Quinte Fishing

It really irritates me the way our C.O's deal with our fisheries. This "licence " issue. I have no serious beef with buying the licence or producing it to a C.O. but is this all they do? Where are these guys when the shore casters in the harbour are fillling their freezers? I told the C.O.'s right to their face one day if they had half a brain they would post a guy at each of the most popular ramps a about 4:00 each day till about 7:00. They could then do a FULL licence/livewell/safety etc. check. This is what they do in Ohio and it works great. I mean really, does NOT having a licence injure the fishery? How much is one 10 lb walleye worth? Even by the simplest measurement it is worth $10 a pound for the fillets. If released to be caught again it has a far greater value. Here we have a fishery that was apparently so important to protect that the Gov was going to shut it down but yet they fail to do the day to day legwork to do so. It is my contention that checking for licences is NOT protecting this fishery especially if this is ALL they do.And don't give me that "they are understaffed "arguement because they are out there anyway aren't they.

targa2

What you are saying is so true. By my own way of thinking, staff deployment (leadership) is puzzling at best. Simple moves could garner far more results and respect for all of MNR. This can help overcome a lack of manpower.......very frustrating. This makes good enforcement, business sence.

The management- union bargaining agreement may or may not come into play, given that sometimes, somethings that are rather obvious are bogged down for unknown reasons to the public. This part is just speculation, as it trully puzzles me too.

What you are describing could help icefishing and so much more in so many locations, yet is unheard of to any serious degree in E. Ont. It is difficult but not impossible. Is there anyone from MNR enforcment that can comment?

Don Stokes

I was up last November for a weekend, stayed at Tip of The Bay, and two officers met us coming in one night at the dock. It was interesting because they posed as fisherman, asking us what we were using, talking about the weather, etc., but it wasn't long before the badges came out and they looked in our livewells, etc. I thought it was great! I mentioned to them that I saw several boats out there keeping more than their limit of fish. The one officer told me that they had already fined some fisherman that evening. I can't speak about the frequency of their visits, because I only come up once each fall. I was coming up this weekend but passed because of the weather. Hoping for next weekend though!

It was a dirrty day with heavy rain . But that did not stop my son and his fishing partner in his boat and myself and granddaughter in my boat from trying a day on the mississippi river. I have fished this area for a long time since i live right next door. That day the weather won.When we got back to load up the boat's we were greeted by the OPP and MNR they were working out of the MNR truck as team. they told us that was going to be the norm. That was 2 year's ago and i thought that was good plan but have not seen this since.(we cheked out ok)

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Fishing is life.The rest is just details.

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Fishing is life.The rest is just details.

A friend who works for MNR tells me that each CO has an annual budget for travel. This includes enforcement and court. He wasn't sure but he thought it was only about $5000.00 per year. If a CO's performance is being judged by charges laid and they are bound by a small budget they will obviously take the path of least resistance, the one that brings the most charges and as a result you get licence checks on opening day.

I think the one's I've met are doing a great job with the resources the government provides, we need to get on the political bosses to provide these guys with the funds and tools they need to do the job properly.
As an additional note, the second largest police force in the state of West Virgina are the conversation officers, who are paid equivilant to a state trooper and have the same powers of arrest and siezure. May be if Dalton and the guys would only take it that seriously?

Bassn51
take the grandkids fishing

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Bassn51- Bring on the Bucket Mouths

However, the budget/time arguements don't hold water because they are out their anyway. It's strategy I am talking about. Let's face the facts. Ever since the money from traffic violations started going directly into municipal coffers the radar enforcement has tripled in Durham region. I call police Collection Agents now. They might as well work for CCRA ;as the practices they now engage in are tantamount to TAX COLLECTION. There probably isn't enough revenue from violations of the Fisheries laws to justify the expense due to the high level of compliance from the mostly serious and dedicated boat anglers that would be out this time of year. Which brings me right back to my original point. Enforcement should be made more practical. Between the police the CO's and the surveyors I see about $200,000 in boats alone. By the way, when the cops come in to check lights etc. why don't they remind the freezer fillers on the Picton dock that there is no fishing from the dock ( see sign that says NO FISHING on dock) Hey if it's a law then enforce it or don't make it.

i wonder how many people even know the regs as i saw a couple of guys cleaning fish from 9-11 pounds right at the top of the launch when i was trying to pull my boat out . he seemed to be cleaning a lot of fish and i asked him after i got myboat out if he knew they could only keep one each. he said thats what they did but they must have had a very large group. i still dont get keeping all those 10 plus fish to eat.

Have to agree!

Just boggles the mind why they let the obvious happen

The OPP were out on Saturday afternoon, apparently doing some checking at the ramp from what I heard. Never heard if thee was CO aboard or not. We passed them at the filtration plant on our way in.

The dock issue there is something else, even Tip of the Bay which posts Private Docks signs has people all over theirs. Now that's just ridiculous when you consider they even tell you upon check in, "theft is an issue from the boats"???? Duh!!!!! Get the freakin' dudes off your docks!!! It's called trespassing!!!!

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WIG

Not only are the people on shore keeping over there limit of fish but my friend was amazed to have the skins of filleted walleye in the prop of his trolling motor this past weekend. People are cleaning these big walleyes on the water and discarding the carcasses into the water. What a shame - it can ruin a great fishery.

Popia, I saw the exact same thing you are speaking of, both last year and the year before. Maybe some guys are thinking that this might be away around to get around the authorities waiting at the docks? Sad, any way you look at it.

I tip my hat to CO's. Unfortunately there are alot more areas to patrol then manpower to cover them all.

A letter to the Minister of NR is an avenue to voice your concerns and opinions. The more the better.

If you feel you know a hot bed of illegal activity report it to crime stoppers. I have and they do follow up.

Telling a CO they have "half a brain" doesn't seem like a smart move, especially when there is only a select few in certain areas.

I told them a lot worse than that RIGHT TO THEIR FACE one day last year. I bitched at them for 5 minutes straight while my buddy tried to shut me up. Have we forgotten who works for who in this country. I get robbed 3 times in the last 4 years and I get an over the phone police report for my tax dollars. I get checked 5 weekends in a row for a damn fishing licence while the freezer fillers 1) rape the harbour and 2) park in the !@#^%)(_ way at Picton ramp. Half a brain is a compliment. (see section 337 of the Criminal Code of Canada)

Trivia question; john doe....John Doe....JOHN DOE. which one owns a fishing licence???

Copied from the 2003 LOMU annual report (http://www.glfc.org/lakecom/loc/mgmt_unit/03_Ch5-7.pdf)

"The Lake Ontario Management Unit Enforcement Program consists of six full-time staff positions. The Enforcement Supervisor and three Conservation Officers are based out of Glenora. Two other Conservation Officers are based out of Darlington Provincial Park in Bowmanville.

The Glenora Conservation Officers are primarily responsible for commercial fish management and enforcement, sport fish enforcement, and other enforcement duties as required. Commercial fish management involves the issuance and maintenance of approximately 175 commercial fishing licences for Eastern Lake Ontario, Western Lake Ontario, the Bay of Quinte and some Inland Lakes and waters. Commercial fish duties also include inspecting commercial fish documents from both fishers and local wholesalers to ensure compliance with seasons, quotas, size limits and compliance with legislation governing the purchase and sale of commercial fish.

The Darlington Conservation Officers are primarily responsible for the management and enforcement of commercial fish wholesale and retail outlets in the Greater Toronto Area. The Officers inspect documents from both retail and wholesale outlets to ensure compliance with the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act and O. Reg 664 as they relate to the purchase and sale of fish.

All Lake Conservation Officers are responsible for Sport Fish Enforcement on Lake Ontario from Cornwall to the Niagara River. The Lake Ontario Management Unit Enforcement Section usually enters into an agreement with Kemptville District to cover the sport fish enforcement on the St. Lawrence River."

Consequently, I contend they ARE understaffed. However, I concur that existing COs could be better utilized.

Since about 70% of the annual MNR budget for Fish and Wildlife Management is derived from the sale of Outdoors Cards, then perhaps its time that we attempt to influence where the dollars are spent. As individuals, that's impossible. However, perhaps the OFAH could be persuaded to lobby the MNR for enforcement enhancements.

Targa2,

What does S 337 of the criminal code have to do with your last post?

Public servant refusing to deliver property 337. Every one who, being or having been employed in the service of Her Majesty in right of Canada or a province, or in the service of a municipality, and entrusted by virtue of that employment with the receipt, custody, management or control of anything, refuses or fails to deliver it to a person who is authorized to demand it and does demand it is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years.