LOTW news…MUST READ!

LOTW Big Problem Possible”

Many of you have heard about the increased commercial fishing by the first nation on the LOTWs and other waters in NW Ontario.

I received this e-mail from Gord Pyzor (former Kenora fisheries district manager, now In-Fisherman field editor and a very knowledgeable person about NW Ontario fisheries ) this AM and it greatly conserns me.

Some of you may have seen pictures of LOTWS gill nets with rotten fish last summer. These are revolting, but are not the real problem. Nets that aren’t tended soon quit fishing. Nets that are well tended fish every day are more of a problem, as these are the nets that catch fish. If the commercial fisherman is a good one He will move his nets to the fish just like you and I do when trying to catch fish. These are the nets that will decimate a fishery, not the ones with rotten fish!

Here’s Gord’s e-mail: He sent this to Dick Pearson, and Doug Stange and myself. I feel that the thought was to get this out and talked about.

I don’t know what can be done from the US side as far as Canadian natives commercial fishing, but I think that getting this out so people are aware of the problem can’t hurt.

This is going to effect everyone who fished the LOTWs and the Winnipeg River, and pretty #*^@ soom!

Doug Johnson

I’ll be doing the same post on the MH site.

Here’s Gord’s e-mail:

“Good morning Doug, Doug, and Dick.

Regrettably, you are about to watch the dismantling and destruction of one of the greatest freshwaters fisheries of all times.

Please see below.

Gord

—– Original Message —–
From: Gordon
To: [email protected] ; Betty Wires
Cc: Robert Pye ; Dave Brown (E-mail) ; [email protected] ; Jerry Fisher ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; John Monteith ; [email protected] ; Gerry Cariou ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 5:31 AM
Subject: First Nation Netting on Lake of the Woods

Dear Fred and Betty.

I received a very disturbing phone call last evening from Lee Winterton (Guy Winterton’s brother) about the extent of First Nation commercial netting on Lake of the Woods, which corroborates what many people (including myself) have been observing and reporting to you repeatedly for well over a year now.

I suggested to Lee that he call, and/or meet, with you as soon as possible to fill you in on the details.

As Lee reported, one of the principals in the new commercial fish packing plant here in Kenora, advised him that he has been shipping “40,000 pounds of a fish a week, all winter long, from Lake of the Woods.”

Lee also related a first hand account of an Indian commercial fisherman who told him that he was taking all of his “quotas” from all the lakes he was “licensed to fish” solely from the Lake of the Woods. The commercial fisherman also suggested to Lee that this was now a common practise with many other commercial fishermen. I am sure Lee will relate the specifics when he meets with you.

If this is true, the harvest is entirely unsustainable and will severely threaten fish stocks in Lake of the Woods.

As you know, the accelerated level of commercial netting on the lake over the past year has been unprecedented and is cause for concern. It now appears to be totally out of control. If it continues, I have no doubt, whatsoever, that we will shortly see very serious responses within the fishery.

Indeed, if what Lee is relating is factual, and I have no doubt that it is, given what many of us have witnessed ourselves and reported to you repeatedly, the impact on the walleye and pike populations is unsustainable. And the effect on other species, especially muskellunge, that are being netted, killed and dumped as an unwanted by-catch is disgraceful.

If 40,000 pounds of fish a week are being shipped from the new local fish processing plant alone, the implications are unmistakable. It translates into 160,000 pounds of fish a month or over 2 million pounds a year! And that is from only one source. Given the early ice out conditions that now present themselves, if uncontrolled commercial netting continues throughout the upcoming spring spawning period, the impact on the fishery will be particularly harmful. Perhaps irreversible.

I would urge you to take immediate and responsible action to reduce and control the harvest to sustainable levels, else risk losing one of the most important fisheries in Ontario.

A friend.

Gord Pyzer”

Fishing Editor, Outdoor Canada Magazine
Field Editor, In-Fisherman Magazine

I say we take away the casinos and the netting away from them enough is enough.

Snow man thank you for the report.The only thing I know we can do is not buy eyes at stores and resturants.I don’t feel casinnos have anything to do with this and hope these to issues get caught up together as posted in a previus post.I don’t feel that a tribe that does well with gameing would go out and net to try to make more money.Thanks again Snowman.

I think I am going to vomit. If these reports are substantiated I think we are all going to see what the systematic inialation of a natural resource is all about. Not only will we see the effect but so will our children and generations to come. A very sad situation to say the least. Unfortunately the ‘what have we done’ philosophy always seems to hit too late in most of these instances.

Good night everyone, I think sleep will be a little restless tonight. Speaking of nets…utility shears will travel!

Good reply. Had a very good friend of mine; who is gone now; always said; If they are going to honor an 1880 treaty,use the same equiment they used in 1880. Birch bark canoes,nets made from whatever, and nothing store bought.

Thanks Snowman,
this really needs to get nipped soon.
am sure Infish will have a full featured article soon, and article copies need to be sent to gov’t heads, and dnr’s.
and don’t anyone by canadian walleye from any stores.
Jack..

ttt

I haven’t eaten commerically harvested walleye in 3-4 years because of this issue. After seeing so many world class fisheries (Leech, Mille Lacs, URL) within our own states’ borders destroyed by these activities, it doesn’t take a computer scientist to make the connection between commercial overharvesting and the absolute destruction of fish populations.

When I’m with someone at a restaurant who orders walleye, I tell them why I don’t order walleye. I explain the effects of virtual lawless commercial walleye fishing on natural reproduction, sustainability of populations, and their tax dollars required for recovery efforts. Most people don’t take time to connect these dots on their own and once explained to them most times change their minds and order something else.

Some people have told me years later that since the day we spoke they had not ordered walleye at restaurants. While I may reach only a handful of people, I feel it’s important to do what I can.

Quote:

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Good reply. Had a very good friend of mine; who is gone now; always said; If they are going to honor an 1880 treaty,use the same equiment they used in 1880. Birch bark canoes,nets made from whatever, and nothing store bought.

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I had a Native American friend tell me if that’s the case, then white men should only use muskets with open sights, and put away the automatic rifles, Robo Ducks, Motor boats, etc. He has a point.
I think education, and reform is the best way to do it. In my own humble opinion, this is a resource for ALL PEOPLE, not just one group that can decimate the population if nothing is done. Does anyone remember Red Lake? You cannot tell me it can not happen. There is precedent.
One thing to remember, or read it for yourselves, the treaties spoke of here state that “The Native Indians must assimilate to our laws, rules and regulations.” I wish that was the case. If I am mistaken, someone please show me where I am wrong, and I will eat my words. I am not Native bashing here, and would welcome some input from someone from one of the bands to speak up about it, and defend the practices in a respectful open dialog.
Tuck

Its not so much the natives fault for harvesting the fish,its dang politicians and judges that allow this crap to go on and ruin these lakes and rivers….

*bump*

Really makes a guy sick. You’d think after Red Lake, they would learn. I suppose that this is what they do for a living though and if they stopped they wouldn’t have any money. So I don’t think it matters how much you educate the people that do the netting. There needs to be laws that are passed by both the US, Canada, and the bands that surround these lakes. I personally have never ordered walleye from a restaraunt or from a store. I have a rule, if I didn’t catch it, I ain’t eatin it.

It sucks that we as fisherman really don’t have much power to do anything but I can tell you that if I see a net, after I get done with it, it’s not going to be functional to catch fish anymore.

*bump*

Same as the issue we’re seeing on Mille Lacs… but bigger.