Comment sought on Kawarthas Fisheries Management plan
Lindsay Post (ON) Tue 14 Apr 2009
Page: A2 Section: News

KAWARTHA LAKES-The Ontario government is inviting the public to comment on a new fisheries management plan, which includes rules related to catch limits and seasons, for the fishing zone in the inland area of central Lake Ontario.

Public input is being sought on options in Fisheries Management Zone 17 for changes to: walleye and panfish fishing regulations; extended fishing seasons; put-grow-take walleye stocking.

FMZ 17 is the smallest management zone in the province. It includes all or part of the Kawartha Lakes, Trent and Crowe River watersheds, and the rivers and streams of the eastern portion of the Oak Ridges Moraine.

The strategies and management options included in the draft Fisheries Management Plan FMZ 17 were developed by the Ministry of Natural Resources with the help of the FMZ 17 advisory council. The council is a committee of volunteers who represent the public and a broad array of stakeholder groups that have an interest in the local fisheries resources.

The plan includes a number of management options that may be of particular interest including: Options for size-based regulations for walleye ; additional angling opportunities, including options for extended seasons for pike, panfish and lake whitefish; options for sunfish regulations

The ministry has scheduled a number of public information sessions across the Fisheries Management Zone.

At these sessions, the FMZ 17 advisory council and MNR will make presentations associated with the draft plan, and provide an opportunity for questions and answers:

Thursday, April 16. 7-9 p. m. Coboconk Community Centre (Coboconk)

Tuesday, April 21. 7-9 p..m. Ops Community Centre (Lindsay)

Feedback on the draft management plan is currently being collected via a posting to the Environmental Registry
( www.ebr.gov. on.ca) and an online survey (www.FMZ17survey.ca).

Comments will be accepted until May 19, 2009. The feedback will be considered in preparing the Fisheries Management Plan for the zone, which is scheduled for implementation in 2010.

Kawartha Lakes is managed by the MNR as Zone 17. Click the map for an enlargement.

2010 Fishing Regulations Summary

Download the current Ontario Recreational Fishing Regulations.
VISIT THE MNR WEBSITE
to download the full summary - available in Zone Sections.
(PDF documents) CLICK HERE

CHINESE VERSION OF 2010 SUMMARY

*** PLEASE NOTE THAT MNR HAS RECENTLY
CHANGED THE NAMES OF PAGES CONTAINING THE SUMMARIES -- THE LINKS WE HAVE INSERTED ARE CURRENT TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE.

*NOTE: We recommend at a minimum you download these files:
"Zone 16" for Lake Simcoe/Couchiching
"Zone 17" for Kawartha Lakes
"Zone 15" for Haliburton Highlands
"Zone 20" for Bay of Quinte
"Zone 14" for Georgian Bay
"Zone 10" for French River (delta portion)

"How to Use this Summary and Table of Contents" and

"Licence Information and Fishing Regulations"

PROTECT YOUR RESOURCES!

A member of the public who sees or suspects resource abuse should safely take note of as much information as possible and call 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667). Conservation officers will use the information to investigate. The TIPS-MNR line is not an emergency response line.

HINTS on using the 2010
Summary for Lake Simcoe, Lake Couchiching and tributaries

Read Zone 16 and note the exception details
for these waters:

Beaver River
Lakes Simcoe, Couchiching, Green River, etc.
Waterbody: Pefferlaw Brook
Waterbody: Talbot River

Where no exception applies, use the new Zone 16 regulations for Lake Simcoe, eg. the new Crappie limit. Please refer to the Summary for official regulations.

The Summary is full of useful information:

General Prohibitions
Transporting Fish - Tips on Packaging Fish
Tips on Live Release
Bait - Useage, Limits, Species