Anglers not to fish off causeways
People are mostly abiding by rules aimed at preventing littering and improving safety
With the reopening of fishing season, Peterborough County is reminding anglers and pedestrians that they are not allowed to trespass along causeways in the Kawarthas to fish from the sides.
County council implemented the trespass warrants about two years ago when concerned citizens noticed trash piling up on the sides of the causeways due to people fishing from the rocky edge.
The James A. Gifford and the Gannon’s Narrows causeways are main transportation links across bodies of water that can be dangerous at times and pose a fall hazard.
The causeways were designed to move vehicles from one side to the other, not to provide access for fishing and other recreational pastimes, the county advises.
The James A. Gifford Causeway runs across Chemong Lake, between Bridgenorth and Ennismore, while the Gannon’s Narrows Causeway crosses the channel between Buckhorn and Pigeon lakes.
“The county disallowed fishing along the causeways,” said Sheridan Graham, the county’s corporate services director. “Mainly for safety issues and because of the rock run-off into the water.”
Since the no fishing bylaw was implemented two years ago, people have been respecting it and the public has been good about reporting any violations they see, Graham said.
Enforcement for the causeways is continuing with the aim of educating people that are found along the sides of the causeways to help them understand that they are in a restricted area.
The Clean Marine initiative was started to combat the accumulation of refuse left behind by people who frequented the causeways to fish.
“Every spring we relaunch just to re-educate everybody,” Graham said. “Not just about the safety issues, but also about garbage and Clean Marine and then making sure that we keep our waterways clean.
“The Clean Marine initiative is to make sure that garbage is put in its place at the ends of the causeways,” Graham added.
It is not just about abiding by the laws, it is also about preserving nature and the lakes that are there for everyone to enjoy, Graham said.
Trash receptacles have also been placed at the ends of the causeways for people to dispose their garbage. There are a few spots for fishing along the Ennismore side of the causeway that includes the BEL Rotary Park.
“The areas outside of where the guide rails are have been identified as OK places to fish, as well as the Rotary Park on the Ennismore end is a safe place to fish,” Graham said.
“There is no safe place that runs along the Gifford causeway to fish except for those areas that we have identified to fish.”