FORT FRANCES – LEGAL – A Minnesota man has been fined for a bait violation.
Duane T. Hanson of Spicer pleaded guilty and was fined $1,500 for illegally bringing live leeches into Ontario.
Court heard that on June 11, 2017, Canada Border Services Agency officers at the Fort Frances port of entry conducted an inspection of Hanson’s vehicle and found two containers of live leeches in a cooler. Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry conservation officers then verified that Hanson was on his way to fish in Ontario waters and was intending to use the leeches as bait.
Justice of the Peace Patricia Clysdale-Cornell heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Fort Frances, on January 12, 2018.
The ministry reminds the public that importing live organisms can threaten aquatic ecosystems by introducing invasive species and transmitting pathogens such as parasites, viruses, and bacteria not native to Ontario.
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).
