Most anglers stopped in a recent lake trout enforcement blitz in Sault Ste. Marie, Kirkland Lake, Timmins, North Bay and Sudbury, Wawa and Chapleau districts were obeying Ontario’s 2010 recreational fishing regulations.
Ministry of Natural Resources conservation officers conducted the enforcement blitz from March 4 to March 15, 2010. Officers were paying special attention to compliance with ice fishing regulations and offences involving motorized snow vehicles.
Conservation officers checked 1,200 individuals during the 11-day operation and they issued 23 charges for fish and wildlife related offences. The most common offences were for fishing with more than two lines or leaving a line in the water unattended.
Regulations permit no more than two fishing lines for ice fishing, except in some water bodies specified in the 2010 Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary. Also, while ice fishing, anglers must always be within 60 metres and have an unobstructed view of their lines.
Officers also found an additional 50 violations that did not involve angling. Offences of not wearing helmets or having required documentation for motorized snow vehicles, and all-terrain vehicles were common. Anglers should remember that to operate motorized snow vehicles or all-terrain vehicles in areas other than their own personal property requires a permit, insurance and helmet. A high rate of non-compliance towards the Liquor Licence Act was also encountered.
For more information on fishing regulations, please consult the 2010 Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary before heading out to fish. The summary is also available at ServiceOntario/Government Information Centres, licence issuers and on the ministry’s website (ontario.ca/fishing).
To report a natural resources violation, call 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667) 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).
Ken Ukrainetz, Hearst District, 705-372-2220
