The management of Ontario’s bait resources (i.e., baitfish and leeches) is challenging due to increasing environmental pressures, such as invasive species and diseases that threaten the health of native fisheries and aquatic ecosystems.
The harvest, movement, and use of bait pose a significant risk to Ontario’s fisheries and biodiversity. The purpose of this strategic framework is to describe Ontario’s policy direction regarding the harvest, use, and movement of bait by anglers and commercial operators. The direction provided is intended to reduce the ecological risks associated with the use and movement of bait, and to support the continued use of bait while providing transparency and certainty for a sustainable bait industry.
Learn more about the new rules for fishing with bait, including the use and transport of bait and commercial bait operations at: www.ontario.ca/page/ontarios-sustainable-bait-management-strategy-2020.
Bait Management Zones (BMZs) came into effect on January 1, 2022.