The state-of-the-art portable equipment known as the AutoFish system and will make its provincial debut at the O.F.A.H./Toronto Sportsmen’s Show Ringwood Fish Culture Station this week. It is said that the system will operate in Ontario under a cooperative arrangement with the State of New York, which began using the equipment two weeks ago. Donna Cansfield, Minister of Natural Resources, told that the new system could help manage the fisheries more effectively.
He announced that the authority is pleased to support the hard work of the Ontario Federation of Hunters and Anglers, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the Metro East Anglers and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation on this initiative. Historically, hatchery fish were marked by clipping one or more of the fins on a fish but very difficult to mark all the fish. Great Lakes Fishery Commission Vice-Chair Peter Wallace, said that the new equipment will help mark the entire fish in the Great Lakes in less time.
According to him the AutoFish system will change all of that and give managers the information they need to improve their understanding of the resource and their actions. Dr Terry Quinney, Provincial Manager, Fish and Wildlife Services, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, said that the new system is truly for fishery management technology for the twenty-first century.
