Northern pike and walleye management frameworks engagement

Overview

The province’s Fisheries Management Program needed to be updated to align with the Fish Conservation and Management Strategy.

As part of this fisheries management initiative, a draft Recreational Fisheries Management Frameworks for Northern Pike and Walleye was developed and public feedback sought in 3 phases:

• Phase 1, August 2017 – public feedback received on key management questions such as catch and release, special harvest licences, season length and other discussion items
• Phase 2, September 2017 – feedback on draft management frameworks
• Phase 3, November 2017 – consulted on some of the waters where fish populations are at a low to moderate risk status for long-term sustainability, and where new Recreational Fisheries Management Objectives were being proposed.

During Phase 4, March 2018, a report on the engagement results and regulatory changes was developed.

Survey summary

Support for a special harvest license approach to northern pike and walleye recreational fisheries management was strong, with roughly 3/4 of respondents supporting the use of such licenses in walleye fisheries, and 2/3 of respondents supporting their use for northern pike fisheries.

Respondents were asked to give their preferences for walleye and northern pike fishing:

• 91% were in favour of catch and release restrictions or fisheries closures to ensure fish species recovery
• 70% were in favour of special harvest license use in areas with short fishing seasons to mitigate the effects of overfishing
• 75% were in favour of active and passive fisheries management for lakes
• 67% were in favour of careful management of remote lakes over liberal harvest strategies

Documents

Northern pike and walleye management frameworks

Related links

Fisheries management