A man illegally selling baitfish and the person who bought them both got hefty fines in a North Bay court in January.
Laws are in place so dealers don’t sell bait that could be contaminated.
Adam Mujanovic of Lucknow, near Walkerton, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the conditions of his commercial baitfish licence and was fined $2,000.
Geoffroy Giroux of Rouyn-Noranda, pleaded guilty to failing to stop for a conservation officer, unlawfully buying baitfish for commercial purposes and unlawfully possessing more than 120 baitfish. He was fined a total of $2,000.
The court heard that on February 8, 2021, a conservation officer was on his way to conduct a snowmobile patrol on Lake Nipissing when he saw a man transferring Emerald Shiners from one vehicle to a container in another. Giroux saw the conservation officer and tried to escape and was arrested.
Giroux did not have a licence to commercially buy or sell baitfish in Ontario, and 21,600 shiners were seized.
The court also heard that Mujanovic – who sold Giroux the shiners – failed to follow several conditions of his licence, which are put in place to ensure disease is not transmitted to other fish through the use of baitfish.
Justice of the Peace Monique Mechefske heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, North Bay, on January 23, 2024.
