Something fishy going on, say carp catching businessmen
The owners of two local carp fishing businesses can't understand why a simple regulation change to allow anglers to use two rods could take two years.
"The tourism (will just) go down the pan," said Paul Hunt, who owns Canadian Carpin Holidays, a business that promotes carp fishing to Europeans who will travel the globe in search of the best carp fishing locales.
Hunt, and Jeff Vaughan, who owns Canadian Carp Club, say they are losing business to New York State, which allows anglers to fish on the U.S. side of the St. Lawrence River using two rods.
On the Canadian side, an Ontario regulation specifies that one person must use one fishing rod. This is what both Hunt and Vaughan are asking to be changed.
The St. Lawrence River is considered by European anglers to be a carp goldmine. Many carp anglers want to be able to hook the biggest fish, Hunt explained, and by using two rods, they can also catch more fish - a near guarantee to hook those 35- to 50-pound carp.
Both Hunt and Vaughan's carp fishing businesses are strictly catch-and-release operations. Vaughan even has antiseptic if they harm the fish when they hook it. Despite flying into Montreal or Ottawa International airports, Europeans will go through the hassle of customs to be able to fish using two rods, Hunt explained.
These anglers who fly into Canada bring with them money they spend in the local community and throughout the country when they tour, both Hunt and Vaughan said.
Last week, Ontario Minister of Natural Resources David Ramsay met with Hunt and his wife, Lisa, at their Iroquois home to discuss the issue.
Ramsay informed them he wanted to go ahead with the change - which would cover the area from Cornwall to Cardinal - to ensure no further tourism created through carp fishing is lost to competition in the U.S., Hunt said.
But that change would take up to two years. And that's what both Hunt and Vaughan can't understand: they say if it's so important to keep the tourism going, then why the wait.
That's where the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans comes in.
While Ontario manages the fishing rules and regulations, in order to amend the laws they must consult with the federal government, explained Alex Li, director of legislation and regulatory affairs for Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
While he said there are annual amendments done to the Ontario regulations, changes take a long time because they must go through drafts, legal checks and a public consultation.
A proposed change will be sent to the federal cabinet minister which oversees Fisheries and Oceans, in this case, MP Loyola Hearn, who will check the draft first.
It then goes through a roughly 30-day process where the public can comment on the changes before going back to the minister for final approval.
It is rare, Li added, that the province would amend one miniscule regulation: it would most likely be a package of changes or additions the federal government must authorize.
However, he said he understood both Hunt's and Vaughan's frustrations.
"It does appear to be a long process, but this is done to maintain transparency and accountability," Li said. "I can understand their displeasure and that's why we're trying to triage these amendments so smaller amendments take less time."
In the meantime, both Vaughan and Hunt are concerned about the future of their businesses. Since a number of companies in Massena and Waddington, N.Y. have opened up and have been advertising anglers the fact can use two rods instead of only one in Canada, they have noticed business slowing drastically.
Vaughan says a number of businesses in the Long Sault area, where he operates, have closed since the U.S. competition has focused on luring anglers who want to use two rods to fish.
Hunt said he wishes the government could issue temporary permits until the change is official.
"It would be so easy to solve on a temporary basis," Hunt continued. "It would keep (us) above water until the rule changes."
"And it keeps the tourism going without playing around for two years while we're going down."
ejohns@standard-freeholder.com
Something fishy going on, say carp catching businessmen
Saturday, 04. August 2007
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