Reporting Violations

[Jonny]

It's a good rule of thumb to keep your mouth shut, or at least be very careful what you say. Something innocuous can cause you trouble.

 

A guy I know quite well mentioned to a few people, and one of them obviously the wrong person, that he had a few good feeds of fish in his freezer. That person put that together with the fact that my acquaintance went fishing a lot in the winter, sometimes days in a row, and put in a call that probably went something like "I know a guy that says he's got a lot of fish in the freezer. He goes fishing almost every day, so he must have a freezer full."

 

Sure enough, the MNR showed up for a search.

 

True story. He did not have excess fish, but lesson learned - he should have kept his mouth shut. NOBODY wants officers poking around in their home.

 

In totalitarian societies, this tendency of people to report on other people is used to great effect. That makes me think that it's important to realize that not all reporting is a good thing, and we would do well to be careful what we say, and to whom whom we say it.

[johnnyb]

Would have been nice of the person to ask the fellow just how many he meant by "a few good feeds". Jumping to conclusions rarely ends well.

[Guest gbfisher]

sounds like a smalll town type deal ........

[Marko]

Sometimes....just sometimes people should mind their own business

[CLofchik]

[Dara]

If a guy has over his legal possetion limit, why shouldn't he be busted.

Its no different then calling a CO when you see somebody snagging.

 

That guy also could have been sitting in a bar and the guy at the next table was a CO sitting having a cold one and overheard and decided to pay a visit

 

 

Edited to say, you better have a search warrant to come in my house for that though.

Edited July 23, 2009 by Dara

[Fish4Eyes]

I agree with Dara. You shouldn't be protecting people that keep more fish than they should in the freezer, or be tipping off people to look out just incase they practise this regularily. Shows how much the locals care about the fishery

Edited July 23, 2009 by Fish4Eyes

[Tybo]

AS long as their is a holder of a fishing license register to that house hold.

the MNR doesn't need a warrant.

[Jonny]

I agree with Dara. You shouldn't be protecting people that keep more fish than they should in the freezer, or be tipping off people to look out just incase they practise this regularily. Shows how much the locals care about the fishery

 

But that's not the point.

 

The point is you can be unjustly investigated, just on the suspicion of some vigilante who is convinced you've done something wrong, when actually you haven't.

 

For those who might be feeling good about reporting people for what they consider violations, keep in mind that that mentality might just catch you in a snare some day too.

 

i.e. - You're at the cottage (or renting one) and someone reports "I've see him coming in with a big stringer of fish for three days now." You might have had quite a mix of different species, or you might have had a couple of big fish fries, but on the strength of the "snitch" you might get a visit to search your place from top to bottom.

 

i.e. - You post something "suspect" on this board, suspect to even one of the multitude of people who browse here, and in goes a call. I don't think your anonymity is protected, so a simple MNR call to the owner of the board turns up your real name, and you get a visit.

 

Yes, I think it could be that simple, unless I am mistaken. You could be put through a lot of trouble and anxiety even if you've done nothing wrong.

 

As for tipping off people that their words or actions could get them into trouble because they habitually ignore the regulations, I don't think you'll see those people around here. They're usually pretty secretive. It's the poor schmuck who does his best to follow the regs but makes an unfortunate comment that I'm talking about - somebody who does a little bragging, for example, and has it come back to bite him.

[blaque]

makes sense jocko.

[Dara]

AS long as their is a holder of a fishing license register to that house hold.

the MNR doesn't need a warrant.

 

They do to get in my house, or they will have to pull a gun.

And they do need a warrant to enter your house.

No CO will get in my house just cause I was telling a few lies in a bar.

Looking again I don't understand. A holder of a fishing license? Poachers don't have fishing licences

 

But that's not the point.

 

The point is you can be unjustly investigated, just on the suspicion of some vigilante who is convinced you've done something wrong, when actually you haven't.

 

For those who might be feeling good about reporting people for what they consider violations, keep in mind that that mentality might just catch you in a snare some day too.

 

i.e. - You're at the cottage (or renting one) and someone reports "I've see him coming in with a big stringer of fish for three days now." You might have had quite a mix of different species, or you might have had a couple of big fish fries, but on the strength of the "snitch" you might get a visit to search your place from top to bottom.

 

i.e. - You post something "suspect" on this board, suspect to even one of the multitude of people who browse here, and in goes a call. I don't think your anonymity is protected, so a simple MNR call to the owner of the board turns up your real name, and you get a visit.

 

Yes, I think it could be that simple, unless I am mistaken. You could be put through a lot of trouble and anxiety even if you've done nothing wrong.

 

As for tipping off people that their words or actions could get them into trouble because they habitually ignore the regulations, I don't think you'll see those people around here. They're usually pretty secretive. It's the poor schmuck who does his best to follow the regs but makes an unfortunate comment that I'm talking about - somebody who does a little bragging, for example, and has it come back to bite him.

 

I agree Jocko.

I was just going a different way with how things are taken on here. Everybody is saying they want more CO's, but a story like that and they get all defensive.

[fishinggeek]

They do to get in my house, or they will have to pull a gun.

And they do need a warrant to enter your house.

No CO will get in my house just cause I was telling a few lies in a bar.

Looking again I don't understand. A holder of a fishing license? Poachers don't have fishing licences

 

 

 

I agree Jocko.

I was just going a different way with how things are taken on here. Everybody is saying they want more CO's, but a story like that and they get all defensive.

 

Sounds good to me. Don't think a fishing license gives them powers to search a residence on a tip or hunch without a warrant. I'm not a lawyer though, but I wouldn't just say "come on in" if I was under suspicious.

[Jonny]

They do to get in my house, or they will have to pull a gun.

And they do need a warrant to enter your house.

 

Well, the fishing regs state:

 

"When carrying out their duties, Conservation Officers may do the following: Search with a warrant; Search without a warrant in circumstances requiring immediate action."

 

That would apply, I suppose, if they thought you would be able to destroy evidence. But to search a house on a tip, they would probably get a warrant --- you likely wouldn't know they were coming.

 

I agree Jocko.

I was just going a different way with how things are taken on here. Everybody is saying they want more CO's, but a story like that and they get all defensive.

 

Yes, I see, but it's kind of an apples and oranges thing. More CO's out on the lakes, yes, but if they can act on unsubstantiated tips and invade your home, it doesn't sound that good.

Edited July 23, 2009 by Jocko

[POLLIWOGG]

On another board a guy was bragging about using 40kg of salt to launch his boat on a frozen ramp. I pointed out that as he was a business that could get him looking at a $250,000 fine under fisheries act. They didn't think much of me after that but hey I don't make the laws.