[girlfisher]

dfo has jursidiction over it all they make the rules and rega and dnr enforces them

 

[-----]

Would it be regulated in Tidal waters the same as non Tidal waters, should of course it deemed a a sport Fish? Just asking?

Just from my own observations, we as Recreational fishers may want to view how we present ourselves. In my opinion, the Striped Bass fishery is very healthy, at least in the Inner BOF. Also I see some of our other fisheries healthy, this even though some state otherwise. Collectively Recreational Fishers are not represented Provincially, If so we would fall within the NSFAH for example. Although they are less then renounced, they are still the provincial voice. The only Fishing Orgs I have seen , being represented by the NSFAH are the Shelburne Fish and Game Org and the HWWA to a lesser degree and the SMBA. The others are off somewhere else, truly unheard.

I surely hope this is not taken wrong. I am all for Conservation. I am sure this will be torn apart here, however I hope, some will understand what I am leading to, way beyond today. If you want Striped Bass to become a sport fish, then go where you are heard and that cause is filtered to the correct avenue. The Federation, like them or not, is the voice, they actually do get things changed from time to time.

Protect , absolutely, careful however how we get there. Some of the private lands that Striper Fishers are accessing, for example,are becoming garbage dumps, this I can attest to factually. Fishers need to deal will all aspects of our sport, the dumps that are appearing through the Striped Bass Fisheries is just one of many examples. Just saying.

 

[shoreman]

I voted yes. I'm wondering if the Turbine project for the Bay has anything to do with not classifying the Stripers as a Sportfish. The Power Dam on the Annapolis seemed to damage the Striper population and natural spawning act...Big Time...

 

[SalmonFarmsKill]

I voted yes as well..but why is it so hard for dfo or whoever is in charge..to get stripers as sportfish??..is it money...?

...

I voted No ,

If it were a Sportfish you would not be able to fish for them in the Bay all year for 1 , and (2) they would loose revenue from out of provience as they need a license to angle for sport fish in tidal waters. (3) you could angle for them all year in the Stewiacke and Shubie and all other rivers if they were a sport fish that you are able to legally target all year . These are all major facters into the reasons why they will not change it . They are also probaly going to lift the restrictions in 3 years as their numbers are going through the roof on the Northumberland straight side of things and you are having thousands of anglers along that coast wanting to try to slim the numbers down as they are having them in rivers that they have never seen them in before .

 

[salmonfreak]

Salmonfarmskill you voted no and every reason you gave is not accurate. The way it stands now and even after the proposed change of striped bass to a "sportfish" came into effect anyone resident or non-resident can fish recreationally in tidal waters all year without a license. Everyone must stick to the bag limit and possession limit of 1 fish in non-tidal and or tidal waters. You can fish all night anywhere for striped bass as it stands now as they are not a sportfish by definition in the Maritimne Fishing Regulations. If the proposed change happened then you would not be allowed to target bass in INLAND ie non-tidal waters at night but you would be allowed fishing at night for them in tidal waters ie the bay.

No body can target bass all year in the inland portion of the shubie or stewiacke now or if the change occured. You can angle in inland waters for stripers only when there is an open season for a sportfish ie (trout salmon and smallmouth bass according to the definition). So sept 30 you are done targeting stripers or any other fish in the inland portion of the shubie and stewiacke.

Really the sportfish designation does 2 things:

1) It would mean that all striped bass hooked in a part other then the mouth would have to be released. This would mean that a huge portion of the fish jigged by fishers in the Shubie River up river would have to be released. There are alot of people jigging/foul hooking bass and keeping them.
2) It would mean that you cannot target bass in inland waters at night.

 

[salmonfreak]

Guest DFO management has been asked numerous times from numerous people including fisheries officers to legally designate the striped bass as a sport fish. The answer we get is that it requires an amendment of the Maritime Fisheries Regulations which is a long tedious process (3 years minimum we are told) since it involves consultations across the maritime provinces. This requirement is not one in law but rathar one of DFO policy as far as I can tell which really means they could just have to change the policy and forgo the normal consultation policy requirement. There is no motivation by staff to take on this task which I suspect is the real reason.

So yes to get results this proposal must come from the striped bass angler group and there must be support from anglers. There will need to be requests sent to the minister and regional director and everyone down the line. There is no push within DFO to bring this change so the push needs to come from outside and work through DFO from the top down.

 

[-----]

Guest DFO management has been asked numerous times from numerous people including fisheries officers to legally designate the striped bass as a sport fish. The answer we get is that it requires an amendment of the Maritime Fisheries Regulations which is a long tedious process (3 years minimum we are told) since it involves consultations across the maritime provinces. This requirement is not one in law but rathar one of DFO policy as far as I can tell which really means they could just have to change the policy and forgo the normal consultation policy requirement. There is no motivation by staff to take on this task which I suspect is the real reason.

So yes to get results this proposal must come from the striped bass angler group and there must be support from anglers. There will need to be requests sent to the minister and regional director and everyone down the line. There is no push within DFO to bring this change so the push needs to come from outside and work through DFO from the top down.

I think you, as well as the Fishing Community as a whole would have much more success and be better served (collectively) at items requiring amendment or change, this if there was an amalgamation from the Fishing Groups within the NSFAH. At the AGM's that I attended there was virtually no representation of Fishing Groups at these meetings. Only a couple of very small resolutions submitted as well, relating to Fishing, the one coming to mind as of late was a reduction in the smelt fishing season. I understand many of the Points of Views and possibly the lack of appeal to deal with the NSFAH, however they still have the ear of those that make decisions. This I can guarantee, I sat across the table several times during these high level meetings regarding Hunting related proposals, with Directors, Deputy Ministers and high level civil servants, the ones who make the calls. NSFAH does have the ability and avenues to go direct to those that matter the most.

Whether we are talking Salmon, Bass, Trout it matters not. There is no visible representation at any Provincial level meeting that I have ever attended from Fishing related Orgs. So if there is no Provincial representation and no voice going to the ones making the calls (Provincially), I doubt much will ever change.

 

[SalmonFarmsKill]

Salmonfreak your wrong , tidal waters is closed to sportfishing from November 1st to April 15th for all recreational fishing ......unless you are fishing for a non-sportfish .

What is wrong with fishing for stripers @ night ???

These are the things that bug me with rule changes , I will not support anymore of myself as a paying angler giving up anymore of my recreational time on the water . Poachers are poachers and they are out there in full force and by keeping other responsible anglers off the water only leaves to more damage being done to our fish stocks .

 

[girlfisher]

Poachers are poachers and they are out there in full force and by keeping other responsible anglers off the water only leaves to more damage being done to our fish stocks .

x1000000000000

 

[wingman]

We don't need any more protection for the stripers. All we need is for fisheries to lower the size one fish over 20 inches per day there are millions that size. Also with Sport Fish Status we would get more out of Province fisherman than we get now. I have another idea charge a licence for non-residents.

 

[SalmonFarmsKill]

We don't need any more protection for the stripers. All we need is for fisheries to lower the size one fish over 20 inches per day there are millions that size. Also with Sport Fish Status we would get more out of Province fisherman than we get now. I have another idea charge a licence for non-residents.

Thats a great point Wingman , they should have a slot limit ....that would leave the big ones that we do have kicking around a little longer . The numbers are there with the smaller ones . No one needs to take a 8lb fish home . Tag system would work as well .

 

[salmonfreak]

No salmonfarms kill I am not wrong. If you read the rules for striped bass page 8 in the book (not northumberland shore population) it clearly says that the season in Tidal water is open all year but the season in inland waters corresponds with that of sportfish. So if they were designated and the regs otherwise stayed the same the tidal season would still be all year around, Now you are changing the reason you voted no to: I want to fish at night and I pay for a license.

Paying $30 for a lisence shouldn't give a person any feeling of entitlement. Its completely insufficent cost to cover the expenses to manage the fishery and habitat properly. Having studied different management strategies around the world its clear In any place where fish populations are still close to their historic numbers (quebec, england) anglers pay more and more is spent on the resource. Or the areas are still remote so that limits fishing as opposed to cost. For $30 a year we pay basically nothing to acces the remaining resource and most of the populations of native fishes are in trouble and not anywhere near their potential based on historical evidence. .

 

[chaseforen777]

I wonder, with all the talk about responsible anglers versus the people fishing who have no respect for the resource, and don't understand what they are doing, what is the ratio? Any thoughts? Do we think that for every Responsible Angler, there is one fisherperson breaking the rules, is the ratio One good versus 5 bad, one good to 10 bad? I'm trying to estimate how many people would be left fishing for Striped Bass if every single one of us who consider themselves responisble anglers simply stopped fishing for stripers alltogether? Obviously this is a farfetched idea, but would that make it any easier for the bad eggs to get noticed and dealt with properly? Or are we responsible anglers better off staying put and trying to teach ethics, and reporting those who do not care to undertsand what it is they are doing that may be a detriment to the resource? What will it really take to get Stripers sport fish status?

Chase

 

[Spastic Caster]

I wonder, with all the talk about responsible anglers versus the people fishing who have no respect for the resource, and don't understand what they are doing, what is the ratio? Any thoughts? Do we think that for every Responsible Angler, there is one fisherperson breaking the rules, is the ratio One good versus 5 bad, one good to 10 bad? I'm trying to estimate how many people would be left fishing for Striped Bass if every single one of us who consider themselves responisble anglers simply stopped fishing for stripers alltogether? Obviously this is a farfetched idea, but would that make it any easier for the bad eggs to get noticed and dealt with properly? Or are we responsible anglers better off staying put and trying to teach ethics, and reporting those who do not care to undertsand what it is they are doing that may be a detriment to the resource? What will it really take to get Stripers sport fish status?

Chase

I am sorry to say that my experience tells me there are more bad eggs out there than good. As many good anglers I often feel we are outnumbered by those who boast of having a freezer ful etc...

James

 

[Relaxed Angler]

I voted yes but I wounder if it does become listed as a sport fish will it still be fished comercially? Like salmon? I have always contested the size restriction that has been placed on the Striped Bass as it is the large female bass that lay the eggs not the fish in the 18 - 30 inch slot so make the limit one fish 18 - 30 inches and leave the smaller ones and the large ones to swim and grow and swim and spawn. We need to take a lesson from the US and how they manage the Striped Bass in Massachusets, Maryland, and Maine as the Stripers were almost gone in some of their rivers and now they are more plentiful than they have ever been with lots of fish of all sizes.

I was a bit POed when I saw some Striped Bass in the Super Store in Kingston that were well under the size luimit for a sport angler to keep.

 

[BrownTrout Stalker]

Them undersized fish mite have been farmed fish tho??

 

[herringman1]

i saw an 18 incher on ice in the superstore in sackville with a $12 dollar price tag on it. I said to my wife that it must be from the states. I didn't know they farmed them around here but it must be so.

 

[salmon are forever!]

i voted definitely yes!!!!!!!!!!!! 100 percent

 

[Robbie Hiltz]

Absolutely yes.

 

[Rando]

I personally beleive that they should have the sport fish status.. hinse my yes vote. i Also beleive there should be a separte license for these magnificant species and it should come at a steep price to the angler to hopefully weed out all the people who mistreat and take advantage of this great fish.

again my personal opinion.