MNR lays 70 fishing charges in weekend blitz

[kickingfrog]

http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDi....aspx?e=2445739

 

 

MNR lays 70 fishing charges in weekend blitz

Posted 1 hour ago

 

 

The Ministry of Natural Resources laid 70 charges and issued 45 warnings during a weekend enforcement blitz on three lakes in south-central Ontario on Feb. 6 and 7.

 

 

Midhurst District conservation officers, with assistance from Guelph and Aurora district enforcement units and the canine services unit, checked almost 3,000 anglers on Lakes Simcoe, Couchiching and St. John. Officers were on the ice checking for compliance with the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act and the Ontario Fisheries Regulations, including ice hut registration.

 

 

Charges were issued for:

 

fishing without a licence

 

failing to produce a licence

 

angling with too many lines and

 

transporting fish (herring) unlawfully taken.

 

 

Charges were also laid against individuals under the Motorized Snow Vehicle and Off-Roads Vehicle Acts, for not wearing helmets and not having proper permits and insurance for snow machines and all-terrain vehicles. Several warnings were issued under the Liquor Licence Act for having open liquor on the ice.

 

The Ministry of Natural Resources reminds ice hut owners that their huts must be removed from the lake by March 15, 2010.

[aplumma]

Good for MNR I am glad when enforcement is applied to remind people that breaking the law has repercussions.

 

 

Art

[Syn]

People fishing without a license? People still do that? Thats just plain stupidity, wonder what the fine is and if they have to appear before a judge.

 

edit: lol found this, don't know for what province: "Penalties for fishing without a license can be as high as $500,000 with a possible two year jail term for repeat offenders. "

Edited February 11, 2010 by Syn

[Roy]

I haven't looked but I wonder if there's a place where people who are charged are named. I think that getting your name plastered everywhere would be one heck of a deterrent. I know that not all people who are charged are guilty but it sure would make people think twice.

[Terry]

you can find lots of the names after they have been found guilty

 

posting names before you are convicted may not the the best thing to do but after conviction

 

they are fair game

[Roy]

Yup, you're right with that Terry. I guess I was thinking out loud and not too clearly.

[Big Cliff]

Now I hope they do Scugog, Sturgeon, Balsam, Pigeon and Rice Lakes next.

[walleyejigger]

i know on the ocoa website names are named once found guilty, nothing new has been posted recently,

 

i've been checked twice in 3 weeks at my ice hut, first time 1 mnr officer on a sled, 2nd time 4 mnr sleds and a regional flew by us, 1/2 hour later another mnr and a regional stopped

[Kerry]

Great to see and supports my theory on just how good and important St John is to the region for fishing.Otherwise why waste the man hours on a dead lake.Hope they go out again this weekend being it's free fishing weekend and anglers that do not have a license have to abide by the conservation limits NOT the regular sport fishing limits.

Kerry

[bigfish1965]

I kinda feel for those who got a 'failure to produce' ticket.....there must be a better way.

[Dozer]

I kinda feel for those who got a 'failure to produce' ticket.....there must be a better way.

 

They're just a bit smarter than the guys telling the officers they didn't buy a license. I mean, do MNR officers have the ability to actually check if you're licensed or not? I''ve never been approached by an MNR "enforcer" before.

[motion]

I have been fishing for more years than I want to admit and I have been asked for my license three times. Two of those were last Saturday on Simcoe near BBP and then Long Shoal. Two different pairs of MNR officers within 2 hours of each other. Gladly showed them my license, Laker and Whitie.

 

Nice guys that chatted it up with us. One officer had a trained fish-sniffing dog with him. Good for them. I was glad to see them out in full force.

[Dara]

People fishing without a license? People still do that? Thats just plain stupidity, wonder what the fine is and if they have to appear before a judge.

 

edit: lol found this, don't know for what province: "Penalties for fishing without a license can be as high as $500,000 with a possible two year jail term for repeat offenders. "

 

 

Thats when you have a 50' boat and 2 miles of gil net...not one line for perch in simcoe

Edited February 12, 2010 by Dara

[bigfish1965]

They're just a bit smarter than the guys telling the officers they didn't buy a license. I mean, do MNR officers have the ability to actually check if you're licensed or not? I''ve never been approached by an MNR "enforcer" before.

 

They can scan your drivers license and know from that if you are licensed or not. I'd just think it would be a bit more prudent to give guys who forgot it at home 24 hours to produce it or something.

We got stopped on the French River and we had changed jackets just before heading out and left ours at the camp. The CO said he would be by to see us at 430 that afternoon...and he was there. No problems at all ( we even made him dinner )...of course that may have been his plan all along

[Dara]

They can scan your drivers license and know from that if you are licensed or not. I'd just think it would be a bit more prudent to give guys who forgot it at home 24 hours to produce it or something.

We got stopped on the French River and we had changed jackets just before heading out and left ours at the camp. The CO said he would be by to see us at 430 that afternoon...and he was there. No problems at all ( we even made him dinner )...of course that may have been his plan all along

 

 

They probly didn't kiss the CO's butt so he fined them

[Fish4Eyes]

If the MNR was smart they would hire a bunch of CO's on a contract basis and scatter them all across the province to regularily enforce areas with high volumes of anglers. It would pay for itself. People convicted would hopefully learn their lesson too.

[Raf]

i thought i read that the fine for failing to produce is higher that the one for fishing without a license.

 

the system is so antiquated, they can tell if you have an outdoors card but tehy cannot tell if you have a valid license.

[myot]

It always amazes me when people get excited about CO blitzes this should be common practice I've fished out of Amercan ports on lake Ontario many of times and about 90% of the time you meet up with the NYSDNR thats the way it should be a blitz only catches the people fishing illegaly on that particular day but constant and consistant enforcement catches these scum bags daily

just my 2 cents

Dan

on a second note 25 times ice fishing this year not one siting of a CO on Simcoe, Scogog, G-bay, Cameron, Pigon, BOQ

[LucG]

Charges were issued for:

 

transporting fish (herring) unlawfully taken.

 

What are the regs regarding herring?

 

What is unlawfully taken?

[s2k4mee]

Can't keep any herring!

[POLLIWOGG]

They can find out if you have a license, this was a selling point for the outdoors card that you wouldn't have to have it on you.

 

It used to be the fine was double for failure to show a license but they changed it, I think its the same now.

 

Don't forget that you have to have ID to go with the license.

[LucG]

Can't keep any herring!

 

Is that for Nipissing as well?

 

I couldnt find anything in the regs about herring.

[Muskieman]

Not on Nip ...Luc

[Syn]

Thats when you have a 50' boat and 2 miles of gil net...not one line for perch in simcoe

ah ok.

 

Here is a more realistic and relevant example

 

"$4,500 In Fines For Illegal Lake Simcoe Herring And Perch

 

A woman and two men from York Region were fined a total of $4,500 after pleading guilty to taking herring and an over-limit of perch from Lake Simcoe in addition to making false statements to a conservation officer.

 

Nicola Pertosa and Saverio Zupo, both of Stouffville, and Angela Zupo, of Goodwood, were each fined $750 for taking herring during a closed season and $250 for having too many perch. They were also fined $500 for making a false statement to a conservation officer.

 

On January 25, 2009, during a patrol of ice fishing activities on Lake Simcoe, Aurora District conservation officers checked the group who were fishing with conservation licences. The group claimed to have their legal limit of 75 perch, plus a lake trout. The officers discovered a total of 100 perch, as well as nine herring – a species that is closed to fishing on Lake Simcoe.

 

Justice of the Peace Ronald Prestage heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Newmarket, on July 10, 2009.

 

For further information on fishing regulations, please consult the 2008-2009 Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary, which is available from licence issuers or at ontario.ca/fishing.

 

To report a natural resources violation, call 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667) toll-free any time or contact your local ministry office during regular business hours.

 

You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477)."

 

 

this pdf had some herring catch info in the lower right page 11 PDF

Edited February 12, 2010 by Syn

[LucG]

Not on Nip ...Luc

 

Thanks Randy