Quinte Fishing

Local fishermen can rest easy, says minister
No changes will be made until input from all parties


Belleville Intelligencer

By Derek Baldwin

The Intelligencer

No further changes to sport fishing on the Bay of Quinte will be handed down by the province until all stakeholders in the region have their say, pledges Minister of Natural Resources Gerry Ouellette.

In an interview with The Intelligencer Tuesday from Queen's Park, Ouellette confirmed that his ministry is working to appoint a new local advisory council comprised of anglers, charter companies and other parties with an interest in the Quinte walleye fishery.

The idea behind the council is to make recommendations to the MNR on how best to save a depleted walleye fishery that sparked major controversy in Quinte last fall when word leaked out of a proposed three-year ban on walleye fishing effective Jan. 1 of this year.

That ban was shelved by the MNR in favour of new slot limits introduced earlier this spring that protect walleye between 19 and 25 inches to preserve that segment of the population most likely to reproduce the highest number of walleye in coming years.

Ouellette said anglers can rest assured there will be no more surprise measures instituted this year from the natural resources ministry he assumed only weeks ago.

"Bringing the parties together is important for the fishery in the long-term," said Ouellette. "We're into the season now so it's important for now that...we don't change half way through."

The minister said he agrees with concerns in the area that the fish must be protected first, then the recreational economy is also looked after.

"First and foremost, this is in the best interest of the fish. Also, there are recreation concerns here. Economic impact for the area is quite significant," said Ouellette.

Ouellette said Oshawa, in his riding, is all about cars while some may not understand the same could be said about the Bay of Quinte and its walleye fishery.

As much as $24.5 million in yearly-spinoffs emanate from the tourism and angling aspects of the fishery, said Ouellette.

Local MPP and Official MNR Critic Parsons said he is pleased at Ouellette's commitment to solving the walleye fishery crisis on the bay that has pegged, by some estimates, the fish population overall at only 160,000 fish.

Parsons said he and Ouellette have met and discussed some issues affecting the ministry as well as the Prince Edward-Hastings riding.

Ouellette, said Parsons, seems to be willing to go the extra mile to ensure Quinte's concerns are heard on the fishing crisis.

"Previous ministers really didn't seem to have a strong interest in the MNR. They seemed to be more interested in being cabinet ministers. Gerry has indicated to me that he will do what he can for the region," he said.

Parsons said renewed interest in the walleye crisis is due to the overwhelming reaction in the region's angling and business community.

"When the public stood up and yelled loudly, the message was heard. The effect of the community coming forward made a big difference," said Parsons.

Ouellette, meanwhile, said he has met informally with Chief R. Donald Maracle of the Bay of Quinte Mohawks to try and get talks moving along on issues of native gill-netting of walleye in the bay.

The chief and the natural resources minister met at the Tyendinaga administration offices to "see what we could get going again," said Ouellette.

I am pleased that Gerry O. has made these recent moves. They seem well thought out relative to the interests of all the people. The outcomes have been rather plain to see given the harvest amounts (All parties), and the future...although not as bright as I would prefer .....looks better than before.

It will be interesting to see the personnel moves that will invetibley (sp.?) happen, once he observes fully the full extent, that this messy little project must entail to make work. Watch and wait....he appears to be the right man for the job at hand.

ODG