Poachers

[BCinAlberta]

So I have just recently noticed how bad the poaching of fish is and it's really ****ing me off. Last week at Jackfish lake a 3 guys were poaching. One guy on the dock showed us his two "jacks" he called them and was so proud. Turns out it was a big Walleye and a tiny Jack. We both got upset and my buddy called the 1-800 number for poachers. Turns out the fish and game guy was watching in the bush and nailed all 3 guys. This weekend at Lac St Anne we watched a bunch of guys walk down by the bridge and start catching and keeping everything. Now it is so frustrating and has to be more people can do. What can people do to nail these A..Holes? Are the fines that small that people don't care? Why don't they take the fishing gear and hit them with big fines? 2 hours before a bunch of people got nailed on the dock on the other side but it sure doesn't seem to matter. It is just a bigger problem then i thought and think they need to do more to them to deter it!

[BeeGuy]

Yep

It's an epidemic. Just do your part and report them when you see it.

We need more CO's as often there isn't one available to respond to the call.

[mxer117]

Yep

It's an epidemic. Just do your part and report them when you see it.

We need more CO's as often there isn't one available to respond to the call.

x100

[RavYak]

The fines are outrageous. The problem is that there aren't near enough conservation officers. I am yet to see a conservation officer in Alberta and I have done quite a bit of fishing these last couple summers.

[fishpro]

The best we can do is keep calling them in. If they get flooded with calls it can only help the situation of having not enough officers, or hopefully help anyway.

[QIsley]

Penalties are stiff, not enough officers. 91 Field Officers in the entire Province of Alberta right now. Soon to be 88....

http://westerncanadiangamewarden.com/F2013Cuffs.html

[fishpro]

Penalties are stiff, not enough officers. 91 Field Officers in the entire Province of Alberta right now. Soon to be 88....

http://westerncanadiangamewarden.com/F2013Cuffs.html

Great to see some large penalties being handed out. How are some of the penalties for other offenses? I remember them being particularly low, such as $200 for fishing out of season, using bait in water with a bait ban, etc.

[lannie]

Penalties are stiff, not enough officers. 91 Field Officers in the entire Province of Alberta right now. Soon to be 88....

http://westerncanadiangamewarden.com/F2013Cuffs.html
Why are you losing 3 more?

[EP2]

Penalties are stiff, not enough officers. 91 Field Officers in the entire Province of Alberta right now. Soon to be 88....

http://westerncanadiangamewarden.com/F2013Cuffs.html

I don't know what is a bigger problem: losing wardens, or wardens not understanding the law.

In the same publication you quote, a warden answered a question about fishing after tagging a walleye saying that you MUST cease fishing once you have kept a limit/tagged an 'eye. While this is true in the National Parks, it is not for the province.

This was earlier this year, I do not know if they have corrected this.

[Rascal4now]

True there sure aren't enough CO. Lots of poaching of walleye at Battle Lake.
Fortunately, the CO that covers that lake is showing up more due to complaints.
Some folks just have no conscience or morals.
Topics like this will both educate and hopefully deter.

[Lornce]

It is frustrating, I put in 53 reports last year on the Bow river alone.

[SKSniper]

While I was moose hunting I was talking to a C.O and he was telling me how they might stop the officers from going to problem wildlife calls at residences and only have them out in the field/lakes checking tags etc. This way they would be spending way more time busting poachers. I'm not too sure who will be dealing with the problem animal calls if this does happen.

[QIsley]

Why are you losing 3 more?

Promotional opportunities :)

We have, I believe, 12 recruits in academy so they will be hitting the bricks in January so we will be back to approx 100 field officers then if more folks don't retire.

[QIsley]

I don't know what is a bigger problem: losing wardens, or wardens not understanding the law.

In the same publication you quote, a warden answered a question about fishing after tagging a walleye saying that you MUST cease fishing once you have kept a limit/tagged an 'eye. While this is true in the National Parks, it is not for the province.

This was earlier this year, I do not know if they have corrected this.

CORRECTION FROM ALBERTA'S SUMMER 2013 YOU AND THE LAW
Q: If I have caught my limit of a particular species of fish, can I continue to catch fish if I am just going to catch and release?

A: Once you have caught and kept your limit of fish you are not done fishing! You can continue to catch and release any additional fish of which you have
your limit, however, you cannot continue to fish for someone else. Possession limits are individual limits and don't apply to a group of fishermen. If you have caught and kept your limit, but decide to continue to fish, you are not in contravention of the fisheries regulations, as long as you immediatelyrelease any additional fish you catch that are of the same species
for which you have a possession limit. Some lakes have a zero possession
limit of a certain species. These fish must be immediately released back to the water after being caught and cannot be kept for any reason, i.e. swallowed hook or injured. Remember, culling is illegal, which means you cannot release a fish already retained (either from a stringer, bucket, or
a live well) and replace it with another of the same species.

Stuff happens. There is lots to know. :)

If you think that 88 or 100 is enough game wardens in the entire Province of Alberta don't complain when your call does not get the response you expect. Sometimes there is an officer available and sometimes there isn't.

To put it in perspective there are 70 Mounties and 15 peace officers in the Stony Plain district that currently has 2 Fish and Wildlife Officers.

[EZM]

I have always maintained the same position on enforcement. Only we, as outdoorsmen, can change this.

I suggested to a long time AFGA delegate, some years ago, that a resolution to recommend adding more field enforcement officers. The funding would come partially from an increase in fishing licence prices. Unfortunately a $10 hike would do very little (possibly adding a half dozen officers at best).

Therefore, a portion would have to be funded from the provincial tax programs. That's the rub.

We just need more guys out there helping us protect our resources.

[Rascal4now]

Promotional opportunities :)

We have, I believe, 12 recruits in academy so they will be hitting the bricks in January so we will be back to approx 100 field officers then if more folks don't retire.

:sHa_shakeshout:

[Chief16]

Now I am in now way very educated about the background of why there are so few officers but it seems to me that there are not enough people wanting to be come them. If there are 88 currently and only 12 recruits for January as I have learnt from this thread that means there are simply not enough people wanted to fill the job. This is just what I've gathered off this thread and if it's wrong in anyway please enlighten me

[Gslice]

Now I am in now way very educated about the background of why there are so few officers but it seems to me that there are not enough people wanting to be come them. If there are 88 currently and only 12 recruits for January as I have learnt from this thread that means there are simply not enough people wanted to fill the job. This is just what I've gathered off this thread and if it's wrong in anyway please enlighten me

It is most likely a question of budget.
Lower budget --> lower salary --> nobody wants the job

[pinelakeperch]

Far too many people poach Crawling. At the same time, I've been there and caught 30 walleye between a friend and I in a few hours... not a single pike. How come you can keep 3 pike but not a single walleye in a lake that's teeming with them? I'm no fisheries biologist so correct me if my logic is way off.

[jim summit]

We are loosing a couple in the northern part of AB due to retirement. Very large part of the province covered by few officers.

[Gust]

How much does the job pay?

[slivers86]

if the government would make it a job that a man/woman could support a family on, there would be more people willing to look at it as a career as well.

Edit - just read a couple other posts... lol

I've looked at it a couple of times, even co workers have mentioned it when they've seen it on job boards for me, but every time its the salary that I say no to.

[Gust]

if the government would make it a job that a man/woman could support a family on, there would be more people willing to look at it as a career as well.

Edit - just read a couple other posts... lol

I've looked at it a couple of times, even co workers have mentioned it when they've seen it on job boards for me, but every time its the salary that I say no to.

What's the salary?

[Gust]

just looked it up.

Salary

Starting salary for a fish and wildlife officer ranges from $50,290 to $63,942 a year. (2012 estimate)

According to the 2011 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans in the Conservation and Fishery Officers occupational group earned on average from $25.28 to $31.53 an hour. The mean wage for this group was $29.21 an hour.

For more detailed information, see WAGEinfo.

For those wages, I think being a long haul trucker in Winter would be a saner choice of occupation.

[lannie]

Now I am in now way very educated about the background of why there are so few officers but it seems to me that there are not enough people wanting to be come them. If there are 88 currently and only 12 recruits for January as I have learnt from this thread that means there are simply not enough people wanted to fill the job. This is just what I've gathered off this thread and if it's wrong in anyway please enlighten me

Not saying your wrong because I may be very wrong myself but I thought there were many people wanting to join but just very few job openings. It looks like hiring 12 would be a big year for hiring. They don't need to raise the pay scale because people keep applying for the few jobs available.
Kind of the same thing as golf pros.

[ETOWNCANUCK]

just looked it up.

Salary

Starting salary for a fish and wildlife officer ranges from $50,290 to $63,942 a year. (2012 estimate)

According to the 2011 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans in the Conservation and Fishery Officers occupational group earned on average from $25.28 to $31.53 an hour. The mean wage for this group was $29.21 an hour.

For more detailed information, see WAGEinfo.

For those wages, I think being a long haul trucker in Winter would be a saner choice of occupation.

Wages are one thing...it's the requirements to be one...you need an education in natural sciences in order to be one....