Change Spearfishing Rules in Toronto, Ontario

[TorontoMowgli]

Hi Guys..

I'm new to Canada, but I emailed the Minister of Fisheries and Forestry in Ontario in late 2019, to speak to him about legalising spearfishing in Ontario. His deputy and office manager/ Kyle, if I recall correctly, called me back a couple of weeks later.

We spoke for almost an hour and he seemed to be quite supportive of the idea towards the end of our conversation and stated that he will put up a propsal to the committee on changing spearfishing laws. Then COVID19 stopped everything.

Anyone interested in joining this plight, pls. call me.

My name is Ashraf. My number is 647 xxxxxxxxxx

Ps. We've changed the law in Dubai, UAE, and I see not why we can't change it here.

Cheers

Ash

 

[stick500]

So is freshwater spearfishing not allowed at all in Ontario? For example you can't even shoot carp and other rough fish?
Or are you talking about saltwater rules?
Or are you trying to open up spearfishing to certain gamefish?

 

[TorontoMowgli]

So is freshwater spearfishing not allowed at all in Ontario? For example you can't even shoot carp and other rough fish?
Or are you talking about saltwater rules?
Or are you trying to open up spearfishing to certain gamefish?

It's the last one. I want to equate spearfishing in freshwater lakes/ rivers in Ontario to sport fishing, in terms of limits, fish types and seasonal windows.

Now, we're confined to only 2 inedible species as you said of white sucker and carp, only during undivable times, namely March-May & May-July consecutively. This also carries an inherently high risk of hypothermia due to the freezing water temperatures during those short few months.

 

[Mr. X]

I

...

Now, we're confined to only 2 inedible species as you said of white sucker and carp, only during undivable times, namely March-May & May-July consecutively. This also carries an inherently high risk of hypothermia due to the freezing water temperatures during those short few months.

Carp is edible. The Poles (Polish) often have them for their Christmas meal. Monks in England used to farm them hundreds of years ago and there is at least one person trying to farm them for food here now. To feed them, they just throw some silage in now and then.

 

[DivingNomad]

We've changed the law in Dubai, UAE, and I see not why we can't change it here.

Salam Ashraf,

What did law changes did you help make in Dubai?

 

[Mr. X]

Sorry Ashraf, no phone numbers or email addresses on the public forum, it attracts spammers. You can use the forum's private Conversation feature to exchange private details if you choose. Please be careful.

 

[Johny Depth]

What about inserting the ark and bow Fishing technique as practiced in the USA this Would be a fair balance to persons who hunt abouve water and below .could it be possible if in the past indians stayed in that area and if so and even in to day was their a technique that they had used to fish or other humans who had a technique its a possibility .This could assist numbers of tourists to frequent the area as well as job creative

 

[TorontoMowgli]

...

Carp is edible. The Poles (Polish) often have them for their Christmas meal. Monks in England used to farm them hundreds of years ago and there is at least one person trying to farm them for food here now. To feed them, they just throw some silage in now and then.

It is edible, but not really a delicacy when compared to seabass, salmon etc. from what I hear. Haven't tried it though. Thanks for the info.

 

[TorontoMowgli]

What about inserting the ark and bow Fishing technique as practiced in the USA this Would be a fair balance to persons who hunt abouve water and below .could it be possible if in the past indians stayed in that area and if so and even in to day was their a technique that they had used to fish or other humans who had a technique its a possibility .This could assist numbers of tourists to frequent the area as well as job creative

Bowfishing is permissible.. but again, under very tight restrictions in terms of fish limits, types and seasons.

 

[TorontoMowgli]

Salam Ashraf,

What did law changes did you help make in Dubai?

Freedive spearfishing was banned. If caught, your boat, gear, fish would all be confiscated, plus you'd pay a fine between USD.1,500 to 3,000. Now, it's permissible as long as you stay off the oil rigs, the Shiekh's palaces waterlines and a specific wreck on Moon island, created by the Shiekh's son for his own diving and spearfishing. Using tanks while spearfishing, is strictly a No No, which we don't do anyway..

 

[DivingNomad]

Shiekh's palaces waterlines and a specific wreck on Moon island, created by the Shiekh's son for his own diving and spearfishing.

How lovely...

 

[DivingNomad]

Freedive spearfishing was banned. If caught, your boat, gear, fish would all be confiscated, plus you'd pay a fine between USD.1,500 to 3,000. Now, it's permissible as long as you stay off the oil rigs, the Shiekh's palaces waterlines and a specific wreck on Moon island, created by the Shiekh's son for his own diving and spearfishing. Using tanks while spearfishing, is strictly a No No, which we don't do anyway..

Spearfishing was banned in Dubai only, right? I remember people spearfishing in Sharjah and Fujirah several years ago.

 

[Johny Depth]

My sudjestion was on the basis of perswaytion for thousands of years people have used hunting techniques this was an objective proposal .Ancestors to that area have a hunting technique or techniques that could have become lost in the shadows of time,.With covid 19 or future viruses this throws to the wind how we locate our stable food source we all are aware that shopping at a store puts us near to the possibility of comming into contact with a virus .If they permitted local residents or near to !giving them permission to spear fish this could be a start obvious fisheries would play a role the council 1st person mayer and politicians youll know of this already at this point im out of any ideas or approach its always the mijority wins on many occasions

 

[TorontoMowgli]

My sudjestion was on the basis of perswaytion for thousands of years people have used hunting techniques this was an objective proposal .Ancestors to that area have a hunting technique or techniques that could have become lost in the shadows of time,.With covid 19 or future viruses this throws to the wind how we locate our stable food source we all are aware that shopping at a store puts us near to the possibility of comming into contact with a virus .If they permitted local residents or near to !giving them permission to spear fish this could be a start obvious fisheries would play a role the council 1st person mayer and politicians youll know of this already at this point im out of any ideas or approach its always the mijority wins on many occasions

That's a smart arguement and a point to consider..

 

[TorontoMowgli]

Spearfishing was banned in Dubai only, right? I remember people spearfishing in Sharjah and Fujirah several years ago.

Not really.. I've been caught in Abu-Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah, before the rules were changed. It's only Al Ain that I wasn't caught red handed in, because the doesn't have an ocean..

In Oman, they still have the same type of old bans we had in the UAE, except they added some more flavour to it: 6 months in jail. I got caught there too, but managed to reason with them. They settled for confiscating our guns, fish, rented boat, 6 hours of detainment, plus signing an undertaking NEVER to repeat it. But they forgot all about it the following week when we went back. Nice guys

 

[DivingNomad]

They settled for confiscating our guns, fish, rented boat,

Did they return your equipment and boat eventually?

 

[TorontoMowgli]

Did they return your equipment and boat eventually?

Nope. Only the boat was returned to the local we had rented it from. All else was confiscated, including my brand new C3 which was a birthday gift from the old lady..

 

[DivingNomad]

Nope. Only the boat was returned to the local we had rented it from. All else was confiscated, including my brand new C3 which was a birthday gift from the old lady..

Ouch, expensive weekend indeed.

 

[Johny Depth]

I had some more thought on the matter today! Is their any fish species that are seen as a pest if so the normal method of fishing is not so precise as to spear fishing when captuturing a species if their be a pest fish propose an ilimanation culling of a said species this could be done on permission presenting an application with a set of rules in accordance to other persons safety and vessel navigation distance from a spear fisher man or woman and the water vessel in recreaational fishing. method in apnea not with a diving cylinder civil application could cost a lot more with a lawyer this would make a winter project the fisheries or a mayor or political body who to contact in a proper sequence this could be a yo yo of an experience,.I Italy the imported japaneese salure fish is a pest in canal rivers eating the prized trout .On youtube Lion Fish they created a market to eat them in Florida

 

[TorontoMowgli]

I had some more thought on the matter today! Is their any fish species that are seen as a pest if so the normal method of fishing is not so precise as to spear fishing when captuturing a species if their be a pest fish propose an ilimanation culling of a said species this could be done on permission presenting an application with a set of rules in accordance to other persons safety and vessel navigation distance from a spear fisher man or woman and the water vessel in recreaational fishing. method in apnea not with a diving cylinder civil application could cost a lot more with a lawyer this would make a winter project the fisheries or a mayor or political body who to contact in a proper sequence this could be a yo yo of an experience,.I Italy the imported japaneese salure fish is a pest in canal rivers eating the prized trout .On youtube Lion Fish they created a market to eat them in Florida

Assisting in erradicating an invasive speicy, if any, could help recognise the value addition of spearfishing, as long as it doesn't derail us from our main goal, which is equating spearfishing to line and sport fishing in all aspects of permissible fish types, seasons and limits.