Research

[PlanB]

We can't ban cars or booze but we can slowly transition into smoking weed and driverless cars.

 

[sterlingz]

Under normal circumstances gillnets catch targeted species. It is not in any ones interest to catch other than that. I'm sure My Boys could fill us in here.

Your example is totally the other side of the spectrum. Something that happens and we all hate to see. Like a drunk driver on the road. We agree this isn't good but we can't ban cars or booze because of it.

Myboys already talked about bycatch in another post if I'm not mistaken.

Here in North Bay the bycatch dumps get a lot of attention. Species that aren't stocked suffer tremendously from commercial netting. But luckily Erie seems somewhat healthy. Here the lake is devastated and near collapse.

According to my MNR contact the US side of the lake has only "passive" commercial trapping, meaning you get to select what you catch and what you release. I think we should do that.

 

[zzguffy901]

Agree with Josh.

Compare those fines for commercial "fisherman" to the regular fisherman like the posted link.

http://www.tillsonburgnews.com/2017/08/16/three-men-fined-1500-each-for-over-limit-of-walleye

Brutal if you ask me. Over limit and killing fish my as well be the same thing, your taking the fish from the lake regardless. The fines for commercial guys are a joke, it would pay for itself to have dedicated mnr at the docks daily to check quotas throughout Erie if the fines were fair not the average 1-2$/pound over Limit slap on the wrist they get now. There are good and bad on both sides but at least have the penalties in a similar ball park otherwise the resource is just being abused.

 

[PlanB]

Some great points above. Make the fines serious, lose your boat and gear maybe, for both commercial and sport fishers. Serious penalties will need little enforcement once the word gets out. Slowly transition to limited passive trapping allowing the stocks to stabilize and the sport fishing industry to expand. I really think the economic benefits of this approach is better than status quo. Many of the benefits are directly in the communities around the lake.
Love the passion for the fishery in all the posts.

 

[paddy204]

I don't know about all this sciencey stuff , but I was fishing during the E - clips and saw black helicopters leaving Chem trails and headed into a waterspout then disappear!
Haven't caught a pic since, anybody else see anything?

 

[PlanB]

Yea got a pic of it

 

[paddy204]

That explains more than I could imagine!