Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development advises that conservation officers are continuing enforcement to protect Manitoba’s natural resources, including compliance checks for winter fisheries, and to address illegal hunting.
With winter fishing seasons underway, conservation officers and resource management staff are actively conducting compliance checks on Manitoba’s commercial and angling fisheries including Lake Winnipeg. This includes checking for unmarked or illegal nets, quota violations and other infractions.
Illegal Hunting Summary – Winter 2020-21
During the 2020-21 hunting seasons, conservation officers have conducted patrols to enforce Manitoba’s wildlife laws including the new Wildlife Amendment Act (Safe Hunting and Shared Management), resulting in:
- 50 charges laid with 39 appearance notices issued to individuals for serious wildlife offence;
- warnings to 20 individuals for night hunting without a permit or for hunting in a moose conservation closure;
- charges to 26 individuals for possessing illegally taken wildlife;
- charges to 60 individuals for carrying or having a loaded firearm in a vehicle;
- charges to 48 individuals for hunting wildlife on private land without permission;
- charges to 18 individuals while hunting discharge a firearm from a road;
- seizures of 10 vehicles;
- seizures of 39 firearms; and
- restitution orders totalling $61,000 for illegally taken wildlife.
On Oct. 10, 2020, the Wildlife Amendment Act (Safe Hunting and Shared Management) took effect with the goal of ensuring a safe hunting environment. Night hunting is now illegal in Manitoba on all private land. The act also allows the establishment of shared management committees, which can be an important tool for improved wildlife conservation, including for moose.
The province has implemented a permit system to allow opportunities for rights-based hunting on some Crown land, with different requirements for northern and southern Manitoba based on extensive Crown-Indigenous consultations that contributed to the development of the legislation.
Anyone with information on illegal activities is asked to call their local Manitoba conservation officer at the district or regional office or the Turn In Poachers (TIP) line at 1-800-782-0076.
