Illegal fishing guide fined

[Lee Borgersen]

                  :fishing2: Illegal fishing guide fined
 
The StarPhoenix August 23, 2012
 
 
An American man who illegally advertised trophy walleye fishing trips in Saskatchewan on the Internet and acted as an outfitter in the province without a licence received $8,400 in fines for the scheme.

Joel Vasek of Geddes, S.D., was found guilty in Nipawin provincial court recently. In addition to the fine, he is prohibited from having a Saskatchewan angling licence for three years and must pay $1,000 in impound fees for equipment that was seized from him, the provincial Ministry of Environment said in a news release.

Conservation officers began an investigation in 2009 after receiving complaints from the public about Vasek guiding fellow Americans on the Saskatchewan River near Nipawin.

"Excessive fishing can hurt efforts to maintain game fish populations," said Ken Aube, director of compliance and enforcement for the ministry.

"Illegal outfitting affects existing licensed outfitters, as well as other users such as commercial fishers and recreational anglers. We hope that the significant penalty imposed by the courts in this case will serve as a deterrent to those who try to profit from the illegal use of fish and wildlife resources."



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