Great Lakes /trump

[pappyon]

like all other government programs it has grown too big and too powerful. They limit growth. No one would deny we want clean lakes and water...of course we do. But when it come to things like lake erie...why do we stand by and let the Canadians rape it of its bounty??? We pay to stock it. Then they gill net it empty and sell it back to us. Canada does NOTHING to replenish the fish in these lakes. I have seen the waste from their giant factory ships. Thousands of huge dead walleye floating dead behind their ships. they dont even want the big ones...they just throw them back...dead. Or sell it to the catfood industry. Anyone who has been on this lake awhile has seen it. We saw their nets between the islands before....and our government done nothing about it...even though we called and called. Now there is something needed addressed. stop buying their walleye. Well..it is our walleye..they just steal it...then sell it back to us.!!! If you look at history...they have emptied lake erie 4 times. wiped it out. tons and tons of walleye a day....4 giant factory ships....miles after mile of gill nets.

[bahabear112]

like all other government programs it has grown too big and too powerful. They limit growth. No one would deny we want clean lakes and water...of course we do. But when it come to things like lake erie...why do we stand by and let the Canadians rape it of its bounty??? We pay to stock it. Then they gill net it empty and sell it back to us. Canada does NOTHING to replenish the fish in these lakes. I have seen the waste from their giant factory ships. Thousands of huge dead walleye floating dead behind their ships. they dont even want the big ones...they just throw them back...dead. Or sell it to the catfood industry. Anyone who has been on this lake awhile has seen it. We saw their nets between the islands before....and our government done nothing about it...even though we called and called. Now there is something needed addressed. stop buying their walleye. Well..it is our walleye..they just steal it...then sell it back to us.!!! If you look at history...they have emptied lake erie 4 times. wiped it out. tons and tons of walleye a day....4 giant factory ships....miles after mile of gill nets.

I've personally seen/ drove over Canadian gill nets in U.S. waters. Something does need done about this. Gill netting on that level should be outlawed.

[wakina]

I've personally seen/ drove over Canadian gill nets in U.S. waters. Something does need done about this. Gill netting on that level should be outlawed.

If you have reason to believe you have seen gill nets in American waters you should call the TIP hotline and if possible give them the GPS location for those nets and help get the illegal netters caught and prosecuted. All gill nets are illegal in the Ohio waters of lake Erie except those set by the ODNR for analytical data for management purposes.

Everyone should get involved and help the enforcement people out when you see a wrong being done especially gill nets. It may not be a good idea to go cutting nets unless you are absolutely sure they are Illegal Gill nets. Then it would be a questionable practice, those nets continue to kill fish even if they are not fastened to their respective markers as well as becoming a navigational hazard free floating around the lake.

[MageeEast]

like all other government programs it has grown too big and too powerful. They limit growth. No one would deny we want clean lakes and water...of course we do. But when it come to things like lake erie...why do we stand by and let the Canadians rape it of its bounty??? We pay to stock it. Then they gill net it empty and sell it back to us. Canada does NOTHING to replenish the fish in these lakes. I have seen the waste from their giant factory ships. Thousands of huge dead walleye floating dead behind their ships. they dont even want the big ones...they just throw them back...dead. Or sell it to the catfood industry. Anyone who has been on this lake awhile has seen it. We saw their nets between the islands before....and our government done nothing about it...even though we called and called. Now there is something needed addressed. stop buying their walleye. Well..it is our walleye..they just steal it...then sell it back to us.!!! If you look at history...they have emptied lake erie 4 times. wiped it out. tons and tons of walleye a day....4 giant factory ships....miles after mile of gill nets.

Wow I don't even know what to say about this post other than I admire your passion. But just to clear up a few things the Canadian commercial fleet is highly regulated. I fish out of Wheatley and Erieau Ontario at least 20 days a year and see every commercial tug (I've never seen a "factory ship" but I see lots of freighters) boarded by OMNR enforcement and their catch inspected. Their industry is on an annual harvest quota based off the Great Lakes Commission Total Allowable Catch (TAC) numbers. Commercial fishing operations on the U.S. side of the lake can harvest yellow perch on quotas too....which is where the nets you see on our side of the line come from. Those same TAC numbers also determine Canada, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York sport fishing quotas that determine bag limits.

You are correct that Canada does not stock or pay to stock any fish into Lake Erie with the exception of steelhead. But neither does Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, or NY...other than steelhead and a few lake trout. The walleye and perch fisheries reproduce prolifically in Lake Erie and it's tributaries.

I've only fished on the lake for around 40 years so I haven't experienced any of the 4 times it was emptied by the Canadians. I hope they don't do it anymore though!

[forefathers]

I'm sorry did you just say too big too powerful and limit growth and also champion for the reduction of gill nets
Yeah I get it