Stopped Twice On The Same Day For Illegal Fishing

[Mike]

Sun, Feb/26/06

PEMBROKE - Two men who were stopped for having too many fish, have been fined $2,000 each and banned from fishing for a year.

Tamas Fulop, 34, of Markham, and Frank Berger, 59, of Richmond Hill, pleaded guilty to possessing too many walleye and Channel Catfish and unlawfully transporting fish. Both men forfeited their fishing gear to the Crown.

Court heard that the two men were fishing on the Ottawa River, near Rolphton, on October 3, 2005, when their boat was stopped by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) marine unit. The OPP officer found the men with 17 walleye and four Channel Catfish. Berger was fishing under the authority of a conservation fishing licence and Fulop had a regular fishing licence.

Shortly after the OPP released the pair, they were stopped by Ministry of Natural Resources conservation officers and found with another six walleye and 30 Channel Catfish. This put them over limit by 15 walleye and 12 Channel Catfish.

Justice of the Peace Clayton McKechnie heard the case at the Ontario Court of Justice, Pembroke, on Feb 13, 2005.

Call 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667) toll free any time to report a natural resources violation or contact your local ministry office during regular business hours. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800- 222-TIPS (8477).