$1,000 in Fines for Using Barbed Hook Fishing Lures
Two Ontario men have pleaded guilty and been fined a total of $1,000 for illegal fishing.
Brian Hermann of St. Charles and Donald Barnett of Lively were each fined $500 for using barbed hook fishing lures to fish.
Court heard that on September 12, 2015, conservation officers on routine patrol contacted the men fishing as they were fishing for brook trout from a boat in the south bay of Lake Nipigon. Upon inspection, officers discovered that both were using barbed hook fishing lures.
Justice of the Peace John Guthrie heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Nipigon, on December 7, 2015.
Lake Nipigon has had special size and limit restrictions since 1997 that require anglers to practise catch and release in many cases. The use of barbless hooks allows fish to be released easily and quickly. The less a fish is handled or damaged by hooks, the more likely it is to survive following release.
For more information on fishing regulations, please consult the Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary available at ontario.ca/fishing.
To report a natural resource violation, call the MNRF TIPS line at 1-877-847-7667 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).
