BAY OF QUINTE - The Decline of the Walleye Species ...

THE BAY OF QUINTE WALLEYE POPULATION HAS DECLINED OVER THE PAST DECADE BECAUSE OF CONDITIONS CREATED BY CHANGES IN HABITAT AND IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE LOCAL FISH COMMUNITY. SPECIES SUCH AS YELLOW PERCH, BASS AND SUNFISH ARE BETTER ABLE TO ADAPT TO THE CHANGING HABITAT AND HAVE BEGUN TO DOMINATE THE FISH COMMUNITY IN THE BAY. WALLEYE HARVEST LEVELS ARE NOW HIGHER THAN THE FISHERY CAN SAFELY SUPPORT, AND THE MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES (MNR) IS RECOMMENDING A SIGNIFICANT HARVEST REDUCTION TO PROTECT WALLEYE FROM FURTHER DECLINE. GIVEN THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT, A MORE DIVERSE FISH COMMUNITY WITH A SMALLER NATURALLY REPRODUCING WALLEYE POPULATION IS THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO FOR THE FUTURE.

1950-60's	POPULATIONS SUPPORTED BOTH RECREATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL.
1960-70's	POPULATION BEGAN TO DECLINE DUR TO HABITAT LOSS, EXCESSIVE NUTRIENT ENRICHMENT & CONTNUED
	HARVESTING. DROPPED TO VERY LOW AS CONDITIONS CONTINUED TO THE 70's
1970-80'S	CLEAN UP EFFORTS TO REDUCE NUTRIENTS & OTHER POLLUTANTS. HABITAT CONDITIONS IMPROVED
	ALONG WITH A LARGE DIE-OFF OFF OF ALEWIFE & WHITE PERCH. (THE ALEWIFE & WHITE PERCH COMPETE
	FEED OFF YOUNG WALLEYE). WALLEYE POPULATION STARTED TO RISE IN POPULATION.
1980s	RECORD LEVELS OF WALLEYE POPULATION DEMANDED A SIGNIFICANT HARVEST. IN THE 1980's , THE
	BAY OF QUINTE GAINED A REPUTATION AS A WORLD CLASS RECREATIONAL WALLEYE FISHERY. ANGLING
	INCREASED DRAMATICALLY AS DID THE DEMAND FOR A INCREASE BY THE COMMERCIAL AND
	ABORIGINAL FISHERIES
1990's	POPULATION STAYED HIGH UNTIL MID 90's, AND THEN BEGAN TO DECLINE RAPIDLY. CLEARER WATER
	CONDITIONS, THE INCREASE REPRODUCTION OF OTHER SPECIES SUCH AS YELLOW PERCH, BASSES,
	AND SUNFISH AND A VERY HIGH LEVEL OF WALLEYE HARVEST CONTRIBUTED TO THE DECLINE.

HABITAT	ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS IN BAY OF QUINTE ARE CHANGING. POLLUTION PROGRAMS WERE PUT
	IN PLACE TO REDUCE EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF NUTRIENTS, POLLUTANTS FROM INADEQUATE
	WASTEWATER AND SEWAGE TREATMENT AND AGRICULTURE RUN OFFS FROM ENTERING THE
	BAY. ZEBRA & QUAGGAMUSSELS THAT FEED ON ALGAE ACCELERATED THE INCREASE OF
	WATER CLARITY, IN WHICH REDUCEDAVAILABILITY OF NUTRIENTS TO OTHER AQUATIC
	SPECIES IN THE BAY.
FISH COMMUNITY	THE INVASION OF THE MUSSELS HAS ACCELERATED THE CHANGE FISH COMMUNITY. AQUATIC
	WEEDS HAVE EXPANDED MANY SPECIES LIKE YELLOW PERCH, BASS AND SUNFISH. WALLEYE
	ARE RESPONDING TO THE CHANGES (WALLEYE ARE A LIGHT-SENSITIVE SPECIES, BETTER
	ADAPTED TO FEEDING IN MURKY WATER WITH LOWER LIGHT CONDITIONS). THE CLEARER WATER
	HAS REDUCED THE ABILITY OF YOUNG WALLEYE TO COMPETE WITH THESE SPECIES. THESE
	CONDITIONS FAVOUR SPECIES THAT FEED ON YOUNG WALLEYE OR COMPETE WITH THEM. ZEBRA
	AND QUAGGA MUSSELS ARE REDUCING PLANKTON, A DIETARY STAPLE FOR LARVAL WALLEYE.
	WALLEYE POPULATION HAS BEEN DECLINING SINCE 95, AND CONTINUES TO DO SO.
FISHING ACTIVITY	WHEN THE BAY OF QUINTE BECAME THE CHOICE ANGLING SPOT FOR WALLEYE IN THE 80's, THE
AND HARVEST	M.N.R. IMPLEMENTED SEVERAL HARVEST CONTROL MEASURES, REDUCING AGLING CREEL FROM 6
	TO 4, ISSUED SANCTARIES IN SEVERAL RIVERS TO PROTECT SPAWNING FISH, DECLARED
	N ALLOWABLE COMMERCIAL HARVEST. IN THE 1990'S, WALLEYE HARVEST WAS MANAGED
	QUOTAS, GEAR AND FISHING SEASONS. COMMERCIAL FISHERY IS NOT ALLOWED TO HARVEST
	AND SELL WALLEYE GREATER THAN 23 INCHES (EXCEEDS THE HEALTH CANADA MERCURY
	CONSUMPTION GUIDELINES). THE ABORGINAL FISHERY, COMPRISING A SPEAR FISHERY IN
	SEVERAL BAY OF QUINTE RIVERS AND A GIILLNET FISHERY, INCREASED THROUGHOUT THE 90's.
	EARLY 90's, 90% OF THE TOTAL WALLEYE HARVEST WERE BY RECREATIONAL ANGLERS.
	THE ABORGINAL FISHERIES ACCOUNT FOR MORE THAN 50% OF THE HARVEST.

YEAR	RECOMMENDED HARVEST	NUMBER OF HARVESTED	HARVEST DIFFERENCE
1985	90,000	60,000	30,000 UNDER RECOMMENDED
1986	90,000	75,000	15,000 UNDER RECOMMENDED
1987	100,000	100,000	EVEN
1988	100,000	90,000	10,000 UNDER RECOMMENDED
1989	110,000	95,000	15,000 UNDER RECOMMENDED
1990	115,000	95,000	20,000 UNDER RECOMMENDED
1991	130,000	150,000	20,000 OVER RECOMMENDED
1992	125,000	155,000	30,000 OVER RECOMMENDED
1993	125,000	170,000	45,000 OVER RECOMMENDED
1994	135,000	170,000	35,000 OVER RECOMMENDED
1995	120,000	120,000	EVEN
1996	115,000	140,000	25,000 OVER RECOMMENDED
1997	110,000	140,000	30,000 OVER RECOMMENDED
1998	90,000	130,000	40,000 OVER RECOMMENDED
1999	80,000	120,000	40,000 OVER RECOMMENDED
2000	60,000	120,000	60,000 OVER RECOMMENDED
2001	50,000	118,000	68,000 OVER RECOMMENDED
2002	50,000	120,000(ESTIMATED)	70,000 OVER RECOMMENDED

YEAR	POPULATION	YEAR	POPULATION
1976	-----	1991	1,350,000
1977	200,000	1992	1,350,000
1978	250,000	1993	1,300,000
1979	400,000	1994	1,350,000
1980	500,000	1995	1,250,000
1981	800,000	1996	1,100,000
1982	800,000	1997	1,050,000
1983	800,000	1998	1,000,000
1984	850,000	1999	750,000
1985	900,000	2000	600,000
1986	900,000	2001	450,000
1987	1,000,000	2002	400,000
1988	1,000,000	2003	UNDER 320,000
1989	1,050,000	2004	160,000
1990	1,100,000

SINCE OVER HARVESTING HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE DECLINING OF WALLEYE, THE ECOSYSTEM DEOS NOT FAVOUR THE WALLEYE, AND THE PRODUCTION OF YOUNG WALLEYE IS POOR AND UNPREDICTABLE, IT IS RECOMMENDED TO REDUCE THE HARVEST OF WALLEYE. THE WALLEYE POPULATION IS LOWER THAN ESTIMATED BY A RECENT STUDY. THE RECOMENDATION IS FOR NO FISHING TO OCCUR. MNR IS RECOMMENDING A TEMPORARY CLOSURE O ALL WALLEYE FISHERY FOR THE BAY OF QUINTE, IT'S TRIBUTARIES AND EASTERN LAKE ONTARIO TO PROTECT THE POPULATION AND MAINTAIN THE POPULATION FOR THE FUTURE. MNR PLANS TO CONSULT WITH THE MOHAWKS OF THE BAY OF QUINTE AND RESOURCE USERS ABOUT THIS RECOMENDATION.

OTHER OPTIONS WERE CONSIDERED, MAKING MODEST RECREATIONAL REGULATIONS CHANGES SUCH AS MORE RESTRICTIVE BAD LIMITS, ,SEASONS, OR SIZE LIMITS WERE CONSIDERED. STOCKING WALLEYE TO ENHANCE PRODUCTION BUT UNLIKELY BECAUSE ;

- SUFFICIENT NUMBERS OF NATURALLY PRODUCED FLY ARE LIKELY PRODUCED ANNUALLY BUT SURVIVAL OF YOUNG

FIRST & SECONG YEAR OF LIFE HAS BEEN REDUCED.

- YOUNG WALLEYE ARE FOOD FOR OTHER FISH AND COMPETE WITH OTHER SMALL FISH FOR A REDUCED FOOD SUPPLY.

- STOCKING MAY HARM THE GENETICS AND LONG-TERM SURVIVAL OF THE BAY OF QUINTE STOCK.

- STOCKING HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE LIMITED SUCCESS AND STOCKING FINGERLINGS OR LARGER FISH HAS ONLY BEEN MARGINALLY SUCCESSFUL AND IS COSTLY.

- EXPERIENCE SHOWA THAT STOCKING ATTRACTS NEW ANGLERS AT A TIME WHEN HARVEST REDUCTION IS REQUIRED.

REMOVING YELLOW PERCH AND OTHER SPECIES THAT MAY AFFECT THE SURVIVAL OF YOUNG WALLEYE.

REMOVING CORMORANT POPULATIONS, BUT THESE BIRDS HAVE BECOME A NUISANCE IN A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS AND THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT CORMORANTS HAVE AN EFFECT ON WALLEYE, CORMORANTS FEED ON ALEWIFE AND IN LATE SUMMER - FALL (AFTER SURVIVAL OF THAT YEAR'S YOUNG WALLEYE).

ADDING NUTRIENTS AND/OR REMOVING ZEBRA MUSSELS. ADDING NUTRIENTS ARE CONTRARY TO PROVINVIAL LEGISTRATION AND THE OBJECTIVES OF THE GRETA LAKES WATER QUALITY AGREEMENT AND THE REMEDIAL ACTION PLAN FOR THE BAY OF QUINTE. . THERE IS NO KNOWN MEASURE TO EFFECTIVELY CONTROL/REDUCE THE ZEBRA MUSSELS. ADDING NUTRIENST MAY STIMULATE MUSSEL ACTIVITY.

-	THE FISH COMMUNITY IN THE FUTURE WILL LIKELY BE CHARACTERISED BY A GREATER DIVERSITY OF SPECIES ANS
	A SMALLER WALLEYE POPULATION.
-	THE SIZE OF THE WALLEYE POPULATION IS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT GIVEN THE CHANGING BAY OF QUINTE HABITAT
	AND OTHER CHANGES IN THE FISH COMMUNITY THAT ARE OCCURING. WALLEYE PRODUCTION HAS LIKELY ENTERED
	A NEW PERIOD OF LOW ABUNDANCE.
-	IN THE SHORT TERM, MANAGEMENT ACTIONS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TOWARDS MAINTAINING WALLEYE AS A
	SELF-SUSTAINING PART OF THE FISH COMMUNITY.
-	OTHER SPECIES THAT ARE BETTER ADAPTED TO CLEAR WATER, AQUATIC VEGETATION AND SMALLER WALLEYE
	POPULATIONS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO BE ABUNDANT. YELLOW PERCH WERE THE FIRST SPECIES TO SHOW A
	LARGE INCREASE IN NUMBERS. MOST RECENTLY, OTHER SPECIES SUCH AS THE CENTRARCHID FAMILY OF FISH
	(ie. LARGEMOUTH & SMALLMOUTH BASS, PUMKINSEED AND BLUEGILL, SUNFISH, ROCK BASS, BLACK CRAPPIE),
	HAVE BEGUN TO SHOW SIGNIFICANT INCREASES. SPECIES SUCH AS NORTHERN PIKE, GAR AND BOWFIN MAY
	ALSO BECOME MORE ABUNDANT.

-	MANAGERS ARE RECOMMENDED TO BE CAUTIOUS AND FURTHER RESTRICT HARVEST WHEN WALLEYE POPULATIONS FALLS BELOW 320,000 FISH, 3 YEAR OLDS & OLDER.
-	MANAGERS ARE RECOMMENDED TO STOP HARVEST TO PROTECT THE POPULATION WHEN THE WALLEYE POPULATION FALLS BELOW A CRITICAL STOCK SIZE OF 160,000 FISH, 3 YEARS OLDS & OLDER.


NORTHERN PIKE	MUSKELLUNGE	WALLEYE


YELLOW PERCH	LARGEMOUTH BASS	SMALLMOUTH BASS


RAINBOW TROUT**	LAKE TROUT**	ROCK BASS