$1,500 fine for failure to catch, release

BRACEBRIDGE — Failure to catch and release cost a fisher $1,500 clams in court earlier this month.

A North York man lost his fish and fishing gear to the Crown, after being caught with six lake trout, four over the limit.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry reports a North York man was fined for having an over-limit of fish.

Ryszard Zegota pleaded guilty and was fined $1,500 for catching and retaining an over-limit of lake trout from Lake Joseph.

Court heard that on April 8, 2018, conservation officers with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry were conducting inspections of sport fish anglers to ensure compliance with the Ontario Fishery Regulations. As part of these inspections, Zegota was observed angling through the ice.

He had caught and retained six lake trout, four over the sport fish limit.

As a result, the fish and Zegota’s fishing equipment were permanently forfeited to the Crown.

The ministry reminds anglers that fishing limits are in place to maintain a sustainable fishery so that anglers and other resource users can enjoy the resource in the future.

Justice of the Peace Cheryl McLean heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Bracebridge, on May 2, 2018.

For further information on fishing regulations, please consult the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary available at ontario.ca/fishing.

To report a natural resources violation, call the MNRF TIPS line at 1-877-847-7667 toll-free any time or contact your local ministry office during regular business hours. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). And visit Ontario.ca/mnrftips to view an interactive, searchable map of unsolved cases. You may be able to provide information that will help solve a case.