Kennisis
Lake Broad-Scale Fisheries Monitoring
The
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources is doing a netting fish survey in
September on Kennisis Lake. There will be nets set up for 24 hour
periods from September 8 to 17, 2010.
The
nets will be clearly marked with MNR buoys, and lake users are asked to avoid
recreational activities in these areas. Establishing the health of the
Kennisis Fishery was one of the initiatives that was identified as a priority
in the Kennisis Lake Plan. The
MNR fish survey is intended to provide information about the fish species and
their populations in our lakes. Please
make every not to do not disturb the nets over the next two weeks.
Broad-Scale
Fisheries Monitoring
MNR
Netting Fish Survey
This
operation is part of the Broad-Scale Fisheries Monitoring program MNR began
implementing across Ontario.
The
information collected will help MNR manage our fish populations effectively,
and monitor the health of our lakes.
For
more information visit www.ontario.ca/mnr
Ecological
Framework for Fisheries Management
The
Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) is implementing a broad-scale fisheries
monitoring program across Ontario. Broad-scale fisheries monitoring is a
program which monitors the health of fish populations by collecting fish,
fishing activity and water quality information across a broad geographic area.
In June, 2008, teams of biologists and technicians began
conducting netting surveys on various inland lakes across the province.
In southern Ontario, MNR will survey approximately 54 lakes across Fisheries
Management Zones 12, 15, 16, 17 and 18. This area includes the Ottawa
River, and the land base stretching from Windsor to Ottawa, and north to Parry
Sound and Algonquin Park. A variety of information will be
recorded from the fish caught during the netting surveys, including fish
species, sex, age, length, weight, and general health. This will be used
to determine sport fish abundance, life history characteristics of key
species, and the diversity of the fish community. Some fish will also be
sampled to assess contaminant levels. Technicians will also
collect water samples, measuring lake water temperature and oxygen levels, and
checking for invasive species. In addition, there will be aerial surveys
conducted throughout the summer and into the winter to help estimate the
number anglers fishing the lakes. Monitoring our fish and the health of
our lakes provides fisheries managers with the information they need to make
effective decisions. It also allows MNR to regularly report to the
public on the state of the fisheries. This is the first year of a
five-year cycle to collect information under this program. Over the five
year period, MNR plans to monitor approximately 255 lakes across this
geography. Half of the lakes selected will be fixed sites, and monitored
once every five years. The other half will be selected randomly at the
beginning of every 5-year monitoring cycle. Information gathered from the
fixed lake sites will provide better detection of trends, while the variable
lakes will provide information on the overall status of the fisheries resource
within the fisheries management zone. Broad scale monitoring of
our fisheries is one of the key components of the Ecological Framework for
Fisheries Management in Ontario. The framework was implemented by MNR in
2005, and focuses on:
For further information please contact Jim Prince jim.prince@opg.com or Gary Benson jasmine2003@sympatico.ca