Why Increase Enforcement?

In past years, Lesser Slave Lake has seen a dramatic increase in fishing pressure, particularly for walleye. Because users' demands on this priority fishery are significant, enforcement activities help to ensure that all users' harvests and methods are within legislated limitations. The enforcement strategy at Lesser Slave Lake encourages fair and sustainable harvest of walleye in this water body.

The goals of this strategy are to apprehend and prosecute violators, increase the chances of apprehension, and deter potential violators. Lesser Slave Lake is being monitored closely to ensure that people are complying with regulations. Conservation Officers check anglers at the shore and in boats around the lake, and also at road blocks in the Lesser Slave Lake area.

The enforcement, prevention and education strategies for the protection of Lesser Slave Lake's walleye population are focused on the following three issues:

• Walleye require special protection during spawning and migration. They may also require additional protection when fishing pressure is heavy in a particular area or at a particular time.
• Compliance with regulations helps ensure the sustainability of the walleye resource.
• Illegal harvest activities appear to result from opportunity rather than lack of knowledge, as education and awareness programs have been ongoing. People need to know that they may be stopped and checked for illegal harvest of walleye at any time.

Increased enforcement activities begin each year during the spring closure to protect spawning walleye. The commercial fishing harvest is monitored in both the east and west basins of Lesser Slave Lake through commercial net checks, fish box checks, fish plant checks, and records inspections. The commercial fishery in December is monitored in the same way. Subsistence domestic nets and harvests are monitored throughout the entire season. Enforcement officers hope their presence and activities encourage regulatory compliance.