Great Lakes Fisheries

Yellow perch are one of the Great Lakes many fish species.

Efforts are underway to reintroduce the Atlantic salmon to Lake Ontario.

The walleye is a highly sought after recreational fish species.

The Great Lakes are home to more than 150 species of fish.  The Lakes provide wholesome fish to eat and hours of fishing for all to enjoy.

 

The Ministry of Natural Resources is responsible for managing the fisheries of the Great Lakes.

 

Because Ontario shares the Great Lakes and its fisheries resources with the United States, managing these resources is an international affair. The Ministry works with numerous governments and agencies to protect, restore and sustain Great Lakes fish species and populations through planning, regulation, scientific study, stocking, and stewardship.

 

Get more information on agreements and government bodies that help in this important work.

 

There are several types of fisheries on the Great Lakes:

• Aboriginal Fishing – The Ministry has agreements in place with several Aboriginal communities to harvest fish from the Great Lakes.
• Commercial Fisheries – Commercial fishing is part of Ontario’s Great Lakes heritage and culture, and still goes on in several communities on the Great Lakes.
• Recreational Fisheries – The Great Lakes rank among the best areas in the world for freshwater fishing.
• Aquaculture – There are a number of fish-farming or aquaculture operations on Ontario’s Great Lakes.

 

 

Aboriginal Fishing

There are more than 160 Aboriginal communities situated around the Great Lakes Basin. Many of these communities are involved in fishing for food and several participate in Ontario’s commercial fishery.

 

 

Commercial Fisheries

 

Commercial fishing is part of Ontario’s Great Lakes heritage and culture, and still goes on in several communities on the Great Lakes. Many towns, such as Port Dover and Port Stanley on the Canadian shores of Lake Erie, were founded because of commercial fishing activities.

 

The Ministry sets annual quotas (allowable levels of harvest) and issues licences yearly for the commercial harvest of Great Lakes fish.

 

Fish caught in Ontario’s Great Lakes is sold at home and in international markets. All fish caught in Canada for the international market is inspected according to rules set by the government of Canada. Fish caught for consumption in Ontario is inspected by the ministries of Natural Resources and Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs. Great Lakes fish are a high-quality, valuable food source.

 

Ontario’s commercial licence holders catch nearly 13,000 metric tonnes (28 million pounds) of fish each year. The dockside, or wholesale, value of their catch is $36.4 million. (Dockside value refers to the price paid for the fish as it comes off the boat and before it is processed for people to eat.) It’s estimated that once the fish has been processed and sent to food stores and restaurants in Ontario, the U.S. and around the world, the industry’s contribution to Ontario’s economy is between $100 to $150 million (Canadian) dollars. There are more than 500 active commercial fishing licences in Ontario.

 

Here are some highlights of Ontario’s Great Lakes commercial fishery:

• The walleye and yellow perch harvest in western Lake Erie represents 80 per cent of the total value of Ontario’s commercial fishery and 76 per cent of the province’s total catch.
• Lake Huron produces the largest volume of lake whitefish in the Great Lakes. It is sold primarily in U.S. and Ontario markets.
• Thunder and Black bays on Lake Superior account for 90 per cent of the lake herring commercially harvested in the Canadian waters of the lake. Lake herring roe is shipped mainly to the U.S. and Europe.
• A variety of species are fished at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, including white and yellow perch.

 

 

Recreational Fisheries

The Great Lakes are popular among recreational anglers.

The Great Lakes rank among the best areas in the world for freshwater fishing.  In fact, more than 25 per cent of Canada’s recreational fishing takes place on the Great Lakes. Recreational fishing contributes $350 million dollars to Ontario’s economy every year.

The Ministry sets regulations to manage and sustain a thriving recreational fishery on the Great Lakes. 

 

Highlights:

• Lake Superior yields trophy-size coaster brook trout.
• Georgian Bay on Lake Huron and Long Point Bay on Lake Erie offer superb bass fishing.
• Lake Erie and the Bay of Quinte on Lake Ontario produce some of the biggest walleye on the Great Lakes.
• Lakes Huron and Ontario offer the most spectacular trophy salmon and trout fishing in the province.

 

Each Great Lake has its own fisheries management zone, a geographic area for setting fishing regulations such as catch limits and seasons.

 

With a few exceptions, fish caught in the Great Lakes are safe to eat.  Check out the Ministry of the Environment’s 2007-2008 Guide to Eating Ontario’s Sport Fish and Health Canada’s guidelines for fish consumption for more information.

 

 

Aquaculture

 

The Ministry is responsible for legislation and regulations for aquaculture or fish farming operations in the Great Lakes. Ontario’s commercial aquaculture industry (Great Lake and land-based) contributes about $65 million to the province’s economy and produces over 4,500 metric tonnes (or about 10 million pounds) of fish annually.

 

Commercial cage aquaculture in Ontario mostly occurs in the North Channel of Lake Huron (Manitoulin Island) and Georgian Bay, and the main fish species farmed is rainbow trout. About 3,200 metric tonnes (or about 7 million pounds) of rainbow trout are produced in Ontario every year, contributing more than $38.2 million to Ontario’s yearly economy.

 

 

Fish Stocking

Fish are often stocked to help rehabilitate native fish populations.

One fisheries management tool is fish stocking. Ontario stocks more than four million fish into the Great Lakes each year.

Non-native fish species such as Chinook salmon are stocked to support recreational fishing. Native fish species such as lake trout and walleye are stocked in the Great Lakes to help increase natural populations of fish that were once plentiful.

 

Wild Atlantic salmon once flourished in Lake Ontario, but this species was lost in the late 1800s. Now, efforts are being made to restore it.  Stocking is one of several tools used to try to reintroduce this native species.

 

 

 

Photography:

Atlantic Salmon: Marion Daniels, MNR

Walleye: Upper Great Lakes Management Unit, MNR

Yellow Perch: Michigan Sea Grant

Fishing tackle box: Heather Bickle, MNR

Salmon eggs: Ringwood Fish Culture Station, MNR