Daily catch limits for walleye on Lake Nipissing have been reduced in an effort to help rebuild the troubled fishery.

The Ministry of Natural Resources announced Wednesday the daily catch limit will be reduced to two walleye from four for sport fishing licence holders and to one fish from two for conservation licence holders.

The new catch limits will take effect when the winter season opens Jan. 1 and will remain in place until further notice. The slot size is unchanged for both licences.

The MNR said in a release that the reduced catch limits are in response to a drop in the walleye population over the past two years and build on the recommendations of an advisory committee created to assist in its recovery.

The MNR began eyeing potential changes to the fishing regulations on Lake Nipissing during the summer following a review of data from 1967 to 2011, which concluded mainly fishing pressure has placed the walleye population in a vulnerable state.

The Lake Nipissing Project Walleye Advisory Committee was formed in July, consisting of local anglers, Nipissing First Nation and other stakeholders, to develop recommendations to help address the problem.

Ministry spokeswoman Lindsay Munroe said reducing the catch limits is a first step and that the MNR is assessing other options, including a request from a community group to increase restocking efforts.

The MNR said consultation with the advisory group, as well as dialogue with local First Nations regarding the commercial fishery will continue as it develops a long-term management plan for Lake Nipissing.

According to the MNR’s latest data review, Lake Nipissing’s walleye population is estimated at half of what it was during its peak in the 1980s, when it was at about 400,000 kilograms.

The review acknowledges there have been other ecosystem changes, such as the colonization of Lake Nipissing by doublecrested cormorants and the spiny water flea. But it indicates that the human harvest target of 66,000 kg, which includes commercial and recreational fishing, is unsustainable based on the current estimated population.

The health of Lake Nipissing’s walleye fishery has struggled for more than a decade, which has led to the introduction of a number of management regulations.

In 1999, the MNR introduced a slot size and catch limit of four instead of six — long before such rules were in place for most other lakes.

Then, in 2005, the MNR introduced a winter slot size on the lake, and Nipissing First Nation adopted its own fisheries management plan, including bylaws regulating harvest quotas and methods. Nipissing First Nation has also since imposed an annual moratorium on gill netting during the spring spawn, sanctioned members caught breaching it and funded fishery research and enforcement.

The MNR also introduced new regulations in 2007, extending the winter walleye fishing season to March 15 from March 7. The move was opposed by most tourist operators, who argued it was too soon for the ministry to begin allowing more pressure on the fishery. But the ministry said the changes were in response to public demand for more fishing opportunities and that data over the previous two years showed the fishery could handle the added pressure.

gord.young@sunmedia.ca