The Blue Fish Radio Show

Jeff Butler produces the biweekly newsletter Plug Boats featuring everything electric that has to do with boat propulsion. After the big electric boat advertising push by organizers of the 2024 Toronto International Boat Show, I knew I had to get Jef on the podcast to find out more about electric boats. He did not disappoint – link to hear my conversation with Jeff Butler from Plug Boats on The Bl...

The Great Lakes Fish Health Network led the charge to research and pen an article titled, “Governing for transboundary environmental justice: a scientific and policy analysis of fish consumption advisory programs in the Upper St Lawrence River.” On January 29 2024 Lawrence and Scotty discuss why different government jurisdictions offer contradictory fish consumption advisories on Canadian Fishing...

It’s always a pleasure to speak with artists who have a focus on fish on The Blue Fish Radio Show. Nick Mayer has been earning his living full time painting fish and related fish art, and judging from the reaction in my own home, a truly extraordinary artist. His Mission is to connect People with Nature by appreciating it’s beauty. Not only does Nick paint, but He’s caught over 75 species of fish...

On Canadian Fishing Network Live Lawrence and Scotty talk about the slow start to the ice fishing season, Great Lakes ice coverage, the importance of women fishing associations, Lawrence’s editorial on finding commonalities between indigenous fishers and recreational anglers, threats posed by Alberta’s irrigation channels to wild Cutthroat Trout, and their 130 lakes suitable for ice fishing, five...

Abraham Francis is a member of the Mohawks of Akwesasne where he serves as the Environmental Science Officer. Abe speaks with Lawrence about the historic connection Mohawk First Nations people have with the fish of the St. Lawrence River, why his people were forced to suspend this connection for the past two generations, what’s being done to re-build this relationship, and why understanding fish h...

Catch the Blue Fish News Live on Canadian Fishing Network for January 8 2024. Lawrence Gunther and Scottie Martin cover finesse fishing trends, fishery biologist scholarships, Clam Pro Tackle’s commitment to move away from Lead, and up-coming outdoor shows:

National Geographics Monster Fish TV hosts Zeb Hogan and Stefan Lovgren have just released their new book, Chasing Giants, In Search of the World’s Largest Freshwater Fish. Zeb Hogan is a research biologist at the University of Nevada, an advisor to the UN Convention of Migratory Species, and our guest on The Blue Fish Radio Show. Zeb’s adventures around the world researching and filming over 30 o...

Scotty and Lawrence discuss what it says about marine mammals when a large pod of dolphins surrounds a female whale about to give birth in order to protect her baby from sharks. Lawrence shares more news about the Future Angler Foundation, the rebounding Atlantic Cod stocks around Newfoundland, the important role of artisanal fishers, how commercial fishing should be regulated to address rapid adv...

Scotty and Lawrence talk about the Ultimate Ice Fishing Show, and then Lawrence asks Scotty a series of questions on ice fishing preferences causing the CFN audience to wade in. Lawrence has several news items to share including a ban on fishing announced in certain national parks to control Whirling Disease, and news about the new Saskatchewan Fishing League App. Lawrence discusses his plans to t...

Scotty and Lawrence talk about the Killer Whales off the coast of Spain that are routinely sinking pleasure boats, the hunting partnership between Killer Whales and Greenland hunters, Ontario’s MNRF fish species priorities, Watersheds Canada’s new direction and leadership with respect to fishing, the status of fish health on the Upper St. Lawrence River and the work of the River Institute, causes...

Scotty and Lawrence discuss the Atlantic Glass Eel fishery, why conservation needs to be the corner-stone of all fishing regulations and enforcement, water abundance in the Great Lakes, the Alberta Conservation Associations yearly effort to aerate trout lakes and keep ice fishing safe, why Westcoast fish farms are being shut down but not east coast operations, and the threat to wild salmon from es...

Lawrence speaks with Future Angler Foundation President Patrick Neu about the origin, mission and future plans to get more youth out fishing. Pat describes how they were able to achieve TV broadcasting success on PBS, and why youth need to learn about boating safety and responsible fishing as part of their introduction to the sport. Lawrence and Pat also discuss the many new challenges facing fish...

On the Oct. 23, 2023, Blue Fish News on CFN Live, Lawrence and Scottie discuss the future sale of Frenchman Bay on Lake Ontario, what it could mean for access to fishing, and other private land access issues across Canada. We hear about a petition to ban salmon fishing on an Ontario River, and FOCA’s water quality and Watersheds Canada’s shoreline restoration programs. We get an update on the sele...

On the Oct. 16, 2023 edition of Blue Fish News on CFN Live, Scottie and Lawrence discuss what to do when a Conservation Officer asks you to help bust salmon poachers. The pitfalls of public shaming on social media are explored as are the fate of nine Killer Whales caught in the net of an Alaskan salmon trailer.

Kat Kavanagh is the founder and Executive Director of Water Rangers, a Canadian NGO focussed on equipping and inspiring youth and others to test, document and share data on the state of Canada’s rivers and lakes. For the past year Kat and Blue fish Radio president Lawrence Gunther have been planning and implementing a collaboration to integrate quantitative fish health data into the Water Ranger p...

Brian Morrison has over 20 years of direct experience researching and providing advice on the state of Lake Ontario’s salmon stocks. His knowledge of the different historic and present fishes in the lake is impressive, which is why Brian is our guest on The Blue fish Radio show. Brian speaks with host Lawrence Gunther about wild and hatchery fishes in Lake Ontario, how science and policy have fall...

Lawrence and Scotty discuss a recent case of anglers cheating by trimming the tails of Northern Pike. The two then debate what exactly constitutes a kayak with respect two kayak fishing tournaments. Scotty brings up forward facing sonar and whether kayak tournament anglers should be prevented from using the technology, and Lawrence talks about the 120-year-old fish camp that is a neighbor to the B...

Scotty and Lawrence discuss a highly problematic news story concerning the actions of anglers fishing for Lake Ontario’s spawning salmon, but not before the two cover a range of fish and fishing stories from across Canada. Everything from the impact of heat and drought in western Canada on deep water marine life and spawning salmon, to the most humane way to harvest fish, which also turns out to e...

Dr. Hannah Harrison is an expert on small scale Great Lakes fisheries and our guest on this episode of the Blue Fish Radio Show. Dr. Harison speaks with Lawrence about Lake Ontario’s diminishing commercial fisheries and what establishing a National Marine Conservation Area could mean for fishing in general. Dr. Harison is a professor with the Marine Affairs Program at Dalhousie University, and rec...

Host Lawrence Gunther discusses with Sean Simmons the incredible head-way the My Catch angler app by Angler Atlas is contributing to fishery research. Canada will once again be head-lining a series of seminars at the 2023 American Fishery Society Conference. Find out how anglers are using this citizen science tool to support fishery research across Canada on The Blue Fish Radio Show.

Host Lawrence Gunther speaks with fishing legend, author and sport fishing hull of fame inductee Darryl Choronzey about the past and present state of Lake Ontario, it’s native fish species, the rise of pacific salmon domination, his favorite salmon, costs associated with stocking Chinook, Coho and Atlantic, the problem with salmon poaching on rivers, and the role Ontario needs to take to build and...

Scottie Martin and I discuss the role forward looking sonar played during the St. Claire River B.A.S.S. elite tournament, the choice to eat locally caught fish, knowing what you’re eating and what’s in it, where to source Tilapia, seafood fraud, and the use of Butterfish as a common substitute for Tuna in sushi restaurants. And finally, I relay my experience eating at the Le Poisson Bleu restauran...

Recorded live on Canadian Fishing Network July 24 2023, Scottie Martin and I discuss catching and eating Bowfin, extreme weather impacts and the Pacific ocean garbage patch, angler encounters with Great Whites off the coast of New Brunswick, Megalodon versus Great Whites and seal predation, shark habitualisation to humans due to shark encounter tourism, and the need for anglers to step up to save...

Sleiman Al Jasem took over the “County Catch” fish processing business from local Prince Edward County fishers in 2021 after arriving in Canada from Syria as a refugee. His focus is purchasing, processing and selling locally caught Whitefish, yellow and White Perch, and Pickerel harvested from the Bay of Quinte and Lake Ontario surrounding Prince Edward County. Demand is never an issue, it’s the l...

The Blue Fish Radio Show is pleased to be back at the Glenora Fishery Research Station six years later to speak once again with MNRF’s Collin Lake about the state of fisheries in Lake Ontario’s eastern basin. Topics include greater access to urban recreational anglers, whether the commercial fishery on Lake Ontario is underutilize, the downward shift in nutrients and what it means for fishes, fish...