Utoo Radio with Other News Sources - March 23 2025 - Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg, an Indigenous community in Ontario, is urging the Ontario government to protect White Lake from illegal commercial fishing.

The community has been calling for enforcement for eight years, but the province has not acted.

The Indigenous community claims that large-scale poaching will kill the fish population and could take up to 20 years for the lake to recover.

The community has set up community-led checkpoints at lake access points to deter illegal activity, but the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has not intervened.

The community has repeatedly called on the province to investigate and track where illegally harvested walleye are being sold, but those requests have gone unanswered.

The community is now calling for stronger enforcement of existing laws, including the deployment of conservation officers.

The province has been meeting with the community since November 2024 to better understand their concerns.

Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg plans to resume patrols this spring, monitoring lake access points and tracking fishing activity.