SIOUX LOOKOUT – The Ontario government has taken decisive action to protect the province’s walleye population from overfishing.
Sioux Lookout resident, Robert Whalen, was found guilty of possessing 17 walleye over the legal limit, having fish packed in a manner that obstructed easy counting, and having fish skinned in a way that made identification challenging. Whalen has been slapped with $6,600 in fines and a one-year fishing prohibition.
The case came to light on June 6, 2022, when a conservation officer carried out an inspection at the Sioux Lookout train station, a common point of access for anglers to popular fishing spots. The officer discovered a cooler owned by Whalen filled with numerous packages of skinned frozen fish, which were difficult to identify and count. Whalen was returning from a fishing expedition on Kawaweogama Lake near Allenwater at the time.
Justice of the Peace Shiree Scribner presided over the case remotely in the Ontario Court of Justice, Sioux Lookout, on May 25, 2023.
The public is encouraged to report any natural resource issues or provide information about unresolved cases. They can reach out to the ministry’s TIPS line toll-free at 1-877-847-7667. Alternatively, they can anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. For more information about unresolved cases, the public is advised to visit ontario.ca/mnrftips.
