Ontario commercial fishermen have turned to the courts to fulfill their demand for new quota system. Peter Meisenheimer, executive director of the Ontario Commercial Fisheries’ Association, informed that the current system is inappropriate and it’s up to the federal and provincial government to come up with a new system. Even the court also recognised that the existing system is an erosion of Canadian sovereignty to have an international body set Canadian quota. Quota is set by the Lake Erie Committee, which is comprised of one representative each from Ontario and each of the four states abutting the lake.
According to Peter all commercial fishery are on the verge to shut down as all four of those jurisdictions are hostile to the commercial fishery, which is the primary use of the resource in Ontario waters. He explained that the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources told the association no major cuts in walleye or perch quota were expected. The main ai of the legal suit is for an open, transparent and accountable management system that conforms to Canadian law.
Meisenheimer said the legal proceedings aren’t just a bid for more quotas but for stability as the commercial fishermen are ready to take less fish in exchange for some stability. He cited the 2005 perch quota in Kent County as another example of a flawed system. The association has studied deeply the problems of the fishermen and vowed to fight till the end.
