Toronto Star article on Commercial fishing in BOQ

Superdad · **Posted:** Wed Aug 03, 2011 6:20 am

This article was in the Saturday Toronto Star and was to say the least an eye opener. My understanding was that the walleye were off limits - well according to the article, they're fair game also.

http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/article/1032527--h2ontario-ebb-and-flow-of-the-great-lakes-fishery

It's a long read but worth the time for fishers of Quinte.

Cheers

David aka Superdad

BigGene · **Posted:** Wed Aug 03, 2011 6:49 am

Nice read, Thanks Dave.

Dog Lake · **Posted:** Wed Aug 03, 2011 6:57 am

All the walleye over 24" thrown back???!!!!!
Roughly half the walleye he catches???!!!
Hope the fish are still viable to relase. Would like to know what the delayed mortality rate is after spending that much time in a net.

Walleye 9 · **Joined:** Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:05 pm **Posts:** 1985

Do all the fish die that are in the nets??? At least if they're releasing the bigger ones alive, they're still in the water to keep reproducing.

West Lake Willows · **Posted:** Wed Aug 03, 2011 8:23 am

Dog Lake,

The fish he releases are alive. I'm fairly confident he uses a hoop net that looks alittle like a crab pot from deadliest catch. There are leader nets that guide the fish into the hoop and they are alive in there. He lifts them, and releases the fish he doesn't keep. The mortality rate I would imagine is lower then when we release fish.

Funny how we have a "not in our back yard mentality". We enjoy a good "fish n Chip's" dinner, I love pacific salmon and never turn down a crab or lobster dinner. We watch deadliest catch and lobstermen and talk them up, but as soon as it is in our backyard and involves our walleye we get our knickers in a knot. Bottom line is the vast majority of us don't really know the health of our fishery. We make assumptions based on our own catch rates and what our buddies say, but that isn't a complete picture. I don't know enough to stand on a soap box either, however, I thought I would provide a different perspective before we all sharpen our axes.

Scott

legacy · **Joined:** Tue May 10, 2005 7:55 am **Posts:** 992

Great reply and so true, Scott.

Cheers,

Paul

Dog Lake · **Posted:** Wed Aug 03, 2011 12:15 pm

Hey don't get me wrong, I have nothing against a fish dinner, just hate to see any resource wasted. If the only fish he is releasing are in good condition with a decent shot at surviving than good on him. I would still have concerns about the delayed mortality of fish in the pots, seeing that they may be there for a considerable amount of time before the net is checked. I'm a firm believer that the sooner the fish is released after capture, the less stress it receives and the better it's chances of survival, wether kept in a livewell or net or released immediately.

As for the health of the fishery, I agree that determination is best done by biologists and other experts who work with MNR to set harvest regulations and allowable fishing methods. Just not a big fan of nets & bycatch. Seen a few nets on quinte full of dead fish, walleye,bass, perch, rotting. Not saying this guy operates that way, but you can understand why some anglers hate the nets.

West Lake Willows · **Posted:** Wed Aug 03, 2011 5:23 pm

Dog Lake,

I only meant the first part of my response for you. The part about the hoop nets. The second paragraph was just a general observation about human character. It was not intended as a bash against you. I should have made two separate posts. Sorry about that.

Scott

Grizzly · **Posted:** Wed Aug 03, 2011 5:32 pm

intresting read...... over the years i have had many conversations with Mr Dewey, he really is a cool guy and knows his stuff quite well...... he also cares very much about the fisheries and has been at his trade for a long time, a real tower of knowlage

pc154 · **Joined:** Mon Jul 11, 2011 4:35 pm **Posts:** 43

X2 what Griz says. He is a stand up guy and does care. The hoop nets are fairly large, no different then keeping a fish in a "pen". Nets are usually pulled daily.

Trannyman1 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 03, 2011 9:10 pm

Kendall uses trap nets in the bay. The net in the picture in the news article is a trap net, not a hoop net.

Zero stress in a trap net unlike the stress created by a live well. The fish released are in excellent shape and I would think that mortality is probably zero but there is no exact way to tell.
Kendall is also a member of the FMZ20 council and also a fisheries technician graduate of Sir Sanford Fleming College.

He is one of the most dedicated & concerned fisherman that I know, whether it be commercial or rec angler.

Later
Al

Dog Lake · **Posted:** Thu Aug 04, 2011 6:10 am

West Lake Willows wrote:

Dog Lake,

I only meant the first part of my response for you. The part about the hoop nets. The second paragraph was just a general observation about human character. It was not intended as a bash against you. I should have made two separate posts. Sorry about that.

Scott

No worries Scott, It's all good. Don't know if the author of the article was an angler, but more info on how the fish are released and their condition would have been good. Glad to here from the other comments that the commercial fisherman is a stand up guy and does what he can to put the big eyes back, and uses nets other than gill nets inside the bay so he can do that.

I kind of jumped the gun, based on the limited info in the article. Good posts by board members with their finger on the pulse of the fishery ensure that "now you know the rest of the story", Thanks guys.

Tight Lines,

Bruce

apmikel · **Joined:** Tue Mar 29, 2011 5:07 pm **Posts:** 232

I have seen them a number of times myself in BOQ and in wellington with full totes of walleye, perch, and pike of all sizes.

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Toronto Star article on Commercial fishing in BOQ

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