Amphibians as Fish Bait: Ontario Regulations
Worldwide concern over global declines in amphibian populations is growing. Seventeen species
of amphibians have declined in Canada over the last three decades, and in some species the
decline has been widespread and very serious. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has
begun regulating the commercial harvest and sale of frogs for use as bait in Ontario. It is
hoped that careful management will help protect frogs from further declines.
Where can frogs be harvested and sold?
The commercial harvest of frogs for bait is allowed in eastern Ontario only, in the Regional
Municipality of Ottawa-Carlton, the Counties of Prescott and Russell, Stormont, Dundass and
Glengarry, Leeds and Grenville, Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington, Prince Edward and
Hastings, and Renfrew. Dealers who reside outside the approved area can sell frogs on their
licence, but the frogs must be purchased from a licensed harvester who has harvested the frogs
from inside the approved area.
Who can sell frogs for bait?
Only commercial bait licence holders can harvest and sell frogs. Frogs can be harvested and sold
on commercial bait licences issued for other types of bait, so there will be no additional charge
for holders of these licences. Holders of these licences check off frogs in the appropriate place
on their licence. The number of frogs harvested must be recorded in the Bait Harvest Daily Log
and reported on the annual return.
How much does a commercial frog licence cost?
Persons residing in the approved locations who wish to harvest and sell northern leopard frogs,
must purchase the Commercial Bait Licence to Harvest Bait for $300.00, and can only
harvest frogs from the approved areas. Commercial frog harvesters in the approved locations are
not restricted to Bait Harvest Areas (BHAs) and do not pay the BHA fee. Persons who wish to sell
frogs only, are required to purchase the Commercial Bait Licence to Deal in Bait for
$150.00.
What kinds of frogs can be harvested and sold?
Only northern leopard
frogs (Lithobates (Rana) pipiens) may be harvested or sold under the authority of a
commercial bait licence. The northern leopard frog is a medium sized frog (adults range from
50-100mm, or 2-4 inches) with large, bold, dark spots bordered with light coloured rings on its
back and sides, and with light coloured (frequently coppery) folds of skin running down the
sides from behind the eye to the thigh.
The only frog that looks similar enough to be confused with the northern leopard frog is the
pickerel frog
(Lithobates (Rana) palustris), which is also boldly spotted. Any green frog with bold
spots will be a northern leopard frog. A brown frog with bold spots may be either a northern
leopard frog or a pickerel frog. You can tell them apart by looking at the underside of the
frog. The underside of a northern leopard frog is whitish. If a brown frog with bold spots is
bright yellow or yellow-orange on the underside of the hind legs, the groin, or anywhere on the
belly, then the frog is a pickerel frog. The harvest and sale of pickerel frogs is not allowed.
Can I still catch frogs for personal, non-commercial use?
Any person who is licensed
to sport fish may hunt for frogs that are not specially protected amphibians, anywhere in
Ontario.
Starting January 1, 2001, any person hunting frogs under the authority of a sport fishing
licence can catch in one day, or possess at one time, up to 12 northern leopard frogs and one
specimen of any other frog species that is not a specially protected frog.
Blanchard’s Cricket Frog,
Fowler's toad,
and the
Gray Tree frog are specially protected frogs.
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