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| Release Date: |
February 7, 2008 |
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| Offence Date: |
October 7, 2006 |
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| Item: |
Possess more fish than the possession quota. |
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| Description: |
On Aug. 27, 2007, three Calgary men
appeared in provincial court as a result
of being found with a truck load of fish
on Highway 1 near Medicine Hat. Rene
Jimenez, 58, Edgar Avisado, 44, and
Marcos Dedios, 41, each entered a guilty
plea to exceeding the possession limit
for fish. As a result, each was handed a
$1,200 fine for a total of $3,600 in
penalties.
On Oct. 7, 2006, the Medicine Hat Police
Service initiated a vehicle stop for
speeding on Highway 1. The officers
located several boxes and coolers of
fish at the rear of the truck and
immediately reported their findings to
Medicine Hat Fish and Wildlife officers.
A Fish and Wildlife officer attended the
scene and located four boxes and four
coolers of whole fish.
The officer was advised by the trio that
they had been fishing in Manitoba and
received some of the fish as a gift. All
three produced Manitoba sport fishing
licences and advised that they were
bringing the fish back for friends.
While the investigating officer made
some inquiries, it was clear the three
men were aware of the daily catch limits
and size restrictions for walleye and
sauger. It was explained to the officer
that they were under the impression that
they could catch and retain six sauger
per day and keep them in a freezer at
home, and then catch another six the
following day. They admitted that this
activity occurred for a week.
It was also learned they were given fish
from friends, which the three thought
would not be included in their
possession limit.
Further investigation revealed that the
fish in their possession included
walleye, sauger, drum, goldeye, white
bass and northern pike. The total count
for walleye and sauger was 332, only six
of which were over 55cm.
In Manitoba, daily limits are possession
limits. The trio purchased conservation
licences that allowed them to possess
four walleye/sauger each (of which only
one walleye can exceed 55cm) per
licensed angler. This would have allowed
for a legal limit of 12 fish between the
three of them. However, after a
staggering count of 332 walleye/sauger
each angler exceeded his possession by
107 fish. |
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