This is a frustrating thing to read.
http://www.simcoereformer.ca/2014/04/20/fishing-huts-pose-navigation-hazard
T. WILLIAMS - Boaters on Long Point Bay are advised to exercise caution when they venture onto the lake.
The Ministry of Natural Resources requires ice anglers to remove their huts by March 15. The vast majority comply. However, there are always a few who abandon their make-shift shelters to the elements.
Retired OPP officer Eric DeSerranno, of St. Williams, says the abandonment rate this spring is way up. Even worse, no one seems interested in taking charge of the problem.
With an unknown number of huts floating on the surface or just below, DeSerranno says boaters and jet skiiers face a serious navigation hazard. The debris will also likely damage commercial fishing nets.
“I know a buddy who bought a brand new boat who hit one of those huts floating a foot beneath the surface,” DeSerranno said. “It broke his prop. For the first three weeks, I’m very cautious on the lake. You can see debris sticking out of the water.”
DeSerranno has alerted the MNR in Aylmer but has been told there is nothing the ministry can do. DeSerranno finds that hard to believe, especially considering that the ministry collects millions of dollars a year from fishing licence revenue.
“Someone has to be responsible for taking those things out,” DeSerranno said. “I mean, where does all that fishing money go?”
Part of the problem is the MNR has no way of identifying the owners of abandoned huts. Hut owners are required to display an identifying number on their structures. However, these can be painted on a plank and removed at any time.
“MNR does not remove ice huts which have been left on the ice due to staff safety and liability concerns,” says Jolanta Kowalski, spokesperson for the MNR. “MNR does enforce regulations dealing with ice huts when ownership can be determined. MNR is working with local groups to try and deter individuals from leaving ice huts on the ice past their removal dates. MNR would like to hear from the public if they have any information concerning the ownership of ice huts which have been left on the ice.”
Hut abandonment is a serious problem each spring after a good freeze-up on the lake. Huts can sit for months at a stretch, during which they sink into the ice and freeze in place. Extricating them prior to the deadline can be a chore.
If huts are stuck in the ice, DeSerranno said authorities should at least torch problem structures. It’s not an ideal solution, he said, but at least the huts won’t be left to drift as a potentially fatal hazard for unsuspecting boaters and jet skiiers.
Anyone with information on anglers who have abandoned their huts on Long Point Bay is encouraged to contact the MNR at 1-877-847-7667.