Here is an article on Perch and Walleye quotas for 2016 published by the Windsor Star. They indicate that the perch population in the Central-East Basin is dropping while the walleye population is stable.
Apparently the fish and wildlife biologists use a formula to determine quotas for a combined catch of commercial fishing (in Ontario) plus sport fishing in Ontario and the US. I'm not sure what these formulas entail but I question their accuracy as I don't know how the biologists estimate the catches of sport fisherman. I'm sure the commercial fishing boats have to report their catches, but the sport fishermen do not. Maybe the commercial fishing in Ontario accounts for a large portion of the fishing quotas and they simply add a small percentage for sport fishing, but I'm not sure. I just wish the Ontario/Federal government would buy out the commercial fishermen and allow only sport fishing on Lake Erie like they have done on the American side! Fishing would be significantly better and government Revenue from fishing licences would be significantly higher! Maddalena Environmental Inc. Al Maddalena |