The December 2007 MNR Fisheries Management Zone Planning Report from the advisory council is available.
Fisheries Management Zone Planning
FMZ #10 as of December 2007 (including Blind River)
MNR Advisory Council Representative: Ed Pilon
Summary comments by Ron Servatius
Ed reports the advisory council discussed the length of trout season, size and number of daily catches. The recommendations where in the guidelines of the MNR department planning objectives and the results could be included in the 2010 regulations. The impact would be a reduction in daily limits from 3 to perhaps 1 or 2 lake trout and changes in the legal size of trout kept from a single range to a number of slot sizes.
Reviewing the FMZ Zone 10 Planning Objectives, the direction of the MNR is to improve and increase lake trout numbers by 50% on balance throughout the zone. This means limiting access, increasing enforcement, educating and building relationships and gathering information where fish stocks are down. It means addressing issues which cause impediments to trout stock numbers and fish quality such as disease and contamination, and from the introduction of other foreign game and bait fish species which affect self-sustaining trout reproduction. The Advisory committee looks to include interests for all stakeholders, e.g. trophy sport, recreational family, food source, catch and release sport fisherpersons. The bottom line concern is sustainability. The Fish Management Zone 10 plan objective is to “increase the number of self-sustaining lake trout lakes in FMZ #10 above abundance benchmarks to 50% (from 32%) within 20 years.” The MNR has replaced 37 fishing divisions with 20 zones.