ONTARIO POACHERS 1/11

Interesting that I found this article because I had heard from a coast guard officer that little action was taken when this occurred last spring. Great to see that we are protecting our resources. Excellent job ODNR and keep up the good work!!! Ontario Fishing Company Fined $5,000 for Illegally Fishing in Ohi0   PORT CLINTON, OH – Pisces Fisheries Inc. of Wheatley, Ontario, was fined $5,000 for fishing illegally in Ohio waters, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Pisces Fisheries was sentenced by the Ottawa County Municipal Court in Port Clinton on Dec. 21, 2012, by Magistrate Louis P. Wargo III. “This was a great multi-agency response,” said Gino Barna, ODNR Division of Wildlife law supervisor for the Lake Erie Law Enforcement Unit. “Gill nets have not been a major issue on Lake Erie in recent years because of the cooperation with other agencies. Because of this support network, incidents like this do not go undetected, and Ohio’s resources are better protected.” The charges were the result of the Adco II, a gill net tug owned by Pisces Fisheries, fishing with gill nets in Ohio waters on two separate occasions. On May 5, 2012, the ODNR Division of Wildlife, with the assistance of the Office of Air and Marine, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Station Marblehead and ODNR Division of Watercraft, five nets belonging to the Adco II were found in Ohio waters north of North Bass Island. On May 9, 2012, five more nets set by the Adco II were found by the U.S. Border Patrol south of Middle Sister Island in Ohio waters. The USCG monitored the nets throughout the night and boarded the Adco II the following morning. Wildlife investigators from the Lake Erie Law Enforcement Unit investigated the incidents. Two charges were filed for possessing gill nets in Ohio, and two charges were filed for fishing with commercial nets in Ohio without a commercial license. The use of gill nets is not a legal method for taking fish in Ohio. Although commercial fishermen may use other types of nets, such as trap nets and seines, gill nets were outlawed in Ohio in 1983. Anyone who observes or suspects wildlife violations are occurring may report illegal activity by calling the Turn-In-A-Poacher (TIP) hotline toll free at 1-800-POACHER. ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.com. Courtesy of the ODNR website.