FHC Newsletter – Vol. 1 – MAY ’21

Our Mission:

Our mission is to work collaboratively with all interested and invested parties to ensure the Hoople Creek/Hoople Bay Fishery remains healthy, well managed and available to all stakeholders for recreational purposes.

1. Update on Purchase of Underwater Fish Camera/Counter
2. Update on Water Level Lobbying Efforts
3. Update on Protecting Spawning Grounds – ‘No Trespassing for Purposes of Fishing or Hunting’ signs
4. Update on Potential Stocking of Hoople Creek
5. Formal Organization of Not-for-Profit – ‘Friends of Hoople Creek’

Update on Purchase of Underwater Fish Camera/Counter

We have made contact with Christopher Bunt, President of Biotactic Fish and Wildlife Research, regarding the potential purchase of one of his company’s cameras that are installed in other rivers in Ontario. Interested readers can find out more information about these cameras here: https://www.biotactic.com/bravo-node-10/. Our Fund Raising effort is having very limited success but will continue in an effort to establish a capacity for all members to effectively monitor the spawn each spring from the comforts of their home computer.

Update on Water Level Lobbying Efforts

Some of you may recall that we sent out a petition in early 2020 regarding the concerns for the fluctuating waters levels of Hoople Bay andthe impact on all aquatic life. We later sent a letter with over 1,000 signatures to the Chair of the International Joint Commission (IJC), Mr. Pierre Béland. Interested readers can view this letter at the following address: https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AtiuvlG%2DPgCPH8Q&cid=57B0CB0F4D72F308&id=57B0CB0F4D72F308%2117559&parId=root&o=OneUp. This letter was copied to several organizations including media outlets but with no success and no responses. The general consensus seems to be upstream flooding concerns trumps any interest in maintaining a consistent water level in Hoople Bay. However, we have been suggesting those concerns may have been a bit premature as we have confirmed that water levels in Lake Ontario are currently below average. In view of this, and with great patience, we have written to the ICJ once again asking why our Lake Saint Lawrence continues to be drained.

Update on Protecting Spawning Grounds by Erecting ‘No Trespassing for Purposes of Fishing or Hunting’ Signs

It turns out the land that provides the most direct access to the spawning grounds is Crown land. The original gate and fence have been taken down and a rudimental road has now provided convenient access to First Nations people spearing the spawning fish. We have made contact with one of the persons spearing the fish on an annual basis and they indicated they would like to work with us to identify a how best not to interfere with spawning beds whilst spearing. We have written to the Municipality of South Stormont, the Raison River Conservation Authority and the Ministry of Natural Resources seeking support for a designation of a ‘No Trespassing’ zone.

Update on Potential Stocking of Hoople Creek

We are having ongoing discussions with Mr. Steve McNevin, the Acting Lake Ontario Manager at the
Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry out of Picton, Ontario along with Mr. Michael Yuille, an Assessment Biologist. In fact, it was these gentlemen who suggested me may be interested in the fish counting cameras installed in other locations in Ontario. However, they are NOT supportive of any attempts to stock Hoople Creek with fingerlings – they have advised the walleye stocks of Lake Saint Lawrence are self-sustainable. They are referring to the following area for Lake Saint Lawrence – “Lake St. Lawrence extends upstream from Moses-Saunders Power Dam southwest approximately 46 km to the village of Iroquois, Ontario. The lake’s width is up to 7 km with a surface area of 259 km.” In turn, we have suggested that very well may be for all of Lake Saint Lawrence however we are interested in the specific area of Hoople Creek/Hoople Bay. There has not been hardly any walleye caught at all in the annual Ice fishing tournament for almost a decade! Whereas there used to be many! To that end, we sent out a short survey of fishers in the area and quickly obtained over 100 responses with 99% of the respondents asserting the Walleye stocks have diminished! That survey can be found at this address:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSddhpDdY_EnqV76NDQiOXffYd09V5vrd6DOg7t9CEo5ED0qZA/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0

We have also solicited support from our friends across the U.S. border – the Saint Lawrence River Walleye Association Board members. They have experienced considerable success in past years in their volunteer group stocking the river with walleye fingerlings. http://stlawrenceriverwalleyeassociation.com/index.html.

Formal Organization of Not-for-Profit – ‘Friends of Hoople Creek’

Readers of this newsletter are invited to consider getting very actively involved by submitting your name as a potential Board Member on the executive of this non-profit group of concerned citizens. Send your information to hooplecreek@cogeco.ca.

Finally, we will strive to keep you posted on a regular basis as our efforts continue to raise awareness of the plight of the Hoople Creek fishery. Please share this newsletter as you see fit and encourage all of your friends and family with a concern for Hoople Creek to join us!