Outdoor Sports: Minnow meeting sets stage for control zone
By Forrest Fisher
It is common knowledge across the Lake Erie sector of Region 9 that yellow perch fishing is great and emerald shiner minnows are the best bait. There are other baits to use, like golden shiners, fathead minnows and other minnows that can also work, but no substitute minnows are as effective a “fish-catcher” as the emeralds.
The first problem is that due to current regulations to contain VHS disease, local anglers dipping their own bait in the Niagara River are not allowed to transport their bait in an overland vehicle. They can use a boat, but no one can afford the gas to run from West Ferry Street to Evangola on a repeated basis.
Anglers can use certified emerald shiner minnow bait, but it must be purchased from a certified bait dealer and the angler must have the receipt of purchase in hand to avoid a hefty fine. The bait is only good for seven days, after which, a new batch of bait must be purchased.
The second problem is that the cost to local bait dealers to test a pack of minnows is about $1,000 and it takes four weeks to get the test results. Many of the minnows die over that period. So bait dealers purchase certified minnows from Wisconsin and other distant bait farms that are disassociated with Great Lakes waterways. It is expensive and the transportation cost is passed on to anglers in the price of the bait, which is now at $12 per hundred.
Four or five years ago, a $5 dip of minnows would yield about 300 to 400 minnows, allowing anglers to go fishing for a reasonable cost. Today, 300 to 400 minnows cost between $30 and $50, depending on where they are purchased. The entire Region 9 baitfish issue is throttled to a higher level by the news that the Department of Environmental Conservation has not found VHS disease in any of more than 50 tests per year in the last two years. Is it gone? Not sure. It’s a big lake! Add that any angler with a very small minnow net could catch his own emerald shiner minnow bait along the Niagara River in one quick dip and you have the elements of conflict.
Perch anglers along Lake Erie have a passion for catching their favorite fish and they know that emerald shiners are the only bait that work best. The concern by the DEC is that they do not trust anglers to dip their own bait and then only fish in Lake Erie. So DEC wants to assure that Lake Erie minnows with the potential for carrying VHS disease are not transported over land, hence the regulation. On June 9, a meeting to discuss these baitfish regulations was held between the DEC and a new group called the Lake Erie Civilian Baitfish Committee, which is comprised of representatives from the three bordering sportsmen federations along Lake Erie.
The Erie County contingent included Dave Barus, a project engineer from Moog; Rich Davenport, CEO for We Love Outdoors.com; Herb Schultz, Lake Erie fishing specialist and former minnow bait wholesaler and retailer; and Paul Stoos, a machine repairman from Buffalo. Niagara County was represented by Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council representative, Tom Marks; Chautauqua County was represented by Zen Olow; Niagara County by Paul Jackson; and the area bait dealer (wholesale and retail representative) was Ms. Pat VanCamp. Paul Stoos, also the vice-president for the Erie County Federation of Sportsmen, wrote a letter to Helen Domske of the state’s Sea Grant on April 24, requesting a meeting with NYS-DEC Bureau of Fishery personnel, Steve Hurst (chief), Doug Stang (assistant) and Region 9 director of fish and wildlife, Ms. Abby Schneider. Domske coordinated with Assemblyman Jack Quinn and others, and a meeting was held at the UB-North Campus under the facilitated direction of NY Seagrant.
Domske was assisted by NY Sea Grant’s Dave MacNeill. The DEC attendance included Doug Stang, assistant director of Fish and Wildlife; Steve Hurst, Bureau of Fisheries chief; Abby Snyder, Region 9 director; Russ Biss, Region 9 Natural Resources supervisor; Capt. David Bennett, Regional 9 Law Enforcement; Paul McKeown, Region 9 Fisheries manager; and Don Einhouse, Lake Erie Region 9 Unit Leader.
The stage was set! Barus and Davenport presented a slide show that included the history of VHS, current regulations, the request for a change by Region 9 sportsmen, and the statistical relevance of the Lake Erie fishery in the local and state economy. Stoos said, “The intention of the meeting was to discuss the possibility of requesting that DEC consider changing the current regulations to allow the transport of uncertified baitfish in vehicles along a “buffer zone” corridor formed by Interstate 90/190 and west.” Davenport added, “Region 9 is home to 24 percent of New York’s licensed sportsmen, making us significant in the nature of all state considerations, a number that may not have been realized by the DEC Albany folks, considering they all took notes at mention of the data.”
During the presentation, VanCamp mentioned that the certified emerald shiners they purchase for their wholesale and retail business are not as hardy or strong as the ones that were previously dipped here in the Niagara River. Schultz said, “Emerald shiners are also found in huge numbers along the whole Lake Erie shoreline in the bays and small creeks entering Lake Erie, not just the Niagara River.”
The discussion included mention of the economic hardship on bait dealers along Lake Erie that could previously dip their own bait and retail it. Some businesses have closed, others are ready to close and some are for sale. Bait dealers in Western New York are having hard times compared to dealers in other parts of the state.
How VHS is most easily spread was included, identifying boat bait wells, water and equipment as primary transfer mechanisms. Waterfowl can carry the disease from waterways too, but not as easily as fish to fish transport. The VHS virus is rather weak in one regard and does not survive well, though DEC admitted that they were not aware if tests had been conducted to identify if the virus could survive in the stool of seagulls or other waterfowl that fly from the Great Lakes to other water bodies.
Stang said, “We are primarily trying to stop the ‘fish to fish’ spread of the disease. The most primary means of transporting the VHS virus, hence the current regulations.” He also said that they cannot stop birds from flying. Capt. Bennett discussed enforcement and the ramifications of not being able to follow every vehicle if a regulation change were to take effect. Stang wanted to know from the committee, ”If there was a regulation change would the average angler follow the new rules? Would they stay west of the boundary?” The overall feeling of the participants was that they would. Hurst wanted to know if the Federations and organizations would help with an outreach program and the answer there was a definite yes.
Hurst said that VHS is consuming almost 70 percent of his time. The question of the non-NYS certified emerald shiners diluting the current genetic strain of our local emerald shiners came up and Don Einhouse answered, “There is a small possibility.”
After many more questions and answers, Domske smiled and added, “it seems like the DEC is trying to work with us today.” She continued and asked, “what does the DEC want from the Federations and anglers to move this forward?”
Hurst said, “I would need to count on the federations to extend a massive outreach program to educate the anglers. That would be a start, but remember, my job is to protect the fisheries of New York State.” Hurst added, ”I believed when the regulations were originally put into effect and what they are now, is what they should be. I believed it then and I believe it now. My job is to protect the fisheries of this State.”
Davenport asked about a possible “pilot project” to try the transportation of bait in the Lake Erie/Niagara River area. Rich said there will be many challenges, but working together would be the best answer. He tried to express the idea that the biggest economic engine is Lake Erie with 24 percent of the state licensed anglers being here and that a pilot project here would be the best way to test changing the regulations. He asked them to set some hard rules for a pilot project.
Domske thanked the Civilian Baitfish Committee for their professional presentations and the DEC for coming and listening to what is going on in this end of the state. She asked all federations to come up with more ideas and stated that DEC did not think a letter writing campaign would be a good idea. MacNeill said, “The next step might be for all to go back to their respective organizations and let them know that the discussions were open and honest. Sea Grant said they would be more than willing to help with an outreach program.”
This meeting was a start for continued open discussion with the DEC. Stay tuned, a follow-up meeting here or in Albany is in the cards, Hurst agreed. More to come!
Outdoors Calendar
June 13-21: 25th annual Lake Erie Southtowns Walleye Tournament, call Bob Witulski at 691-3787 or visit www.southtownswalleye.org.
June 19: Catch-and-release, artificials only, bass season closes, Lake Erie trophy bass season closes.
June 20: Bass and muskellunge seasons open (statewide, general regulations).
June 20-July 19: Lake Ontario Counties (LOC) Summer Trout and Salmon Derby, call 888-REEL-2-IN or visit www.LOC.org
June 20: Lower River bass contest, Wagon Wheel Restaurant, $20 registration, 100% payout, sunrise to 4 p.m., call 283-9861.
June 27: Youth Fishing Day, Chestnut Ridge Park Lake Commissioners Cabin, call East Aurora Boys/Girls Club at 652-4180 to register.
Stories This Week
More Stories
• College Men's Soccer: Hilbert looking for surge of offense
• College Women's Soccer: Lady Hawks could have AMCC on alert
• H.S. Football Preview: City schools to present new challenge in Section VI field
• H.S. Football Preview: Zittel will lead very different Eden team
• H.S. Football Preview: A sneak peak at the teams
|
Stories
This Weeks