Are punishments harsh enough for unethical fisherman?

goober · #1 01-30-2009, 01:51 AM

To start let me say I fully support our Fish & Wildlife department in Alberta. I was raised to be an all around ethical outdoorsman. I do have a big problem with things I see going on all around us on the lakes in our province. I have witnessed total ignorance to catch limits and simple fishing rules all over the place this year. I hear some say it is just the "old retired guy's" that think they can treat our waters the way they did as kid's, FALSE! Some say it is the young people coming up, FALSE as well!! It is all age groups just not doing the research needed to fish new waters or just not caring at all!! While at Snipe Lake this week I saw and talked with a group of people fishing the lake for the first time. I noticed the hooks they were using and asked them if they were aware of the hook size limit (10 mm from shaft). They had no clue and could care less. The one guy even said big deal what are they going to do fine me a hundred bucks? At Lake Isle this summer a neighbor was charged for having walleye in his boat. The fine was so minimal that this winter when we stopped in for a drink with him he had a smoker full of walleye!! Lesson obviously not learned!!! I can not count how many times I have seen people keep illegal Walleye at Pigeon in both summer and winter!! I witnessed a group of people at Island Lake running 15-20 inch Pike up to there cabin as quick as they could pull them out!! This sickens me to no end!! My question is that if our fines in this province were steeper would it help? Do these fines increase with each offense?(I don't think they do) If we threw the book at these people on their first offense would it not make life easier on our understaffed F&W Officers?

Don Andersen · #2 01-30-2009, 06:40 AM

goober,

The fines are not high enough.

Fisheries are all OUR responsibility. Pick up your cell phone and call Report a Poacher. 1-800-642-3800

Don

packhuntr · #3 01-30-2009, 06:43 AM

Pretty impressive stuff alright.... I dont know what the answer is. A fairly sizeable portion of the " I dont care/whack and stack brigade " know that if they are smart, they arent going to get caught.
Its no different than getting to hear rifleshots at night every second night on my whitetail hunts up north in that Athabasca country every fall. The big whitetails are either dead or nocturnal in some of that fringe turf. It really is something to talk with the land owners and Sustainable Resource boys about. Its a pretty ugly scene. Are there ever issues up there. There are everywhere in that regard though. Same thing on a hunt in Fox Creek country afew years back now. As far as infractions, poaching, etc etc, ya, what is there to change except increase fines. People should be pistol whipped for some of the things that they do, and i agree, they consistently walk away practically smiling. Its embarrasing.

cardiacphil · #4 01-30-2009, 06:58 AM

They are true ambassadors to our sports...I hope that they are impressed...How can you hold back from Giving them a stiff backhand....I know I couldn't...

Report them, I am a firm Whack and Stack supporter. there are legal ways to do it.

As for up by athabasca LOOK where you are...thats the keepers of the land my friend...rough times ahead for the REAL sportsmen.

CP

goober · #5 01-30-2009, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don Andersen

goober,

The fines are not high enough.

Fisheries are all OUR responsibility. Pick up you cell phone and call Report a Poacher. 1-800-642-3800

Don

I agree that it is all our responsibility 100%!! Phoning the RAP hot line does not generate immediate response. I have phoned numerous times and have never seen anyone show up. They do not have the bodies to respond to calls in this matter. They simply pile up the complaints and then when there is enough of them piled up they will venture out to that lake or area. My theory is to target numerous known hot spots in an overwhelming manner. What if instead of sending 2 officers to Pigeon on a Wednesday, They sent 30 on a Saturday and Sunday. If fines were increased and they were giving out $500 or $700 tickets at an alarming rate would it not make it easier on them in the long run? All this extra money in fines would also be good for future restoration efforts would it not? I think people in general would think twice after receiving such a hefty fine. Who would want to spend a day fishing and keeping illegal fish if they knew it could turn a cheap day on the lake in to a couple day's wages!!

russian river · #6 01-30-2009, 12:59 PM

I myself am not a hunter but a fisherman that been said I know that RAP is a good idea but it doesn't work I own some property in which I don't allow hunting for the simple fact that a) neighbours have cattle and b) there is usually more hunters than trees out there because they don't feel it necessary to ask for permission. I have phoned and made reports with no luck and it is not uncommon to hear shots fired in the middle of the night out there and when reporting to RAP I was asked if I was sure someone was poaching???? WTH who is shooting at night and at what? so I think that if you can't play by the rules you shouldn't have the PRIVILEDGE to play... maybe then others would think twice about what they are willing to do or not...

hockeyfish · #7 01-30-2009, 02:00 PM

ya, i agree...the hook, and the 10mm shaft thing doesn't bug me that much...but the freezer full of walleye!!! cmon!

brohymn2 · #8 01-30-2009, 03:46 PM

yes being someone who gets exetremely depressed reading the regs here, (im from north western ontario, so i grew up lucky with fishing location) it really ****es me off that people do that, i was under the idea that if u got caught poaching you got your boat and truck confiscated, theres nothin more id like then to go slaughter some walleye for a fish fry but im not gonna break tyhe law to do it, some people oughta be smacked, ah well if the draw go's good for me maybe ill have a mini walleye fry

-k

uicehole · #9 01-30-2009, 05:15 PM

Punishment is a joke and the bleeding heart judges reduce the punishment further if anyone challenges their conviction in court. It's not all doom and gloom as there have been recent cases where the purp got the book thrown at them. Unfortunately, these stories aren't as well publicized as they should (hence, I couldn't find any examples).

On a sad note, there was hope that CVR was ready to be opened up for walleye retention but the last census revealed the population took a sh!tkicking from poaching.

goober · #10 02-01-2009, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hockeyfish

ya, i agree...the hook, and the 10mm shaft thing doesn't bug me that much...but the freezer full of walleye!!! cmon!

Does it bug you if people fish with barbs still on their hooks? Both rules are put in place for a reason.

#11 02-01-2009, 04:53 PM

Quote:

The fine was so minimal that this winter when we stopped in for a drink with him he had a smoker full of walleye!! Lesson obviously not learned!!! I can not count how many times I have seen people keep illegal Walleye at Pigeon in both summer and winter!!

I have to ask goober how many of these valuations have you reported????

wannabe · #12 02-01-2009, 05:21 PM

from someone who just about became a fish cop i know what fines can be given out and what fines are given out. it is very important that violations are reported. illegal walleye fishing is a huge problem in this province. walleye is sold and traded to the equivilant of drugs in some communities. the fines are/can be huge depending on who is giving them out and how many violations an individual already has. the support to protect fish and wildlife is a joke in Canada. they don't get the government funding to employ enough officers.

to the comment about 30 officers hiting an area at one time, that would be great but would involve officers from just about the entire province(yes they are that few) most officers work alone and if they are seasonal they don't carry a side arm. it's pretty intimidating to walk up to a group of drunk or uncaring fisherman with just a batton and a can of pepper spray and try and tell them comply with the law.

Kevin C. · #13 02-01-2009, 05:23 PM

Not that I am perfect but I will not fish with people that have no respect for the regs, I follow the rules like many others. If someone I know or see does something that is against regs I am very vocal about lettin them know. Caught a guy culling salmon in a river back home, he had some choices givin to him and lucky for him he chose to call it quits for the day. Maybe I am a bully but in Ontario you can go years with out ever seeing a fish cop, someones gotta stand up to these people. Not that I am suggesting this is the correct way to handle these situations after all we are all there for the same reasons. Like others have said reporting them doesnt always get the desired result.

goober · #14 02-01-2009, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albertahog

I have to ask goober how many of these valuations have you reported????

I have placed at least 25 calls between hunting and fishing in total. I have even phoned with names or license plates of the people involved. Most of my calls have come regarding Lake Isle and area as we have a cabin at the lake so I am there most.

#15 02-01-2009, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goober

I have placed at least 25 calls between hunting and fishing in total. I have even phoned with names or license plates of the people involved. Most of my calls have come regarding Lake Isle and area as we have a cabin at the lake so I am there most.

Well thats cool

Quote:

The fine was so minimal that this winter when we stopped in for a drink with him he had a smoker full of walleye!! Lesson obviously not learned!!!

I hope he got nailed for the smoker full of walleye.

goober · #16 02-01-2009, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albertahog

I hope he got nailed for the smoker full of walleye.

Not sure. My Uncle had reported him the week prior so Dad called about him again. He claimed most of the fillets came from Slave when we asked him, but no one in my family has ever known him to fish anywhere other than Isle. He is literally out everyday on Isle!!

Cal · #17 02-02-2009, 08:06 AM

Another thing that goes un punnished is the careless releising of fish. I know that once in awhile you get a fish thats hooked bad and he's gotta come out of the water for awhile. This is unfortunate and I try to keep this to a minimum. Fishing downstream of the spillway on the slave river it is a steady parade of belly up fish floating past. I'v watched guys let their dogs play with fish for 10 minuits while they holler at their kids to come take a look at the fish they done caught as it flops around on the bank then heave the thing back into the river like a football. Its sad enough when the person is just to incompatent to get the hook out in a timely manner but lots of times its just plain ignorance. On culling fish, I definatly dont think anyone should be allowed to do it. So how come tournament fishermen can get away with it? What kind of ods would you give those fish that just got bashed against the sides of the livewell all the way back to the weigh station?

goober · #18 02-02-2009, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cal

On culling fish, I definatly dont think anyone should be allowed to do it. So how come tournament fishermen can get away with it? What kind of ods would you give those fish that just got bashed against the sides of the livewell all the way back to the weigh station?

Good point! I have never thought of the culling that is allowed in tournaments.