An internet petition has started asking that commercial fishing be banned on Lake Nipissing. It follows on the heels of a Nipissing First Nation petition submitted to the band council this month, but signed by band members only.
The internet petition was started by Robert Dufresne and Matty Desroches. Desroches was previously involved in a pickerel restocking program.
At 1:30 p.m. Tuesday the petition had 622 signatures.
It reads:
"We, the undersigned, sign this petition, not as an attack against the fishermen who have adopted sustainable ways of fishing, but this petition is to carry out an obligation by the people of Nipissing for the protection of treaty rights granted to all of the Nipissings as a collective group, not individuals. This is the way the Treaty was signed, as a collective. We feel the fishing rights belong to us, not a few. We are speaking up for those who have no voice: the children, the next seven generations, the fish, and they deserve our respect as equal parts of society. We, the community are concerned citizens who urge our leaders to act now to stop commercial fishing in Lake Nipissing, so that we can keep our inherent rights to fish sustainably for future generations. Feel free to contact Robert Dufresne and or Matty Desroches for further information on this matter."
See the petition here: http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/city-of-north-bay-ban-nipissing-commercial-fishing
Meanwhile, a document circulated to Nipissing First Nations members says the walleye fishery is at a crossroads, and the right to fish in the traditional manner is in jeopardy.
See the document here: https://www.facebook.com/NipissingFirstNationVoices/photos/pcb.733854496652906/733854306652925/?type=1&theater
It says that it is, "predicting NFN's harvest to be higher than the safe allowable harvest estimated for this season to be 17,000 kg".
"Following the fall of 2013, NFN natural resources staff in partnership with MNR staff conducted an annual populations assessment.
"Basically what the findings have shown is that there are very few fish left in the lake over 5 years of age. These are the fish that have the ability to spawn and repopulate the lake. The adult population is severely stressed.
"This data was confirmed by the low success rate of the 2013 spawn. Very few young of the year were found during the fall assessment."
NFN is hosting a pair of meetings. The first is for commercial fishers and store owners who rely on the sale of the fish.
The second is on Wednesday, July 30th in Garden Village which is open to all NFN citizens."
A phone call by BayToday to Clint Couchie, Natural Resources Manager of the band, went unreturned as of press time.
