Most Anglers Obeying Rules During Local Ice Fishing Season
Most anglers checked during the 2010-2011 ice fishing season by conservation officers with the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Lake Erie and Aylmer enforcement units were obeying the rules.
Conservation officers conducted numerous patrols on the ice-covered waters of Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River, Lake Erie, Rondeau Bay and the Detroit River, from December until the third week of March. In total, 775 resident anglers and 200 non-resident anglers were checked, and overall compliance with Ontario’s sport fishing and public safety-related legislation was found to be 77 per cent.
A total of 104 charges and 126 warnings were issued for the following offences:
Fishing without a licence
Catching and keeping too many fish
Fishing with too many lines
Failing to register ice fishing hut
Making a false statement or obstructing a conservation officer
Being more than 60 metres away from fishing lines
Fishing without carrying a licence
Failing to wear helmet on an off-road vehicle or snowmobile
Failing to have insurance for off-road vehicle or snowmobile
Driving an off-road vehicle or snowmobile without a permit
Possessing an open container of liquor in public place.
With the open water season just around the corner, conservation officers will continue patrolling the local waterways. Anglers and pleasure boaters are reminded to make sure they know the local fishing regulations and have the required safety gear on board.
For further information on fishing regulations, please consult the 2011 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’s office at 519-825-4684 during regular business hours. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477)
