Coho salmon have a future in Lake Ontario

Coho salmon have a future in Lake Ontario
O.F.A.H. and local anglers reviving lapsed fishery

Lake Ontario anglers can look forward to fishing for coho salmon in the future, thanks to the efforts of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (O.F.A.H.) and O.F.A.H. member club, the Metro East Anglers (M.E.A.). The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) discontinued the coho stocking program in 2005, a move that in the opinion of the O.F.A.H., would have spelled the end of the coho fishery by 2008.

“There is no group more active in promoting the health of Lake Ontario’s fish populations than the O.F.A.H.,” says Mike Reader, O.F.A.H. executive director. “Anglers care deeply about the future of the lake and we are proud of our efforts to maintain fishing opportunities for coho salmon and other fish on Lake Ontario.”

It will take two days of hard work for the O.F.A.H., the Metro East Anglers and other O.F.A.H. member clubs to collect eggs from the Streetsville Dam on the Credit River and transport them to the O.F.A.H./Toronto Sportsmen’s Show Ringwood Fish Culture Station in Stouffville. Thousands more hours will be spent rearing the fish until they are ready for release next fall as fingerlings.

Summer boating anglers appreciate coho for the large schools they travel in, while stream and onshore fishermen value coho for the fall angling opportunities.

The return of the coho salmon fishery to Lake Ontario is just one of many conservation partnerships the O.F.A.H. has spearheaded. Other initiatives include:

• Management of the O.F.A.H./Toronto Sportsmen’s Show Ringwood Fish Culture Station in Stouffville, responsible for a large proportion of Lake Ontario’s stocking quota;
• Lake Ontario Atlantic Salmon Restoration Program, in partnership with M.N.R., Banrock Station Wines, LCBO, Canadian Sport Fishing Industry Association, Fishing Forever Foundation and others, bringing back Atlantic salmon, a lost ecological treasure and improving our coldwater streams;
• O.F.A.H./M.N.R. Invading Species Awareness Program, recognized internationally for combating the spread of aquatic invaders such as zebra mussels, goby, spiny water flea, and sea lamprey;
• O.F.A.H. hosted Community Stream Steward Program, works with landowners and volunteers on local coldwater stream restoration projects that support our fisheries and healthy waterways; and
• Advocacy for effective cormorant control programs.

With over 81,000 members and 655 member clubs, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters is the leading fishing, hunting and conservation organization in Ontario. For more information on the O.F.A.H. and its many conservation programs, visit www.ofah.org.

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