Abandoned gill nets full of rotting fish: Ministry seeks public’s help

News release from MNRF

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is seeking the public’s help in identifying the individual or individuals responsible for abandoning gill nets in Lake Superior, near the Montreal River.

On January 19, 2017, conservation officers with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry responded to a report of gill nets set in the vicinity of the Montreal River in Lake Superior. Officers located and removed gill nets which contained hundreds of rotting walleye, whitefish, lake trout, rainbow trout, and salmon. A number of nets were still set and actively fishing at the time of removal. The nets were marked with yellow plastic jugs on each end. It is estimated that the nets had been left unattended for well over a month.

Since November 2015, officers have responded to eight reports of abandoned nets in eastern Lake Superior and the western portion of the North Channel on Lake Huron. During the investigation of these reports, officers removed over seven kilometres of abandoned gill nets containing thousands of kilograms of rotting fish.

The Ministry is looking for information that will help identify the owners of the nets.

If you have any information about these nets, please contact the MNRF TIPS line at 1-877-847-7667 toll-free any time, or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).