Three Vancouver men were fined $1000 for illegal fishing on Green Lake Sunday.
Sgt. Dave Jevons of the Conservation Officer Service (COS) said a neighbour noticed four individuals on the lake at around 10 a.m. and, knowing that the lake is closed to fishing during the winter, called the authorities.
Officers responded to the call and found four men in their late 20s. Three of them were ice fishing with prohibited barbed hooks and bait. One man had caught and killed two bull trout and one rainbow trout.
Jevons said he issued warning notices to the group in addition to the $1000 fine, which was issued under the Federal Fisheries Act. The fish were confiscated and taken to the COS exhibit lock-up.
"They claimed ignorance," Jevons said. "They clearly hadn't looked at the regulations because it says in the regulations that (the lake) is closed to fishing."
He added; "They seemed apologetic, but then again they always do when they're getting $1000 in fines."
Green Lake is closed to fishing from Dec. 31 to March 31 and there are specific regulations during fishing season: fishers can only use single barbless hooks and no bait, and all fish must be returned in order to protect the bull trout fishery in the lake.
The COS encourages the public to call their 24-hour hotline, 1-877-952-7277, for any environmental, fishing or hunting violations or human-wildlife conflicts.
