An Inch At A Time
You don’t often hear the statement “our lake is in great shape, the fishery is better than ever, our shoreline is cleaner, and the overall water quality is better”. The truth of the matter is that it is unfair to compare our lakes today vs 50 years ago simply because lakes change, populations increase and more human activity is evident everywhere. But if you compared your lake to 20 years ago there is little doubt many of them are actually in better shape. There are fewer chemicals, less raw sewage, and in many situations the fish populations are more understood and actually higher than in the ‘good old days’.
In no small part organizations like the Ontario B.A.S.S. Federation Nation are partially responsible. Not only do we strongly advocate catch and release and other sound conservation principles but every year OBFN club members across the province roll up their sleeves and help improve our lakes, streams, rivers, and wetlands. Projects range from picking up garbage, naturalizing shorelines, constructing fish habitats and participate in research programs in cooperation with staff from our local Ministry of Natural Resources offices. Combined with educating other anglers and the general public about our precious resource, OBFN members strive to ensure there’s a healthy environment so that we can continue to pursue our passion for decades to come.
We also have a strong commitment to ensure our future anglers and caretakers of the resource are actively involved. Our Junior Bassmasters must complete two conservation projects a year in order to participate in the tournament qualifications process. They learn to be ambassadors to the sport of fishing and the membership in general.
The process of changing improving even a handful of Ontario’s 250,000+ lakes is slow. Sometimes it takes years to make small changes that might set the foundation for something bigger and better for future generations. Please help us to ensure the momentum of change continues.
COMMUNITY FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE
INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM
Ontario B.A.S.S. Federation Award
The Ontario B.A.S.S. Federation (OBF) has sponsored the Best Student Poster Presentation at our Annual General Meeting. The Ontario B.A.S.S. Federation is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and conserving angling opportunities in the Province of Ontario. The OBF is made up of over 700 members who are actively involved in ecological restoration projects, youth programs and promoting recreational angling. As a token of appreciation the OBF honours the most outstanding graduate student research poster with the OBF Student Poster Award.
The OBF Student Poster Award is presented to best student poster presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Ontario Chapter of the AFS-OC since 2005. The OBF Award consists of a copy of Black Bass: Ecology, Conservation and Management (Phillip and Ridgway eds.) and a one-year membership to the American Fisheries Society and the Ontario Chapter.
The 2008 winner was Sarah McConnachie (left), from the Carleton University. Sarah received her award from from OBF member Jay Barnucz (right). Her presentation was titled "A comparison of nearshore fish sampling gears in Oneida Lake, New York" and the abstract is available in the November 2008 Newsletter.
Draft Lake Simcoe Protection Plan
The Lake Simcoe Protection Act and the Draft Lake Simcoe Protection Plan raise the bar for environmental protection of watershed in ways that Ontario has never done before...full story
Lake Simcoe Bass Tagging Research Project
In 2006 Wil Wegman Director of Conservation for the Ontario B.A.S.S. Federation Nation and the Aurora Bassmasters initiated a research project to determine the growth rates of Lake Simcoe's renowned trophy smallmouth bass. The project was to be conducted over several years and use fish caught in various tournaments throughout lakes Simcoe and Couchiching. .
ACT Now!
Quinte Bassmasters Support Outdoor Education
The H. R. Frink Outdoor Education Centre was established at the Plainfield Conservation Area near the city of Belleville in the Province of Ontario in 1972 by the Hastings County Board of Education and the Moira River Conservation Authority. It was named after Herbert Frink, a well-known local educator and conservationist who was an advocate of outdoor education. Paul Taylor, an employee of the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board, currently oversees the Centre’s operations.
Paul and staff at “The Frink”, work with teachers to deliver quality outdoor education programs to thousands of local elementary and high school students each year. They operate and maintain a maple syrup ‘sugar bush’ and an extensive Wetland Ecology Boardwalk. Also on site are two portable classrooms adorned with displays from the natural world. In one of the rooms, only a thin layer of glass separates students from the inner workings of a thriving hive of live honey bees. Additionally, the Centre includes a ‘Sustainability Demonstration Site’, showcasing alternative building methods, renewable energy sources, a constructed wetland for grey water treatment, and a composting toilet system.
