A new management plan governing quotas for the walleye fishery on Lake Erie should make the industry more sustainable and ensure its survival for generations to come. That from a lead management biologist with the Ministry of Natural Resources. Richard Drouin says the Lake Erie Walleye Management Plan includes guiding principals for quotas. Biologists will assess how many fish are in the lake and make a recommendation to the Lake Erie Committee, which manages all five jurisdictions of the fishery. It updates a document implemented in 2005. Drouin says it's good news for the industry because it will allow commercial fishers to plan ahead. "We have a few extra rules in place to allow for a more stable harvest over time as opposed to wide fluctuations," he says. "It's much more beneficial for the fisheries themselves, so they're able to plan over the course of two or three years." He says that should also help stabilize employment in the processing plants. The plan was put together after an intensive two-year stakeholder process.
The waters of Lake Erie are seen along the beach in Erieau on August 24, 2014. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
