The Conservation Officer Service (COS) laid several charges against two groups of fishermen last week that were caught ice-fishing on Whistler lakes.
Conservation officer Tim Schumacher said there were six charges laid and 10 warnings issued to five individuals over the weekend at both Alta and Green lakes. Fishing is prohibited in the lakes from Dec. 1 to March 31.
"In my six or seven years of being here, I've never actually had anybody fishing in closed areas on any of these lakes. And this year, it's my third group," Schumacher said, adding that the COS received reports of three different groups fishing illegally on Alta Lake over the weekend. "It's just really weird that we're getting so many people fishing on these closed lakes now."
Schumacher said both groups were cooperative and relayed that they were simply unaware of the existing fishing prohibitions—in spite of ample signage at the lakes.
"Whistler has put up signage; they're little information boards and they often tell you what the limits are, what the season is and what type of fish are in the lake," he added. "Whistler has very good, informative signage because of the amount of visitors we get here."
Schumacher said the onus is on fishermen to be aware of the existing prohibitions.
"We're reminding the public that fishing is a highly regulated activity and it's the responsibility of the fishermen to ensure they're aware of all the regulations," Schumacher added.
Provincial fishing regulations can be found at env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations.
The fines issued over the weekend ranged from $100 to $250, and fell under federal jurisdiction, which come with more serious consequences than provincial offences.
"The charges that were given were federal fisheries tickets, which give the suspect an option to voluntarily pay that fine or attend a scheduled court date," Schumacher noted. "Failure to pay or attend court results in an arrest warrant (being issued)."
As always, wildlife and fishery violations can be reported to the COS RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.
A bull trout that was caught from Green Lake—a catch-and-release lake even when fishing is permitted in the summer—was also seized by the COS. The bull trout is on the provincial blue list, meaning it is considered a species of "special concern." A 2010 study conducted by InStream Fisheries Research recorded a total of 26 bull trout captured and tagged from Green Lake between June 8, 2009 and Sept. 12, 2010.
"In the Whistler area, a popular fishery has developed targeting adult bull trout in Green Lake," the report stated. "This future of this fishery and the continued survival of the bull trout population are uncertain as development pressures on Fitzsimmons Creek and other areas in the Whistler valley are likely to be detrimental to bull trout spawning and rearing."
