The amount of allowable catches for yellow perch and walleye in Lake Erie for 2019 has been set.
The Lake Erie Committee (LEC), comprising of fishery managers from Michigan, New York, Ohio, Ontario and Pennsylvania, work together to set the total allowable catch each year. The amount of walleye has increased over last year while yellow perch took a sizeable drop.
The catch limit for walleye has been set at 8.5-million fish, up 20 per cent from last year. Ontario will be entitled to 3.6-million of the fish.
"The increased total allowable catch reflects positive recruitment during the previous few years and increases in population biomass. The Lake Erie Committee is optimistic about the status of walleye populations," the LEC said in a press release.
Meanwhile, yellow perch is set at 8.5-million pounds, down about 2-million pounds from 2018. Ontario will be allowed 4-million pounds.
The LEC said they are acknowledging reduced recruitment of yellow perch and expect that allowable catch numbers for perch could continue to decline in the area.
