Bait Dealer Fined $2,000 for Illegally Selling Baitfish NEWS October 9, 2012 A Cobourg man has been fined a total of $2,000 for baitfish-related offences. Anthony Fardella, owner of Shine’s Live Bait in Cobourg, pleaded guilty and was fined $1,500 for selling baitfish without a licence and $500 for possessing more than 120 baitfish for personal use. The court heard that on May 8, 2012, conservation officers visited Shine’s Live Bait as part of a wide-scale inspection of baitfish vendors. The officers discovered several tanks full of minnows advertised for sale, but found that the business did not possess a valid commercial bait licence and the number of minnows in Fardella’s possession far exceeded the legal individual baitfish limit. In addition to the fines, Fardella received a court order prohibiting him from selling baitfish for one year. He had been charged with similar offences in 2009. Justice of the Peace Joanie Glover heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Cobourg, on October 3, 2012. Harvesting and selling baitfish is regulated by Ministry of Natural Resources and requires a commercial bait licence. For further information on fishing regulations, please consult the 2012 Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary, available at ServiceOntario/Government Information Centres, from 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 office during regular business hours. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
|