<font size="4">10 Environmental Best Practices for Fishing & Boating</font>
<b>By Stacey Atkinson </b>
Photo Credits: David Atkinson
<img src="http://www.fish-hawk.net/tips/environpr ... uthors.jpg">
<hr>
<img align="right" src="http://www.fish-hawk.net/tips/environpr ... 1.gif">You eagerly bait the hook and cast out into the vast morning air. The bait hits the slick water’s surface and your eyes follow the sinking lure through the sun’s refracted rays. The loons call back and forth to one another. The smell of nutrient rich water fills your nostrils. You patiently wait for that first morning bite on the end of the line.
Fishing has a way of taking you inside nature, and outside of day-to-day life. It’s more than a sport; it’s a lifestyle. It’s one of those things that you always say you’re going to do if you ever strike it rich, or find a way to have more free time.
Fishing is an addictive pleasure in life and definitely a top priority for those retirement years. So if you’re planning on investing some serious time into fishing, you owe it to yourself to ensure that the resource is well conserved. You can reduce your ecological footprint on nature by following these ten environmental best practices, which show you how to minimize your impact on lakes, fish, and surrounding areas when you take your boat out on the water.
<font size="3"><b><u>Environmental Best Practices for Fishing & Boating</u></b></font>
<img align="right" src="http://www.fish-hawk.net/tips/environpr ... c2.gif"><b> 1. Approach shorelines slowly, and carefully choose where to dock your boat. </b>Did you know that most shoreline erosion is caused by waves? Shoreline erosion impacts on property use, sensitive shoreline vegetation, increases soil distribution into the water, and impacts on fish and bird habitats.
<b>2. Help ensure stable fish stocks by obtaining a fishing permit and following designated catch and size limits, staying away from protected species, and returning unwanted fish to the water carefully and quickly.</b>
<img align="left" src="http://www.fish-hawk.net/tips/environpr ... .gif"><b>3. Choose lead free fishing sinkers and jigs.</b> Did you know that each year in Canada, an estimated 500 tonnes of lead from sinkers and jigs are lost in the water and kill thousands of birds each year? For more information on lead free alternatives, visit Canadian Wildlife Service <a href="http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/flf-psp/">Fish Lead Free website</a>.
<b>4. Fishing line left in the water can kill fish, birds and wildlife – so clean up! </b>Many tackle shops now offer fishing line recycling services, so ask about these services next time you’re out buying supplies.
<b>5. Minimize the risk of fuel spillage by filling your tank onshore or in port. </b> Did you know that 1litre of oil is capable of contaminating 2 million litres of water?
<b>6. Bring all litter back to shore and dispose of it properly in recycle/waste bins. </b>Six-hole pop can rings are notorious for entangling and killing birds. Also, butt out in your boat and not in the water. Birds, fish and animals can ingest cigarette butts, which contain tar and chemicals.
<b>7. Avoid cleaning your boat and equipment in the water. </b>If this is unavoidable, then plan ahead and purchase detergents and cleaners that are phosphate-free and biodegradable. For a complete list of alternatives to toxic cleaners for your boat, visit the Canada Coast Guard website.
<img align="right" src="http://www.fish-hawk.net/tips/environpr ... .gif"><b>8. Reduce air pollution emissions by keeping your engine clean and serviced, and using the right combination of oil/gas mixture for your two-strike engine.</b> Bring out the periodic table from high school chemistry class because here’s a list of what your engine emits: nitrogen oxides (Nox), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulphur oxides (SOx), carbon monoxide (CO), greenhouse gases, fine particulate matter, benzene, 1,3-butadiene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and other toxic substances.
<b>9. Avoid releasing hazardous materials into the water when servicing your boat. </b>These harmful materials include antifreeze (glycol), paint, thinner, oil, filters, bilge water, batteries, gasoline, and oily rags. Dispose of hazardous waste properly by calling your municipality and asking for the nearest hazardous waste drop off location.
<b>10. Lastly, and most importantly, teach your children about sustainable fishing and boating practices! </b>A great way to get your kid’s learning about conserving the environment is by visiting Natural Resource Canada’s <a href="http://www.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/kids/index_e.html">NRCat website</a> for kids and <a href="http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/greatlakes/defau ... nvironment Canada’s Great Lakes for Kids website</a>.
<hr>
<b>Sources:</b>
Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada web site 2003, http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/fishing/index_e.cfm
Canada Coast Guard, Fisheries and Oceans Canada website 2003, Protecting the Aquatic Environment: A boater’s guide at http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/obs-bsn/pubs/pme/main_e.htm
Great Barrier Reef Marine Authority, Waste disposal web site 2003, http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/corp_site/key_ ... posal.html
Great Lakes for Kids, Environment Canada web site 2003, http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/greatlakeskids/glk-home-e.html
NRCat, Natural Resources Canada website 2003, http://www.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/kids/index_e.html
Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Boaters Guide 2003, http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/watercraft/b ... cling.html
Pollution Prevention at Marinas, Environment Canada web site 2003, http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/pollution/fpd/pr ... 0-e.html#i
