Our Mission:
To safeguard the public interest by leading and delivering professional regulatory protection of Ontario's natural resources.
Enforcement News
- $4,500 Fine For Humber River Salmon Poacher (Dec 12, 2011) (pdf)
- $2,200 In Fines For Transporting Live Fish And Possessing Void Licence (Nov 2, 2011) (pdf)
- $4,750 In Fines For Illegal Hunting (Nov 2, 2011) (pdf)
- Fined For Illegally Fishing At Hydroelectric Station (Oct 11, 2011) (pdf)
Photo: J. Mitchell$8,000 In Fines For Illegal Possession of Spiny Softshell Turtles
Two Greater Toronto area restaurant owners pleaded guilty to illegally possessing Spiny Softshell turtles and were fined a total of $8,000.
Shou Xian Liang of Da Fu Seafood Cuisine and Dong Hua Yu of Dong Kee Chinese Restaurant were each fined $4,000 under the Endangered Species Act for unlawfully possessing Spiny Softshell turtles within their respective establishments. Spiny Softshell turtles are a native species protected under the Endangered Species Act and listed as threatened.
Kitchener Man Fined $5,000 For Leaking Gas Wells
A Kitchener man has been fined a total of $5,000 for failing to plug natural gas wells and allowing natural gas to leak from the wells.
Tsung-Hua Lin pleaded guilty to failing to comply with inspector’s orders to plug two natural gas wells he owns and operates in Norfolk County. He was fined $3,000. He also pleaded guilty to allowing natural gas to leak from the wells and was fined $2,000.
Gas wells that are drilled and neglected for long periods of time may pose a threat to the environment and public safety. The Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Act regulates the petroleum industry’s operations in Ontario. The act requires all operators of natural gas wells to plug wells that have not been in production for more than one year and to prevent the wasting of natural gas.
Find out more about Oil, Gas and Salt Resources
Full News Release (Nov 2, 2011) (pdf)
MOVING LIVE FISH
Many new populations of fish have been established through unauthorized stocking. This practice is illegal and can cause great harm to existing fisheries and aquatic ecosystems.
A licence is required for all fish (including live spawn) transfers and stocking into Ontario waters, and a licence is required to ship or transport live fish, other than baitfish, taken from Ontario waters. Also, take care when cleaning smelt. Do not rinse equipment or dump entrails into a lake or river. Fertilized smelt eggs can easily invade new waters.
Welcome to Enforcement
For more than 100 years, Conservation Officers have been protecting Ontario's natural resources from waste, abuse and depletion. It's a big job with a rich history.
Ontario's Conservation Officers patrol a province of more than 1 million square kilometers, protecting wildlife as diverse as polar bears in the north and prickly pear cactus in south. In between are 250,000 lakes, hundreds of rivers and a vast expanse of forests.
Enforcement staff includes: Appointed Conservation Officers and Supervisors working across Ontario in field offices in 25 districts and 3 Great Lakes Units, intelligence/investigation staff, main office staff and Provincial Communications Unit staff.
Enforcement efforts cover all MNR program areas including; Fish and Wildlife, Forestry, Lands/Waters, Species at Risk, Petroleum, Parks, Agriculture, Fire and Aggregates.
The Enforcement Branch also maintains specialized units and services that support field enforcement: Canine Program, Special Investigative Services and a Training Program.
Risk-based Approach to Compliance
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| It is illegal to abandon fish and game or allow it to spoil. |
The Ministry is moving towards a formalized risk-based approach to compliance.
- The new compliance framework will be based on risk assessment principles that will enable the MNR to focus its work and response to incidents on the risk posed to:
- human health and safety
- our natural resources and
- the economy
- The risk-based compliance framework will enable the Ministry to focus their enforcement resources on the area of greatest risk. These will include:
- Focusing proactive work on areas of highest risk
- Prioritizing incident/complaint response based on risk
- Prioritizing resources for special investigations based on risk
The mandate of the Enforcement Branch is to provide effective regulatory protection of Ontario's natural resources, environment and public safety. MNR enforces 27 Acts and Regulations and administers 45 Acts and Regulations.
