2021 Sportfishing Regulation Webinar Invitations
 

Sorry for the wall of text as I just copied and pasted the email I received. Cannot find a web page yet to provide a link to all this so just posed what I had for now in case anyone is interested:

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2021 Sportfishing Regulation Webinar Invitations – Save the Dates
Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) is considering changes to Alberta’s 2021 sportfishing regulations and we want to hear from you. AEP is hosting a series of public webinars where you can learn more about the proposed changes from fisheries management staff and ask questions. These public webinars will provide background information for Albertans to complete the 2021 Sportfishing Regulation survey, opening on January 15 online. A link to the survey will be sent when it opens.

Participants must pre-register for each webinar session. To learn more about each session and to register, click the session links below.


Introduction to Fisheries Management
January 18 at 7:00 p.m.

Learn more about how changes to the sportfishing regulations occur. Come prepared with your questions about Alberta’s fisheries management system.

Harvest Slot Sizes
January 19 at 7:00 p.m.

Learn more about harvest slot sizes and limits. Fisheries management staff will share findings from the 2020 season, where new harvest slots were implemented. Come prepared with your questions related to slot limits.

Special Harvest Licenses
January 20 at 7:00 p.m.

Learn more about special harvest licences and discuss potential options for the future of Alberta’s fisheries. Come prepared with any questions you have about walleye “tags”.

Native Trout Program Update
January 21 at 7:00 p.m.

Learn more about the native trout recovery program, and how AEP, along with a number of partners and volunteers, are addressing habitat loss and degradation, hybridization, and harvest.

Proposed Regulation Changes for Central and Southern Alberta
January 25 at 7:00 p.m.

Learn more about the proposed changes to the sportfishing regulations in Central and Southern Alberta, including Wabamun Lake, Burnstick Lake, Cow Lake, Police (Outpost) Lake, Kerbe’s Pond, Wedge Pond, Quarry Lake, Big Iron Lake and Bear Pond.


Proposed Regulation Changes for Northwest Alberta
January 26 at 7:00 p.m.

Learn more about the proposed changes to the sportfishing regulations in Northwest Alberta, including North and South Wabasca Lakes.

Proposed Regulation Changes for Northeast Alberta
January 27 at 7:00 p.m.

Learn more about the proposed changes to the sportfishing regulations in Northeast Alberta, including Pinehurst Lake and Moose Lake.

Here's the link, SNAP
https://www.alberta.ca/2021-22-sport...ngagement.aspx

The first part of the page emphasizes the survey, which is important, but you have to scroll down to find the webinars. Lots of possible opportunities to gain information and provide feedback.

Thanks for posting hope to be able to catch the majority of them. Lots of interesting topics but especially interested in what they have to say about the Wabascas the north lake is one of our favorites to camp and fish.

bump Special Fish Harvesting tags topic is on right now.

The sessions are recorded too, if you miss them you can watch them later on Alberta Environment's Youtube page.

Some good info but at the same time sure seemed like a few select fellows getting in on the q and a over and over again. I know I posted a few questions that never got addressed. I really didn't expect anything being a province wide engagement but a few got multiple questions answered so it makes me kind of scratch my head and wonder what in the actual **** is going on.

i thought the same thing. and some answers were quite political never really answered the question just talked around it.

Thanks for posting the link, survey done now.

Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/user/ESRDAlberta/videos

Nothing is going on. If you booked early and added a question, it gets answered first. Otherwise, questions posed in meeting are answered according to the most thumbs up. If you logon, post a question, it is sure to be one of the first answered. If you wait until later and there are more than say 30 questions in front of you already, not likely to be answered.

Even the tags one last night has some good info. The option on the table of 2 tags, any walleye size...
Not sure but interesting to think about.

Electronic reporting versus physical tags... seems possible.

Well thought I'd give this a bump and see what people thought of the webinars, this would be the time to discuss this stuff as the powers that be are going to be making decisions pretty shortly on what the regulations are going to be for the next year. They are on Youtube under the Alberta Environment channel as well if you missed and are interested in seeing them.

All in all I thought it was a pretty good opportunity to hear things from the bios perspective. I don't always agree but gained a little more understanding where they are coming from.

Couple things from the last one of note- looks like Moose and Pinehurst are going to catch and release after one season of slots. The presenting bio didn't waste any time making it clear that it was the Environment Minister who wanted to some more catch and keep almost seemed like a bit of pass the buck going on. I'm kind of surprised that they would only allow one season as a sample size.

sounded like gull lake was hammered real hard for walleye , when they showed the netting results

Similar experience. It was good to hear them speak and ask questions. I wish they would have one live chat session but oh well.

I'm not sure what you saying about Moose and Pinehurst. They clearly slowed a downward trend over last 2-3 netting results. Probably makes sense to move this way for now and see how they recover. Sucks for some I'm sure.

Lots on Touchwood. No luck there. Wabuman should be interesting to see over the next few years with limits.

I hope they keep this kind of stuff up. Good to get some insights.

To me when there is a regulation change attempted a one season sample size isn't really giving it a fair shake. In the actual "Harvest slot" presentation it was noted that this was first year data and shouldn't be noted as significant yet. Yes I did see the trends that were presented but again if you're going to make a change why not get a bigger sample size of data over a few years or so...

With that said an argument could be made that they weren't great candidates for slots in the first place according to their data, I can acknowledge that but in the end the change was made. Maybe it won't work out and I'm not against Tags as a management tool for high pressured lakes. I keep thinking of Pigeon and how well it's worked there.





Another random thought is I wish they would just abandon the 1 over regulations all together in this province. They are thinking of opening up the Wabascas again with a 1 over 50 for walleye and a 1 over 75 for pike. Now why not try a slot there? They think the fishery may be able to handle it but why why not protect some of the bigger fish?

All sounds like good reasoning. Thanks for clarifying.

I did add that to the survey for some of the lakes to consider a slot instead of the "one over a size".

The regs will be an interesting read come April. Watching Wab closely.

Just an FYI all those talks are available on you tube.

This is called "with - in - put". It is political speak for answering the questions you want to ask from the people you want to answer. That way there is no embarrassment and you get to say that there is "Public Support" for the Policies you are making.

If you ever join one of the "Town Hall" meetings from the Province, you are asked your question and your comment before you even get it aired. Then you sit there while the Presenters answer what they want to answer, knowing the comments that will be forthcoming.

The Agenda is already set.

The only one who have ever rocked the Boat was the MLA from Bonnyville who hosted the Town Hall Meetings on Fisheries Management and basically forced the Provincial Bios to attend to packed Halls to answer why after 20 years the Walleye regs still said no retention for area lakes.

He was a local hero, and the agenda of the Provincial Bios was ripped apart.

Drewski

I was at the Lac Bellevue meeting in 2016 organized by Ray Makowecki of the AFGA and retired fisheries biologist, and Ray Danyluk former MLA for that riding. It was pretty much as you described, Drewski: 300 people upset with how fisheries were being managed. I wrote about it in 2017: "Are We Underutilizing Our Walleye", as well as what I perceive to be the overall problem: "Shifting Away from Consumptive Use".

There is a considerable backlash to current fisheries management policy coming not only from anglers, many of whom have more knowledge about the lakes they fish than the local gov. biologists, but also from former gov. fisheries biologists and managers who do not like seeing how the interests of anglers are no longer being considered in so-called management decisions. As one biologist described the situation, the current gov. bios are more academics than fisheries managers. As you said, all these latest webinars and survey did was satisfy a requirement for "public consultation."

Both good reads. A common theme in the past has been lack of communication and hopefully engagements like these past webinars happen regularly or more in person meetings like held previous to the pandemic.

A lot of people value being able to take one home for dinner once in a while and that should be part of the management objective if possible. It's also a good tool to help bring lakes back to balance faster depending on the waterbody. No one can convince me that letting walleye get so overpopulated that they start stunting is good for a lake.

How that harvest happens will always be an argument. I think there will have to be give on both sides. On the really high pressured lakes perhaps the only way to appease the most on both side is something like tags or other sort of harvest license.

Whether the bios are willfully listening or being nudged to listen to anglers there has been some positive moves. I took more positives from negatives from the past engagements and hope it continues.