. 5.I do not agree with the banning of bait in Provincial Parks. Many of the waterway parks, like Obabika River, Long Lake and Abitibi River do not include all of their respective water bodies. Many of these waterways are man-made reservoirs constructed for hydro purposes. When these parks were created, considerable consultation took place. I disagree with changing park policies without a proper amendment to the associated Crown Land Use Policy Atlas documents. 6.I am pleased that personal harvest is allowed to continue. I am agreeable to a personal harvest license or log, as long as there is no fee associated with it. I would like to see the use of personally harvested bait from BMZ A and BMZ D in Lake Temiskaming. 7.I would like a buffer zone for people that live close to the BMZ boundary line. This would alleviate storage problems for people that live in one BMZ and fish in another.

Thank you for your consideration.

[Original Comment ID: 209823]