OUTFITTER FINED $8,250 FOR ILLEGAL OUTFITTING AND POISONING WILDLIFE

An outfitter from north of La Ronge recently appeared in Provincial Court in La Ronge and received $8,250 in fines and penalties for illegal outfitting and poisoning wildlife.

Two Wildlife Act convictions for obstructing a peace officer and illegally poisoning a wolf and a bear resulted in $2,250 in fines and penalties. Two convictions under the Outfitter and Guide Regulations and the Wildlife Act involving illegal outfitting activities netted the offender $1,000 in fines, $5,000 in restitutions and six months probation.

"Poisoning wildlife and illegal outfitting are both serious concerns that threaten the health and sustainability of wildlife populations," Saskatchewan Environment Conservation Officer Gary Provencher said.

Provencher expressed particular concern about the poison used in this case. "Furidan is an extremely toxic agricultural chemical which was injected into a moose head and set out to be eaten by the wolf and bear. Not only will it kill the animals that eat it, but it can also poison birds and other animals that feed on the target animals after they die."

Wildlife managers set seasons and quotas in order to maintain healthy wildlife populations. Outfitters who organize hunts before the season officially starts and don't abide by the regulations gain an unfair advantage over other outfitters and can threaten the sustainability of the wildlife populations that outfitter allocations are based on.

The investigation that led to the illegal outfitting conviction began in October 2002, when a call from a hunter alerted Saskatchewan Environment to illegal outfitting activities by the offender. A second investigation was initiated in November 2003, when complaints through the province's toll-free Turn In Poachers (TIP) line indicated that the same outfitter was illegally poisoning animals.

Anyone who sees or suspects wildlife, fisheries or environmental abuses is encouraged to call the province's toll-free Turn In Poachers line at 1-800-667-7561 or contact the nearest Saskatchewan Environment office.

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For More Information, Contact:

Gary Provencher Environment Saskatoon Phone: (306) 933-7928