Analysis of Public Comments on Experimental Regulations for Protecting Black Bass during The Spawning Period in Eastern Ontario Reveals Both Stakeholder Acceptance and Skepticism.

Autor: Zhang J; Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada. joelzhang@cmail.carleton.ca., Philipp DP; Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, 1816 S Oak Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA.; Fisheries Conservation Foundation, 302 E. Green Street #2102, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA., Claussen JE; Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, 1816 S Oak Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA.; Fisheries Conservation Foundation, 302 E. Green Street #2102, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA., Suski CD; Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA., Nguyen VM; Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada., Young N; School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies, University of Ottawa, 120 University Private, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada., Lombardo J; Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA., Cooke SJ; Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Environmental management [Environ Manage] 2024 Sep; Vol. 74 (3), pp. 532-546. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jun 04.
DOI: 10.1007/s00267-024-01996-0
Abstrakt: Recreational angling of nesting largemouth bass (Micropterus nigricans) and smallmouth bass (M. dolomieu) can greatly increase nest abandonment, and in the northern clines of their range, decrease recruitment. This is the case in eastern Ontario, where high levels of non-compliance and difficult to enforce regulations have impacted black bass (Micropterus spp.) conservation and management. Effective January 1, 2024 until December 31 st , 2025, novel and experimental fishing sanctuaries were imposed on portions of Charleston Lake and Opinicon Lake that prohibit recreational fishing of all types from April 15 th to the Friday before the first Saturday in July (encompassing the full bass reproductive season). As part of the formal process to institute these experimental regulations, public comments were collected on the Environmental Registry of Ontario. We examined those comments and identified supportive and non-supportive themes related to these experimental regulations. While a majority of stakeholders were in support of the new regulations, we also noted sub-themes that may hinder regulation acceptance. Those sub-themes include: a perceived lack of enforcement negating the potential benefits of the sanctuaries, under-estimation of the extent of non-compliance with existing regulations such that new regulations are unnecessary, misunderstanding and misinformation, as well as distrust of government and the academic research community. Understanding and addressing these stakeholder perspectives will help researchers studying the new sanctuary areas and managers understand any lack of compliance while informing future decisions about bass management in eastern Ontario and beyond.
(© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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