Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development advises are reporting that numerous warnings, tickets and fines have been handed out for illegal activities since the end of March.
Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development advises that conservation officers are continuing enforcement to protect Manitoba’s natural resources through a variety of enforcement activities across the province.
The deadline to remove ice-fishing shacks in the southern division for the 2021-22 angling season was March 31.
Since the end of March, the Conservation Officer Service has issued six tickets and four written warnings to anglers for a variety of offences, including failing to remove an ice-fishing shack, failing to mark an ice-fishing shack or littering.
To date, officers have removed four illegal unmarked fishing shacks that were not removed by their owners. Additional shacks remain frozen into the ice. If officers cannot remove shacks due to weather conditions, they will melt into the lake or river, creating pollution and a potential boating hazard. Efforts are ongoing to find and charge fishers with unmarked or abandoned shacks.
The fine for failing to remove an ice-fishing shack is $152, the fine for failing to mark an ice-fishing shack is $52 and the fine for littering is $203. In addition to these fines, the court can order the owner of a shack to pay for the costs associated with its removal, storage and disposal.
The Conservation Officer Service is committed to protecting and maintaining healthy fish populations, ensuring public safety and enforcing applicable laws when appropriate.
Anyone with information on illegal activity is asked to call their local Natural Resources and Northern Development office or the Turn in Poachers (TIP) line at 1-800-782-0076.
