Four Greater Toronto Area residents have been fined a total of $6,000 for illegal fishing activities.
Anglers Illegal Fishing Fined $6,000
Baiju Kootakil of Mississauga and Nimesh Atholi Kandy of Scarborough both pleaded guilty for catching and retaining 16 smallmouth bass out of season and were each fined $1,500. Ricanor Zapatero of Toronto and Merigin Delos Reyes Acierto of Thornhill both pleaded guilty and were each fined $750 for catching and retaining an over limit of fish and an additional $750 for possessing fish of a prohibited size.
The court heard that on May 26, 2012, at the Trent River in the Municipality of Trent Hills, a conservation officer inspected Kootakil and Atholi Kandy’s catch and found them in possession of 16 smallmouth bass. The season for bass opens on the fourth Saturday in June each year.
The court also heard that on May 26, 2012, at the Trent River in the Municipality of Trent Hills, a conservation officer inspected Zapatero and Acierto’s catch and found them in possession of 16 walleye, of which nine were found to be a prohibited size. The legal catch and possession limit for walleye in Fisheries Management Zone 17 is four for holders of a Sport Fishing Licence and one for holders of a Conservation Fishing Licence; all walleye caught and retained in that zone must be 35 – 50 centimetres long.
All four anglers forfeited their catch; the 16 smallmouth bass and 16 walleye were donated to the Brock Mission in Peterborough.
Justice of the Peace Allison Forestall heard the cases in the Ontario Court of Justice, Campbellford, on June 28, 2012.
For further information about fishing regulations, please consult the 2012 Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary, available at ServiceOntario/Government Information Centres, licence issuers and 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)
