CHANGES BASICALLY ELIMINATE RECREATIONAL BOATING
The Federal government has just announced a slate of drastic changes to its Riding Mountain National Park (RMNP) Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) program for 2023. In all my 41 years in the industry I have never heard of anything like it in this part of the world. It basically eliminates all boating on the lake other than those who might have a cottage and don’t fish other waters during the open water season
These changes will have major repercussions for boaters, anglers, and the local economy. The following link https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/
- Last year zebra mussel DNA was found in Clear Lake in RMNP, and subsequent samples were all negative.
- These restrictions on boat use in Clear Lake will make it impossible for the vast majority of boaters and anglers to use Clear Lake. Given the popularity of this lake, the damage to the local economy will be in the millions.
- Boats that only use Clear Lake, and no other lakes, will be the sole boats allowed on Clear Lake.
- All powered boats, even those with electric motors, will now be banned on Lake Audy and Moon Lake.
Many of the stakeholders in this province openly question the process and lack of transparency. The Manitoba Wildlife Federation wonders why this program deviates from the current provincial AIS Strategy? The Park is also only giving boaters a two week window to get their boat tags, that have to be replaced any time they launch in Clear Lake. The main boat launch has also been put off limits and you will have to go down to Boaters Bay, another controversial move.
I have been going to Clear Lake for most of my life, enjoying this great fishery with family and friends. That is all over with now, and I don’t have any plans to go back the way things stand.