'No choice'- northwestern Ontario community moves to protect natural resources
Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg is taking action to prevent illegal commercial fishing at White Lake
As walleye prepare to spawn in White Lake, near the Town of Marathon, Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg is once again mobilizing to protect the fish population from illegal commercial fishing, a responsibility the community says should fall to the Ontario government.
Despite repeated calls for enforcement over the past eight years, the Indigenous community says the province has refused to act, leaving the community to monitor and patrol the lake on its own. Officials have not engaged with Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg since January.
'We have no choice'
"For too long, the governments have ignored their responsibility to protect White Lake, leaving our community to do the work they refuse to do," said Chief Louis Kwissiwa. "We are mobilizing again because we have no choice—if we don't act, the fishery will collapse. White Lake has sustained our people since time immemorial, and the province must step up before the damage is irreversible."
Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg says poaching by outsiders has put the lake's ecosystem at risk, with illegal nets being placed in key spawning areas.
Under Ontario fishing regulations, licensed anglers with a regular permit can keep up to four walleye, while those with a conservation licence are allowed two. However, Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg says large-scale poaching will kill the fish population.
"We're not willing to sacrifice that, it could take up to 20 years for our lake to recover. That's a long time. And, our people depend on the fish and the lake for their sustainability, for their way of life, our culture, our identity, who we are as a people," said Chief Kwissiwa.
Last year, Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg set up community-led checkpoints at lake access points, patrolling the water to deter illegal activity. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry did not intervene, Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg says, prompting the community to take enforcement into its own hands.
Here's what Chief Kwissiwa had to say in 2024:
Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg has repeatedly called on the province to investigate and track where illegally harvested walleye are being sold, but says those requests have gone unanswered.
'Detrimental impact on the way of life'
Kwissiwa says the impact of over fishing extends beyond the environment, affecting the community's way of life.
"If this continues, we'll have to shut down the lake for about 20 years in order for it to recover," he said. "That has a very detrimental impact, not just on the fish life in White Lake, but for the people of Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg… we've been there forever as far back as, a time before treaties."
Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg's enforcement efforts have received support from neighbouring Biigtigong Nishnaabeg, other Indigenous communities, local municipalities and the mayor of Marathon. But, Kwissiwa says the community should not have to take on this work alone.
No response from the province
Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg says it has attempted to engage both the provincial and federal governments on the issue, but has received little response. Now, they are calling for stronger enforcement of existing laws, including the deployment of conservation officers.
In an email to CBC News, a spokesperson for the province wrote, "the Ministry of Natural Resources' Enforcement Branch has been meeting regularly with Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg leadership since November 2024, to share information and better understand the community's concerns related to fishing on White Lake. We are committed to ongoing discussions and providing support related to these concerns this coming spring."
According to the province, they cannot comment on current enforcement operation initiatives.
In the meantime, Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg plans to resume patrols this spring, monitoring lake access points and tracking fishing activity.
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