Charges were laid as the result of a joint investigation in September by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Canadian Wildlife Service, and as a result of complaints that illegal baiting was occurring throughout the area. Under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, it is legal to bait for migratory birds up to 14 days before the opening of the waterfowl hunting season. In this case, however, officers discovered baited ponds at the club within three days of the opening day of September 25, 1998.
From the US Fish and Wildlife Service...... "A Canadian commercial fisherman from Port Stanley, Ontario, was charged today in U.S. Federal Court in Cleveland, Ohio, with violating a federal wildlife protection law after illegally harvesting fish from U.S. waters of Lake Erie. Jackson Fisheries, Ltd. and it's owner, are charged with one felony and one misdemeanour violation of the Lacey Act Amendments, a federal law that prohibits interstate commerce in wildlife protected under state or federal laws. If convicted, Jackson and his company face up to one year imprisonment and $500,000 in fines. The charges against Jackson were a result of an unprecedented international investigative efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Ohio Division of Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The charges state that in November 1997, Jackson was observed illegally harvesting fish from U.S. waters of Lake Erie in violation of Ohio state law. A U.S. Coast Guard patrol aircraft observed Jackson's 60-foot fishing vessel operating within U.S. waters of Lake Erie. The Coast Guard crew also videotaped Jackson's illegal harvesting of fish by gill net from the lake.
U.S. laws strictly regulate fish harvests and commercial fishing on U.S. waters of the Great Lakes. Canadian law, however, encourages commercial fishing in Canadian waters, including the use of gill nets. Gills nets are forbidden in the U.S. waters of Lake Erie. Lake Erie is home to the largest Canadian commercial fishing fleet on the Great Lakes. Because of their large numbers, and the competition for fish in Canadian waters, some fisherman are tempted to venture illegally in to U.S. waters in search of a better catch. "The Canadians have known for some time that we were going to get tougher on violators"said LeClair of the US F&WS."
I thought that tidbit of news info from the US may spark some dialogue at the local coffee shops. US states strictly forbid the use of gill nets and abhor the Canadians for condoning them. In contrast, American authorities are also much more lenient with sportfishing quota's, seasons and the number of rods an angler may use. What do you think?
