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LAKE ERIE WALLEYE AND PERCH QUOTAS SET FOR 2005 COLUMBUS, OH -The Lake Erie Committee of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission recently announced the 2005 Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for walleye and yellow perch fisheries in Lake Erie, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The committee, composed of representatives from Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario, meets each March to set sustainable levels of catch for both fish species. The 2005 TAC for walleye is 5.8 million fish, with Ohio’s share or “quota” at about 3 million fish, a sizeable increase from last year's quota of 1.2 million fish. “We are now realizing the benefits of very conservative harvests on lake-wide walleye fisheries over the past four years,” said Steven A. Gray, chief of the ODNR Division of Wildlife. “The interagency effort to address population declines in this popular game fish has paid off and now we are seeing the greatest numbers of Lake Erie walleye since 1990.” Ohio's yellow perch quota is 5.4 million pounds of the lake-wide TAC of 11.8 million pounds. That amount is similar to last year's quota of 5.1 million pounds. “The yellow perch population is healthy and we are expecting another year of fantastic perch fishing on Lake Erie,” said Gray. The daily bag limit for walleye between March 1 and April 30 is three fish, increasing to six fish from May 1 through February 28, 2006. A minimum length of 15 inches per walleye also remains in effect year round. The daily bag limit for yellow perch is 30 fish year round with no size limit. Anglers can obtain more information on species harvest limits from the 2005-2006 Ohio Fishing Regulations available at any license outlet, or online at ohiodnr.com Source: ODNR |