Fined $1,300 for Illegal Fishing Activities
Two non-resident men have been fined a total of $1,300 for fishing offences.
Wayne Nasi of Hurley, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty and was fined a total of $750 for angling using a hook other than a barbless hook, angling with more than the permitted number of lines and possessing live lake trout caught by angling.
Gustave Forslund of Ironwood, Michigan, pleaded guilty and was fined $550 for angling using a hook other than a barbless hook, and angling with more than the permitted number of lines.
Court heard that on May 24, 2015, conservation officers contacted Nasi and Forslund while on routine patrol on McIntyre Bay of Lake Nipigon. The two men were angling with four fishing rods attached to four planer boards. Upon inspection, officers discovered that apart from too many lines being used all the lures had barbed hooks. Officers also discovered a live lake trout in the live-well.
The ministry reminds the public that Lake Nipigon has had special size and limit restrictions since 1997 that requires anglers to practice catch and release in many cases.
Only barbless hooks may be used as it 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. In addition, a live-well may not be used to hold brook trout or lake trout as these species do not survive well when released back into the lake.
Justice of the Peace Bernard Caron heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Nipigon, on January 25, 2016.
For further information on fishing regulations, please consult the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary, available at ontario.ca/fishing.
To report a natural resources 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).
