Lake Ontario Committee

• Hot topics
• Members (last updated: 04/2011)
• Publications and Products
• Terms of Reference

The Lake Ontario Committee consists of senior staff members from the New York and Ontario agencies administering their respective fisheries. The Committee's purposes are to: 

• consider issues pertinent to, or referred by, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission; 
• consider issues and problems of common concern to member agencies; 
• develop and coordinate joint programs and research projects; and 
• serve as a forum for state, provincial, tribal, and federal agencies. 

For deliberations of this committee, Lake Ontario shall be considered to include all of Lake Ontario from the face of Niagara Falls to the 45th parallel of latitude on the St. Lawrence River, and, to the extent that they affect fish stocks of common concern, its bays, harbors, and tributaries. Decisions will be reached by consensus of the membership. When consensus cannot be achieved, the concerns of all agencies shall be described in the Committee's report to the Commission.

Hot Topics

The following discussion papers outline current fisheries issues and relevant scientific information relating to the St. Lawrence River fish community.  The committee welcomes your comments on these papers.  (Click here to comment)

• Draft Fish Community Objectives for the St. Lawrence River
• Double Crested Cormorants-are they a cause for concern?
• Habitat Changes-Thousand Islands, Middle Corridor, and Lake St. Lawrence
• Fish Communities and Fisheries of Lake St. Lawrence
• Fish Communities and Fisheries of the Thousand Islands and Middle Corridor

 

Members

Andy Todd, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Chair
Steve LaPan, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Vice-chair

 

Publications and Products

Special Publications

• The State of Lake Ontario in 2003
• 2003 Lake Ontario Fish Community Objectives Update
• Fish Community Objectives for Lake Ontario, 1999
• The state of the Lake Ontario fish community in 1989.

Executive Summaries

• March 2006
• March 2005
• March 2004
• March 2003
• March 2002
• March 2001
• March 2000
• March 1999
• March 1998
• March 1997
• March 1996 
• March 1994
• March 1993

Other Publications

• Workshop on safe downstream passwage of Amercian eel in the St. Lawrence River
• Native Prey Fish Re-Introduction into Lake Ontario:Bloater(Coregonus hoyi)
• Position Statement on American Eel
• American eel paper
• Lake Ontario Management Unit Annual Reports
• St. Lawrence River Fish Community Objectives
  • Survey
  • Report -- Tom Brown (Cornell U.)
  • NY letter to stakeholders
  • ON letter to stakeholders
• Ecosystem Watch: Status of the Lake Ontario Ecosystem
• A joint plan for the rehabilitation of lake trout in Lake Ontario (1983)

 

Terms of Reference

COMMITTEE NAME
 Lake Ontario Committee
 

AREA OF CONCERN
For deliberations of this Committee, Lake Ontario shall be considered to include all of Lake Ontario from the face of Niagara Falls to the 45th parallel of latitude on the St. Lawrence River, and, to the extent that they affect fish stocks of common concern, its bays, harbors, and tributaries.
 

COMMITTEE PURPOSE

1. To consider issues pertinent to, or referred by, the Great lakes Fishery Commission that are within the Committee's authority or under its auspices.
2. To consider issues and problems of common concern to New York and Ontario - these may be of interest to the commission.
3. To develop and coordinate joint state/provincial/ federal programs and research projects.
4. To decide issues for referral to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission or Council of Lake Committees for direction, resolution or support.
5. To serve as a forum for state, provincial, and federal agencies, and others, on a need/request basis.
6. To decide protocol for Committee operation, establish operational procedures for internal committees, develop meeting agenda, and elect officers.

 

MEETING SCHEDULE
The Committee shall meet annually at a time and place determined by the Committee.  The meeting shall be sufficiently in advance of the council of Lake Committees meeting and Annual Meeting of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to allow the preparation of material, reports, and recommendations for Commission review and action at the Annual meeting.  Additional committee meetings may be convened by the Committee Chairman to deal with special items of business.
 

MEMBERSHIP
The Committee shall consist of a senior staff member from the New York and Ontario agencies administering their respective fisheries.  Representatives should be able to speak for their respective agencies.  Each agency will designate an alternate who will serve in the absence of the member.  The Committee shall be assisted by experts and advisors from all agencies concerned.
 

OFFICERS

1. Chairman: The Chairman shall be a voting member and shall serve for two years. The chair shall alternate beginning in 1987 with New York State and the Province of Ontario. The new Chairman's term of office shall begin immediately following the Committee's annual meeting in odd-numbered years; the outgoing Chairman shall be responsible for presenting the Committee's report at the Commission's Annual Meeting.
2. Vice-chairman: A Committee member of the opposite country to that of the Chairman shall serve as Vice-chairman, and shall perform the functions of Chairman in the Chairman's absence. An American Vice-chairman will be selected by members from the United States.

 

ADVISORS
The Committee may request, as the need arises, expert advice or study on problems identified by the Committee.
 

ROLE OF SECRETARIAT
The Secretariat provides liaison between committee and commission, by assisting the Committee in the development and distribution of meeting agenda and minutes, and the preparation of briefing materials and reports as required.  The Secretariat assists in making local meeting arrangements, and facilitates the hiring of meeting Moms and Provision of refreshments by the Commission.
 

DECISIONS
Decisions will be reached by a consensus of the membership.  When consensus cannot be achieved, the concerns of all agencies shall be described in the Committee's report to the Commission.
 

SUB-COMMITTEES
 The Committee may, as it deems necessary, establish sub-committees.
 

REPORTING
The Committee shall transmit to the commission prior to the Commission's Annual Meeting, a report of the Committee's annual meeting including agency reports, reports of special committees and resolutions.
The Committee may request endorsement of its recommendations by the Council of Lake Committees and refer to the Council of Lake Committees item which have implications beyond the Committee's jurisdiction.
 
 

21 June 1989

Photo: American Fisheries Society