The use of DNA and forensic evidence is an important part of the modern tool kit of a Conservation Officer. Ontario was the first jurisdiction in North America to use DNA evidence in a court case in 1991, and the Ministry of Natural Resources has since used it in a number of cases that resulted in record fines for the continent.
Ontario/Quebec undercover investigation resulted in $36,000 fine for unlawfully hunting moose in Cochrane Area.
$40,000 fine was awarded for illegal deer hunting in North Bay Area.
Sometimes DNA produces unexpected results: In 1995, a man was found with more than 1,600 pounds of deer meat in his freezer. DNA testing found the meat was from at least 33 different animals.
Because DNA can be found in every cell, only a small sample of blood, hair or tissue is needed for testing. The Natural Resources DNA Profiling and Forensic Centre in Peterborough, Ontario provides Conservation Officers with scientific information and evidence for their investigations such as: Identification of the individual animal, species, sex, parentage and population.
Summary Report of Investigations Using DNA Evidence
April 1st, 2006 - March 31st, 2007
Over this fiscal year 210 samples were submitted from 26 cases across the province that involved moose, walleye, yellow perch, turkey, goose, deer, black bear, massasauga rattlesnake, bovine and porcine. Of these cases, 16 required individual identification (127 samples), 25 required species identification (199 samples), 15 required gender identification (117 samples) and 1 required parentage analysis (5 samples).
13 Moose
9 White-tailed deer
1 Goose
1 Bovine (cattle) & Porcine (pork)
2 Wild Turkey
3 Fish (walleye & yellow perch)
1 Black Bear
1 Snake (Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake)
Walleye Database - 50 samples were profiled to produce a database from a specific body of water in the Nipigon District.
Gender Markers - improved gender markers to be used on low template or degraded DNA are currently being tested for deer and moose.
Summary Report of Investigations Using DNA Evidence
April 1, 2005 - March 31, 2006
Over this fiscal year samples were submitted from 50 cases across the province that involved moose, swan, walleye, sturgeon, turkey, goose, deer, black bear, bovine and porcine. Of these cases, 34 required individual identification (484 samples), 40 required species identification (494 samples), 34 required gender identification (442 samples) and 3 required parentage analysis (12 samples).
1,432 DNA samples were tested from 26 locations across the province. The 50 cases using DNA profiling involved the following 11 species:
21 Moose
17 White-tailed deer
1 Goose
1 Swan
2 Wild Turkey
1 Bovine & Porcupine
5 Fish (walleye, sturgeon, pike)
1 Timber Wolf
4 Black Bear
2 Avian
DNA Profiling and Forensic Evidence has become a regular part of MNR's investigations involving crimes against Ontario's natural resources.
