Poached Fish Cost $1700

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Man Fined $1,700 for Poaching Fish in the Moira River

MNR NEWS June 12, 2014

A Paris, Ontario, man has been fined $1,700 and ordered not to fish for two years; he also forfeited his fishing rod and reel to the Crown.

Michael J. Barnes pleaded guilty to charges under the Ontario Fishery Regulations of catching and retaining fish in the closed season and fishing without a licence.

The court heard that on May 19, 2014, conservation officers checked Barnes, who was angling in the Moira River in Belleville. Barnes was found to be fishing without a licence and in possession of a largemouth bass. Further investigation revealed a second largemouth bass and a muskellunge that had been caught by him in the Moira River in Belleville the previous day. The fishing season for both species of fish was closed at that time.

Justice of the Peace Jack Chiang heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Belleville, on June 10, 2014.

For further information on fishing regulations, please consult the Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary, available 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).

About Peter Wood 1194 Articles
As an avid lifelong angler and hunter, Peter’s outdoor knowledge and experiences keep expanding through his hundreds of hours of hunting and fishing podcast interviews with like minded experts. He has received numerous national writing awards. With thousands of outdoor pictures on Ripple Outdoors and many full-length articles with outdoor magazine and video clips you might say that he not only enjoys his outdoor lifestyle, but he’s quite the fanatic! In 2015 he earned fifth overall on the King of the Wood Contest hosted by Canada In The Rough team, pretty good for a baby boomer deer hunter. His buck was also one of the top bucks taken that season. Through Peter’s deer hunting seminars or by attending outdoor trade shows, like the Toronto Sportsmen Show and The SWOC Big Buck Show, he has connected with thousands of like minded people that love hunting and fishing. As a volunteer or member of local and national outdoor groups like QDMA, SWOC, Outdoor Writers of Canada, Archery Trade Show Association he continues to learn and hone his craft. Read his many articles, listen to his podcasts and rifle through thousands of photos on Ripple Outdoors. Discover Peter’s latest posts about outdoor gear, destinations, how to articles and interviews and you’ll be a better angler and hunter for the experience.