ice fishin blitz/210 charges laid

[Lee Borgersen]

      210 charges laid in ice fishing blitz

While most ice anglers were fishing by the book, a small school of fish found themselves on the hook after a recent enforcement blitz.

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Conservation officers and the canine unit of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry working with Ontario Provincial Police and York Regional Police officers laid 210 charges and issued 247 warnings during an enforcement blitz conducted on Lake Simcoe, Lake Couchiching and Lake St. John over two weekends in February and March.

Officers checked close to 3,900 anglers for compliance with the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act and the Ontario Fishery Regulations, focusing on lake herring, lake trout, whitefish and yellow perch.

Charges and warnings were issued for offences including fishing without a licence, failing to display ice hut registration numbers, angling with more than the permitted number of lines and possessing more than the permitted number of fish.

Safety-related charges and warning were also issued under the Motorized Snow Vehicles Act, the Off-Road Vehicles Act and the Liquor Licence Act.

For information on fishing regulations, 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.