Commercial Fishery Seasonal Closure

2022 Commercial Fishing Season will close on October 31st

Nipissing First Nation’s Chief and Council have mandated the closure of the commercial fishery for the 2022 season effective Monday, October 31, 2022 at 9:00 a.m.  The closure will remain in effect until the end of the spring 2023 moratorium.

All commercial gill nets must be lifted by 9:00 a.m. on Monday, October 31, 2022.

This closure does not affect our members’ inherent, treaty-protected rights to harvest fish for subsistence or ceremonial purposes.

Members who plan to fish for subsistence must follow our Fisheries Law and are asked to notify our Fisheries Office by calling (705) 753-6991.  Miigwech to the registered commercial fishers and community members who respect the will of the community and follow the Fisheries Law and processes. 

Anyone selling fish harvested under the pretense of subsistence or ceremonial fishing will be considered to be in violation of NFN’s fishing laws and subject to enforcement measures under our Fisheries Law. 

For more information, or to report compliance issues, please contact Jeff McLeod, Natural Resources Manager at 705-753-2050 ext. 1325 or [email protected].

Background

NFN is committed to principles of sustainability and the protection of resources while maintaining the practice of our rights in a responsible way. 

We regulate our own fishery through assessments, active monitoring, data exchange and harvest reporting, and we collaborate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to enforce our Fisheries Law

NFN’s Gichi-Naaknigewin (Constitution) and Fisheries Law were ratified by Debendaagziwaad and are recognized by Ontario – a first that supports a new approach to fisheries management and nation-to-nation relationship building.

For more information and to view NFN’s Fisheries Law, please visit: nfn.ca/natural-resources/fisheries/

Click here to download this notice in PDF format.