I met with the teams at Mitcham Angling Club and VRFish earlier this week to discuss how we can make recreational fishing in the City of Whitehorse a reality. The City of Whitehorse currently offers no opportunities for fishing, even choosing to prohibit this recreational activity under its by-laws. What this has meant for the community is that they must travel outside their municipality much further to find a recreational fishing spot.

While families have been driving long distances this whole time, a great fishing opportunity sits right under their noses. Blackburn Lake Sanctuary is situated only 4 kilometres from the Mitcham Angling Club and is already well frequented as a walking and play area by many members. Blackburn Lake is currently filled with carp, which is not ideal for the local environment or for fishing. There are many community stakeholders who have expressed their interest in helping to remove the carp and introduce environmentally friendly fish to make this the perfect recreational fishing spot for families. Mitcham Angling Club works to bring the community together and educate families on how to ensure fishing is practised in a responsible, environmentally aware and sustainable manner. I understand a petition is about to be launched that hopes to make fishing at Blackburn Lake a reality. I will be supporting this petition, and I urge you to do the same. This is a project that I am excited about.

Recreational fishing in Blackburn Lake

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