Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development advises that conservation officers are continuing enforcement to protect Manitoba’s natural resources, including compliance checks for fisheries, addressing illegal hunting, and increasing the number of officers in the field.
On Sept. 6, a conservation officer from Thompson was conducting an aquatic invasive species compliance inspection on Provincial Trunk Highway (PTH) 6. During the inspection, the anglers were found to have 15 walleye, putting one subject two fish over his possession limit and the other subject three fish over his possession limit. Both were given written warnings for possessing fish dressed, packed or cut so the fish cannot readily be identified. The fish were seized, and tickets and restitution notices totalling $539 were issued.
On Sept. 25, conservation officers from Thompson conducted an aircraft patrol east of the city to check on moose hunters and to monitor the Lake Sturgeon Conservation Closure on the Nelson River. Officers located a group hunting on Sipiwesk Lake. One hunter was charged with hunting without a licence and issued a $486 ticket, as well as a two-year suspension of game bird and big game licences. The same day, another hunter was found to be hunting without a required Moose Conservation Licence and fined $486, and given a two-year suspension of game bird and big game licences.
On Sept. 26, conservation officers from Thompson, on a boat patrol of Setting Lake and the Grass River, charged a boat driver with carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle and hunting game bird without a licence. The birds were seized and the hunter was fined $486.
On Sept. 30, a conservation officer from Thompson conducted a compliance inspection of a vehicle and fined the driver $498 and issued a restitution notice for hunting game bird without a licence.
On Oct. 22, conservation officers in Roblin received information that a moose was killed within the Moose Conservation Closure area in the Duck Mountains. The information provided a vehicle description, and conservation and RCMP officers located the vehicle east of Roblin, which also contained the carcass of a bull moose. Officers determined the moose was killed within the Moose Conservation Closure, and subsequently seized the moose and four firearms from the vehicle. The four individuals in the vehicle were charged with possession of illegally taken wildlife and three of the four were also charged with hunting moose within a closed area under the Moose Conservation Closure Regulation.
Conservation officers from the North Whiteshell District charged a man with hunting on private land without permission and placing bait for the purpose of hunting cervids, for which a $1,158 fine and a one-year suspension from big game and game bird hunting was issued. The hunting equipment was seized as evidence.
On Oct. 23, conservation officers were conducting a patrol for illegal night hunting activity in the Hilbre area. Officers observed a vehicle travelling down a municipal road, shining a light source on multiple properties from the passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle was stopped and four individuals were arrested for night hunting. The vehicle, a firearm and other hunting related equipment were seized. The subjects were issued appearance notices and released.
On Oct.28, conservation officers from the Riverton Compliance Area received a tip that a commercial fisherman had approximately six commercial fishing tubs of spoiled fish in his possession. Officers attended and found the individual with the spoiled fish. Commercial fishers are responsible to ensure they do not allow their catch to spoil. Officers seized the fish, and took it to the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation, where it was deemed unfit for human consumption. The accused was fined $1,002. The fish will be removed from his annual quota.
On Nov. 12, conservation officers in the Shoal Lake area received information that someone had shot at a deer in a field where another hunter was sitting. Officers were able to identify and locate an individual who was charged with discharging a firearm from a vehicle while hunting big game.
On Nov. 14, conservation officers in the Roblin area were conducting a big game wildlife decoy operation along a municipal road because of illegal road hunting in the area. A vehicle approached the operation, stopped and the passenger fired a high-powered rifle at the decoy from the inside the vehicle. The individual was charged for discharging a firearm from a vehicle and the firearm was seized.
On Nov. 16, conservation officers found a location where there was evidence a deer had been shot from a municipal road in the RM of Swan Valley West. The next day, officers returned to the same area and checked a group of hunters, when it was determined that one of the group had shot the deer the day before. A male whitetail deer was seized and the individual was charged for discharging a rifle from a public road within a municipality and issued a restitution notice for $1,500.
Conservation officers from the Selkirk district have been conducting enforcement patrols along the Red River north of Lockport for the fall greenback walleye run. Over the weekends of Oct. 22 to 24 and Oct. 29 to 31, officers laid a total of 33 charges against 27 individuals for violations of the Manitoba Fishery Regulations including possessing more fish than the possession quota and possessing fish that do not comply with the size limit. A total of $5,309 in fines were issued, with an additional $3,444 in restitution owing upon conviction.
Anyone with information on illegal activities is asked to call their local Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development Office of the Turn in the Poachers (TIP) line at 1-800-782-0076.
