Fishing industry in Windsor-Essex shut down during peak season due to COVID-19

The onset of COVID-19 happened to coincide with the annual run of walleye into southwestern Ontario and that means big losses for local fishing guides and other fishing-related businesses.

"The guides are suffering right now, I know a lot of the local bait shops are suffering.It's tough," fishing guide Kyle Moxon said.

Moxon said this is prime time for the local fishing industry normally with many tourists visiting the regionfrom elsewhere in Canada, the U.S. and other countriesto take advantage of the annual walleye run into the Detroit River.

"We get millions and millions of walleye that enter the river," Moxon said. "This goes on from April all the way on to early June."

He said the early spring this year gave operators a chance to cash in on some extra revenue, but that would not last. Moxon shut down his business about three weeks ago when the province began ordering non-essential businesses to close.

"I book almost a year in advance, so I had to send a lot of deposits back," Moxon said. "If I had to put a number on it, I'veprobably already lost about $6,000, and I'm thinking I'm probably going to lose over $30,000 just this spring alone. I'm sure the numbers are even higher for bait shops."

Boat ramps closed

Moxon said for those that can't operate their businesses, even getting their boats into the water at all has become problematic.

"Now a lot of guys locally, they're laid off, they're trying to get out with their families to get some walleye for the table so they don't have to go to the grocery store where they have a chance at contracting the virus," he said.

Following an order from the province on March 30to shut down public parkamenities, the City of Windsor shut down all of itsboat ramps and other municipalities in the region, such as Leamington, have done the same.

"It's just getting tougher and tougher for the fishing community here," Moxon said.

Mike Borovicnormally works on the assembly line at the Chrysler plant but because of COVID-19 is not working right now finding the boat ramps closed for him, was disheartening.

He said he's trying to get away from the shoreline and away from people who are still allowed walk-through accessin city green spaces while maintaining physical distancing without fear of penalty. He doesn't understand why the step was taken to stop people from getting away from the shoreline.

"If you practice the six foot rule you're fine, like me and my wife in an 18 foot boat, we're perfect and 90 per cent of the time," Borovic said. "I'm not seeing a congregation of people out there."

Borovicalso referenced the boats you could see from the shoreline which he believes are from Michigan for the most part. In that state, they have shut down parks and marinas but made an exception for boat ramps.

Borovic said he eats fish about three times a week and these closures, for him, are taking away a food source.

"A healthy food source it is," he said.

As of Friday, the municipality of Chatham-Kent had not closed down its boat launches as it was not explicitly mentioned in directives from the province but Mayor Darrin Canniffsaid that could change.

In a written response from the office of Premier Ford, a spokesperson pointed out that the closure of public amenitieswas not limited to just what was listed in their release and that their order extended to private facilities as well.

"People need to stay in self-isolation," a statement from Premier Ford's office read.

"They shouldn't be launching their boat right now. We need to flatten the curve and protect ourselves and others in our community."