New Lower Limits for Rainbow Trout, E-mail reponse from the MNR

[admin]

Courtesy of Longshank

E-mail reponse from the MNR in regards to the new lower limit for rainbow trout:

Thank you for your e-mail about the new limits for Rainbow Trout in Fisheries Management Zone (FMZ) 20. I am pleased to respond and would like to give you some background on this decision.

The Lake Ontario trout and salmon fishery is jointly managed between Ontario and New York State under the Lake Ontario Committee. The committee develops joint fish community objectives, cooperates in fisheries assessment, reporting, planning and stocking, and, where feasible, Ontario and New York also try to harmonize fishing regulations.

The Lake Ontario angling community had been requesting lower Rainbow Trout limits in the lake prior to 2008, but the decision to lower limits was deferred until the new FMZ 20 council was established. Since 2008, the council has been discussing lower Rainbow Trout and in 2011, the council (which includes the Ontario Sport Fishing Guide Association), unanimously supported the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) consulting with the public on the proposal to lower the limit from five to two for a sport fishing licence and two to one for a conservation licence.

New York State is also concerned about Rainbow Trout harvest levels and, in 2004, reduced the stream limit from three to one. In 2006 the state further reduced harvest levels in their lake fishery by applying a 21-inch minimum size to the three fish lake limit.

Ontario considered matching the New York State regulation but rejected their approach because restricting harvest to fish larger than 21 inches is not consistent with the Ministry of the Environment's advice in the Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish, which recommends eating smaller fish.

We consulted widely on the proposed changes in 2011. There was broad public support for the proposal. Based on the results of public consultation and with the advice and support of the FMZ 20 council members, the ministry decided to implement the lower limits.

Some facts you may find interesting:

MNR primarily manages Rainbow Trout in Lake Ontario as self-sustaining naturalized populations.

Rainbow Trout are second to Chinook salmon as the most sought after species in the lake fishery.

Rainbow Trout abundance declined through the 1990s, but it has been stable for the past 10 years. Catch rates have shown an increase in recent years but this is not necessarily an indication of abundance, rather it could be angler preference.
Average Lake Ontario Rainbow Trout harvest rates are currently lower than the five fish limit. Many anglers catch a variety of species and practise selective harvest or catch and release.

Under a sportfishing licence, anglers in FMZ 20 can still catch and retain an aggregate of five trout and salmon (any size), two of which may be Rainbow Trout under the new regulation.

Reduced lake limits align to the Lake Ontario stream limits and are consistent with the management direction in New York State to reduce harvest.

Reducing limits is a consistent management approach in support of the proposed Lake Ontario Fish Community Objectives which aim to maintain and enhance Rainbow Trout populations through natural reproduction and stocking.

Your reference to increased mortality during the summer months is not specifically related to the limit. Regardless of the target species, anglers need to consider the environment, fish behaviour, angling techniques and fish handling practices when practising selective harvest or catch and release.

Thank you for your continued interest and commitment to the Lake Ontario fishery.

Sincerely,

Michael Gravelle
Minister of Natural Resources

c: Andy Todd

[spooner]

Government BS

[Longshank]

Totally......expected nothing less

[chromezone]

Reduce harvest and fish for the future!

[Longshank]

That's right....reduce it to zero! your wish may come true soon enough

[chromezone]

it is already reduced to zero in many places and we are perfectly happy fishing that way.

[Longshank]

And you will be when you have to begin paying for your 4 hour stint on your fav. river for 4 hours for a 20 yard stretch