Fishing Licensing Exams?

[MuskieBait]

(01-05-2013 12:50 AM)woolyworm Wrote:  I think it is silly to blame immigrants for fishing problems... almost all of us *are* immigrants (or descendants of immigrants). Complaining about immigrants just seems racist to me.

I'm an immigrant myself...1st generation Canadian...originally from Hong Kong...

I still think some (not all) immigrants are fishing without license or with disregard to the law, and it is still an issue to address. Some of the things that I overhear from my ethnic group is appalling. I've also seen people of my culture rape and pillage a certain lake. Just a couple of years ago, I saw Lake Scugog turned from slab crappie producer to a dead state in one location due to the spread of word and unethical fishing from certain ethnic groups. Some "anglers" tossed undersized fish on the ice to die, some "anglers" kept fish of ANY size since cultural cuisines include fish soup (they argue fish of any size can be used to make soup), and large individual prime spawners never get the release. I was a sad state. I don't like stereotype, and I don't like targeting certain ethnic groups...but as a Chinese-Canadian, I was ashamed to associate myself with "those people"...

Just my $0.02...telling it like it is...you can't hide skin colour...

Again...not all Chinese anglers are bad...but some of them are so very darn visible...and make the rest of us look so very darn BAD!!!

Better ethnic program is still needed...maybe commercials in various ethnic TV stations in the respective language...more community involvement...education programs...etc.

However, I think a fishing license exam should still be considered.

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(01-17-2013 08:07 PM)Giuga10 Wrote:  

(01-16-2013 11:12 AM)rich_ace_G Wrote:  We've all been fishing since we were kids and know the do's and dont's and we have guidelines for that. I find that most people who don't follow the rules are the ones who don't really understand it or just don't care.

I've been fishing since I was 5, I'm 15 now and in September I made a huge mistake by breaking a certain rule that I didn't know was a rule until the members on this forum let me know, I thought it was just frowned upon. In turn I learned from my mistakes and am now able to share this knowledge with other new and old fisherman who don't know this.

I completely disagree to what you said about ''We've all been fishing since we were kids and know the do's and dont's'' we are always learning no matter what age, just because we've been fishing since our childhood it doesn't mean we know it all.

I like to use my dad as an example because he has been fishing since the day he could walk and I am still correcting him and teaching him about fishing laws that he never even knew existed.

Giuga10

I also have to say that some of the worst offenders are the older generation who are either ignorant to look at changes to the regulation...or those who simply don't care.

Things I sometimes hear...

"I've been fishing for (this many) years and I've always kept 4 trout. There are still as many fish today as (this many) years ago"...when the limit across the region was reduced to 2 lake trout for seasonal license

"My family's been fishing here since grandpa got the cottage and you never need a license"

"You can always keep walleye as long as they are big enough for the pan"...where there is a slot limit on the lake

Ever heard of the phrase "the blind leading the blind"?