Eastern Basin Walleye
The Issue
■ Petition Title
Protect Eastern Basin Walleye: Stop NYSDEC's Outdated Annual Gill Net Surveys!
■ Target Recipients
• NYSDEC Lake Ontario NY Unit Leaders based in Cape Vincent NY.
• Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
■ Petition Text
We, the undersigned Lake Ontario anglers, local business owners, and conservationists, demand that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) immediately change its fish assessment methods in the Eastern Basin of Lake Ontario.
Annual gill netting operations kill far too many breeding-sized walleye. This severely harms a fish population that our local community and economy rely on. The NYSDEC claims they only kill about 60 walleye a year in these nets. Local fishermen know this claim does not reflect reality.
The ongoing damage to our fishery is unacceptable.
It is 2026. Relying on lethal gill nets is outdated, lazy, and unnecessary. The state already possesses superior, non-lethal tracking technology. There is a more ethical way to study these fish without killing them.
■ Our Demands to the NYSDEC Region 6 Fisheries Unit:
Stop Annual Gill Netting: Reduce survey netting in the Eastern Basin to once every three years instead of every year.
Rely on Existing Non-Lethal Tech: Expand the non-lethal hydroacoustic sonar surveys and acoustic telemetry tracking studies that the DEC already uses.
Use Ethical Field Alternatives: Replace lethal gill nets with harmless alternatives like trap nets, hoop nets, environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling, and localized electrofishing.
Mandatory Uninterrupted Live Feeds: Require all DEC survey vessels to broadcast continuous, live video streams from dock to dock to ensure complete transparency.
Independent Catch Audits: Enforce an independent, public review of all seasonal survey data to accurately report the true number of walleye killed or injured.
Sign this petition to protect Lake Ontario's Eastern Basin walleye. Demand that the
NYSDEC use modern, ethical research methods instead of lethal nets!
Petition Closed
The Issue
■ Petition Title
Protect Eastern Basin Walleye: Stop NYSDEC's Outdated Annual Gill Net Surveys!
■ Target Recipients
• NYSDEC Lake Ontario NY Unit Leaders based in Cape Vincent NY.
• Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
■ Petition Text
We, the undersigned Lake Ontario anglers, local business owners, and conservationists, demand that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) immediately change its fish assessment methods in the Eastern Basin of Lake Ontario.
Annual gill netting operations kill far too many breeding-sized walleye. This severely harms a fish population that our local community and economy rely on. The NYSDEC claims they only kill about 60 walleye a year in these nets. Local fishermen know this claim does not reflect reality.
The ongoing damage to our fishery is unacceptable.
It is 2026. Relying on lethal gill nets is outdated, lazy, and unnecessary. The state already possesses superior, non-lethal tracking technology. There is a more ethical way to study these fish without killing them.
■ Our Demands to the NYSDEC Region 6 Fisheries Unit:
Stop Annual Gill Netting: Reduce survey netting in the Eastern Basin to once every three years instead of every year.
Rely on Existing Non-Lethal Tech: Expand the non-lethal hydroacoustic sonar surveys and acoustic telemetry tracking studies that the DEC already uses.
Use Ethical Field Alternatives: Replace lethal gill nets with harmless alternatives like trap nets, hoop nets, environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling, and localized electrofishing.
Mandatory Uninterrupted Live Feeds: Require all DEC survey vessels to broadcast continuous, live video streams from dock to dock to ensure complete transparency.
Independent Catch Audits: Enforce an independent, public review of all seasonal survey data to accurately report the true number of walleye killed or injured.
Sign this petition to protect Lake Ontario's Eastern Basin walleye. Demand that the
NYSDEC use modern, ethical research methods instead of lethal nets!
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Petition created on August 19, 2026