Councilor for the RM of Sifton, Scott Phillips, has been making the rounds installing new signage at community lake sites.

The signs share important information for anglers:

Walleye/Sauger possession limit - 4 fish - and they must be between 35 cm-55 cm (13.58 inches to 21.65 inches). 

Just to note: Anything smaller or larger that this must be returned to that waterbody.

A group of municipal leaders from the southwest region met with Manitoba Conservation and provincial representatives about a month ago with regards to angling regulations and aquatic invasive species.

Phillips says conversation led to the need for more conservation officers in the Westman Region, and the problem of how too many anglers continue to harvest well over the legal limit.

"There's such a demand for Conservation officers and a lack of presence in rural Manitoba and the fishing is out of hand with people catching all sorts of sizes and taking pailfuls of fish out, and there's low enforcement," he explains. "So, it was mentioned that along the Red River and some of the larger centers around Winnipeg they have signs that post the limits and sizes with a QR code in case there were any language differences."

Long story short, Phillips asked for this signage for the Westman Region and received 14 signs to share across Westman.  Thus far, ten communities have the new signs with plans for more in the works.

"So, we picked 14 spots to put up signs over the last couple of weeks and we got most of it done in one day," he shares. "It was a great turnout by different Game & Fish representatives and local officials, and we put them in where we deemed as the hot spots of the area."

"Hopefully this will help combat overfishing and unstable fishing practices," he adds.  "Unfortunately, our CO's can't be everywhere so we're hoping some signage will help. It's a start."