Commercial fishing ships at the Rondeau (Erieau) Harbour. February 14, 2019. (Photo by Matt Weverink)Commercial fishing ships at the Rondeau (Erieau) Harbour. February 14, 2019. (Photo by Matt Weverink)
Windsor

Commercial fishery preparing to go digital

The Great Lakes Fishery could be the next industry to go digital.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry said it is working with the industry to figure out what services can go online after the fishery lobbied it for an easier way to report its catch and renew licensing.

"We are listening to the industry and working with them to modernize processes to make doing business easier and more efficient," said Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry Graydon Smith.

The Executive Director of the Ontario Commercial Fisheries' Association called it a "big move forward."

"It will provide significant benefits by streamlining the process of renewing annual commercial fishing licenses, making the process less cumbersome," said Jane Graham.

Ontario has more than 600 active commercial licenses.

Between 2016 and 2020, commercial fishers in Ontario harvested an annual average of more than 22 million pounds of fish, contributing $200-million to the provincial economy.

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