Removing the Upper Slot: Proposed Fisheries Regulation Changes
November 25, 2008 at 7:32 am
Have your say and fill out the following survey: http://www.gov.yk.ca/survey/yukon_wildlife_and_fisheries_regulations_consultation.htm
Yukon Wildlife and Fisheries Regulations
Proposed changes
November 2008The Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board (YFWMB) is consulting with the public on 14 proposed regulation changes for this coming year. The deadline for comments is December 3, 2008.
The YFWMB will review all comments and recommend to the Minister of Environment which ones should be adopted. The Minister will determine which regulations will move forward for final consideration by Cabinet and implementation for 2009–10.
Regarding fish:
Remove the upper slot limits for lake Trout, Northern Pike and Arctic Grayling in order to protect the larger fish for breeding stock.
The slot limit as it presently stands was put into place, at the recommendation of the Department of Environment, Fisheries section, to “protect the breeding stock” implying that the larger fish are beyond their prime breeding years. That position/opinion of the department has not changed.
Reference to a couple studies in the proposal does not guarantee accuracy to the proponents reasoning because of the simple reality that many times studies say whatever the funding body wants the study to say.
Clayton White on November 25, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Thanks for your comments Clayton. I am certainly no scientist but do hope that they are acting in the best interest of the fish. I also think on the spectrum of caution they are probably err on the side of caution and that may be a good thing at this time…maybe before something becomes a real problem.
The one thing about the slot limits that I have had a hard time with is the compliance and enforcement. The slot limits do add a bit of complexity with the regs and make it harder for some to comply. I realize there is a responsibility on the behalf of the angler to study up the regs before hitting some water, but many are not diligent enough and probably take a bunch of fish that fit within a slot limit or are close enough. It would be easier to enforce and for people to understand the regs if there were no slot and just one measurement. I also think that there is a great deal of fumbling with measuring tapes, and innefficiencies with measuring that cause undo stress on fish while people figure out if it is over the slot.
But if you do say that the dept of Environment supports the slot limits and I know there are people there who know their stuff and care, then I have to support them as well.
Not really sure where I sit on this one. Would enjoy more perspectives? Any more out there?
Dennis@Fishonyukon on November 25, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Post a comment
Preview of comment
Subscribe
Like what you're reading? Subscribe to updates via RSS.
2 comments so far