(Image courtesy Mark Ribble/Southpoint Sun)
Lake Erie’s fishery industry is getting a $10-million boost from the province.
According to a media release the money will be used to upgrade two fisheries management facilities in Wheatley and Port Dover in order to strengthen recreation and commercial fishing.
Minister of Natural Resources Mike Harris travelled to Wheatley to make the announcement Oct. 31.
“Commercial and recreational fishing in Lake Erie are critical resources to southwestern Ontario’s economy, featuring world-class fisheries that generate millions of dollars and sustain thousands of jobs,” Harris said. “As part of our government’s plan to protect Ontario, this investment will help boost our province’s economic growth and agri-food sector by ensuring these fisheries are able to stay competitive and resilient in the face of economic uncertainty.”
The upgrades include replacing aging infrastructure, expanding the space at both locations and incorporating new technologies to enhance safety and improve efficiency.
The laboratories where fish samples are processed will be enhanced as well.
Construction will begin over the next two years with the Port Dover site set to open by 2027 and the Wheatley facility by 2029.
Chatham-Kent–Leamington MPP Trevor Jones, Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, said the investment will support fisheries and protect Ontario’s food security.
“Our government is proud to support the people who work in our agri-food sector and will continue to make the critical investments that ensure a sustainable and resilient food supply for the people in our communities,” Jones said.
Lake Erie has one of the world’s largest freshwater commercial fisheries, bringing in an economic benefit of $200 million per year, supporting around 1,000 jobs in the fishery and fish-processing sectors.
From 2004 to 2023, Lake Erie contributed an average of 82 per cent of the total commercial fish harvested from the Great Lakes.
Lake St. Clair is a significant recreational fishery in southwestern Ontario, supporting world-class muskellunge, yellow perch and bass fisheries, while the St. Clair River supports fisheries for walleye and rainbow trout. The Detroit River supports a significant walleye fishery in the spring.
