Live baitfish management

By MPP Toby Barrett

To The Haldimand Press

With the opening of bass season around the corner, hundreds of anglers will descend on the waters of Haldimand-Norfolk with bait offerings to entice fish to bite. With over 250,000 lakes and 1.2 million recreational anglers in Ontario, it’s no surprise the live bait industry is big business – at the ready, to supply minnows, leeches, and worms.

Some of Ontario’s most popular fisheries like walleye, perch, and lake trout depend on live bait. Ontario’s bait industry supports 1.2 million anglers who generate $2.2 billion in economic activity. However, the use of live bait can pose ecological problems.

As Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, I was tasked this winter with seeking input to help implement a bait management strategy that is environmentally sustainable while being amenable to industry stakeholders such as bait harvesters, bait dealers, and sportspeople. I tabled six roundtable consultations with those stakeholders in Kenora, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, London, Barrie, and Kingston.