Alberta releases 2024 fishing regulations

After a three-month delay, the Alberta Sportfishing Regulations 2024 were published on July 5. Until now, Alberta had been operating under the 2023 Sportfishing Regulations.

Updated regulations are typically issued in April, but deliberations on the rule changes have caused an unforeseen delay. Some changes have been implemented, but work is still ongoing.

Under the 2024 legislation, the only change in the Lakeland region is the gun ownership limit in Cold Lake.

Fish possession limits in Cold Lake are as follows: 3 walleye over 50 cm, 1 northern pike over 63 cm, 15 yellow perch, 10 lake whitefish, 10 burbot, and 1 lake trout 65-70 cm in length from May 15 to September 14 and from November 16 to March 31 (0 lake trout from September 15 to November 15).

“My hope for the future is that more of our lakes will be open to fishing, allowing us to keep more of our catch,” Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul MP ​​Scott Cyr said in response to the 2024 legislation.

“Minister (Todd) Loewen has been working diligently behind the scenes on this issue and I greatly appreciate his efforts. One of the significant changes in the new regulations is that the Cold Lake regulations have been brought into line with Saskatchewan regulations, as the lake is shared between the two provinces.”

In a new regulatory guide, Todd Loewen, minister of forestry and parks, says the 2024 fishing season was not a typical year in terms of scheduling.

“With the goal of incorporating your feedback and ideas into how we manage these resources, fisheries staff have been working hard behind the scenes to transform the way recreational fisheries are managed in the province… Choosing sound management approaches means we will continue to see the benefits of this work for generations.”

Loewen says the government is taking steps to identify potential changes.

“The proposed changes will be presented to Albertans in the coming months, ahead of the 2025 fishing season. Our goal is to continue to protect and conserve fish populations while creating opportunities to catch and harvest fish with a variety of fishing opportunities. We will continue to promote the use of this renewable resource for all to enjoy.”

Despite few changes to regulations in the NB1 area, which includes Lakeland, retired biologist Ray Makowecki says the increase in water possession limits in Cold Lake is a good indicator of future changes and believes the rule changes are an indication that public opinion is being taken into account.

“At least there’s an opportunity to catch some fish, so that’s good. The discussion included some public suggestions. So yes, there was movement to increase fishing opportunities, we think there are some other opportunities and we believe the minister is confirming to us that it’s still in the review process and that review process will hopefully have a complete revision of the regulations by 2025,” said Makowecki, a sustainable fishing opportunities advocate with the regional lobbying group Next Step Team, which is made up of anglers, business owners, city politicians and Fish and Game,

Cyr has submitted a formal application to Loewen’s department in an effort to increase sustainable harvesting opportunities.

“This application is to investigate the effects of stocking and transplanting yellow perch and walleye, and to implement a combination of management techniques for cormorants in northeastern Alberta. Our goal is to ultimately restore a healthy angling industry while maintaining and enhancing fish habitat where possible,” Cyr said.

“While I understand that many people, including myself, were hoping to see more lakes open, I know that Minister Loewen is committed to ensuring sustainable fishing practices that will allow us to continue catching fish in the long term.”

Makowecki describes regulatory reform as a complex process involving a variety of lakes, environmental factors, social factors, sustainability and historical context.

Asked why it is taking so long for the regulations to change, Makowecki referred to the efforts made by the Alberta government to collect and process public feedback, which needs to be considered in the context of recent drought concerns and scientific data.

It takes time for public opinion and scientific data to coalesce. Consideration of current environmental threats and a healthy dose of caution, fueled by memories of previous lake collapses, made the deliberation process long.

The division of responsibilities between management bodies requires cooperation.

“There are two ministries responsible for fish management, one deals with hunting and fishing regulations and the other one is more of a scientific world – environment and protected areas, as it is called – has a lot of biologists. Fish and Wildlife used to be one department, and now the officials are also separated, so they are in a third department,” says Makowecki

However, the discussion about regulatory changes is nothing new.

“I’ve been involved in this discussion for 25 years. Especially the last big meeting in Lac La Biche and Lac Bellevue in 2016, so it’s almost 10 years where I had something like the Next Step Team, and also a group of volunteer biologists, and those groups were constantly communicating with the government,” Makowecki said.

According to Makowecki, “Over the past 25 years, restrictive fishing regulations have significantly reduced fishing. As a result, the number of fishing licenses sold to Albertans has declined as Alberta’s population has increased. Government data and angler catch information suggest abundant walleye in several lakes and healthy pike populations in the walleye lakes. Despite this, there is reluctance to open the lakes to fishing.”