RESPECTING "OUR" FISHERIES AND SURROUNDINGS

[smerchly]

We are talking about garbage on this thread , and I've seen more broken beer bottles , food wrappers & fishing related packaging thrown in our fishing environment by party types who don't give a damn about anyone . We need serious law enforcement on littering with big fines which make it worth while for a cop/c.o. to procecute these brain dead morons. "Teach" these people to not litter ??? If they don't know how to pick up their own crap , you can't teach them anything , but they might clue in when they get zapped with a $500 fine ......maybe

[riverfisher22]

starting to sound liek a KKK rally

[Dan Andrews]

starting to sound liek a KKK rally

Couldn't agree more. This topic somehow went from anglers littering at the annual smelt harvest to immigrants changing our Country. No one down there was suggesting we change our ways here in Canada. They were simply being slob anglers and I let the thread go so we could discuss solutions to the problem.

Guys if you don't stick to the problem and solution then the topic goes to the trash can. How can we change the ways of these slob anglers? Leave your political rants at the door because it is not helping.

Here's what I did:

1: Called the TIPS Line and reported a massive littering into the Niagara River at the Queenston docks. I also added in there may be an assault occurring if the OMNR wasn't there to address it because no one was putting a stop to it. They can also watch the fish markets to ensure these are not going to be sold.

2: I called a CO who made contact and was talking to me when the call came in from the TIPS Line. Calling the TIPS line was important to log the report and ensure there is a paper trail. Look at the post views for this topic. If that many calls go to the TIPS line there's going to be a line up of CO's and bylaw officers down there next year when the water hits 42 degrees.

3: I sent an email to the Chinese Anglers Association so we can start finding more contacts and send out a web of information to the angling communities who seem to be gathering here.

4: I tried my darndest to contact an old co-worker who worked as an interpreter and speaks seven Asian languages in hopes he has some time to volunteer to work with a CO or some stakeholders as an outreach group.

Educating these slobs and enforcing the laws are the topic here. Talking about how their taking our rights and freedoms away is another topic. Go to the Archy Bunker board to discuss that because I'd hate to see this thread disappear before we get all the workable solutions laid out right here on NFN.

Now how many here called the TIPS line???

[Dan Andrews]

I also contacted CTV and let them know there was massive amounts of litter being thrown in by the netters. If they air that over the Toronto station and someone sees their face or someones they know being broadcast as a shameful report, the message might sink in and the word that it is NOT COOL may get around.

If anyone would like to join me for a clean up post smelt season down there I would appreciate that also.

[riverfisher22]

im down for the clean up chills

[AwolRJ]

Chilli is right, sitting here bashing isn't going to help. Just make us argue with each other! I really don't care what colour or ethnic background they are. I'm American 100 percent and get pissed when I see other Americans fishing alone with 4 rods on Erie or pulling in snagged salmon over in Pulaski. What would you think everyone would say if 1000 Americans went to Queenston and did the same thing, Would be a whole lotta yankee bashing, wouldn't it...

You get to net em a week or two a year, litter is the by-product. In the sates I have heard stories of cops going through garbage to get a reciept or something with the person address and charge em. Why not? If it cost a $500 ticket to come fill your buckets with smelt maybe they will start picking up after themselves? Get cameras installed, pay to park? Only other thing I could think of is getting a gate and ruining for everyone, we should be more upset at the jetboats they took a lot more space then they needed, scare the fish and erode the shore.

[knightfisher]

I have experienced the goings on down at Queenston during the smelt runs.

Many out of towners arrive in the early afternoon and stay well past midnight.

Alot of these people bring a lot of food to eat.

If the MNR put a limit on smelt, say five pounds or so, many of these

people would not be there so long and eat two or three meals while there.

Perhaps the litter would be less as a result.

[Snidley]

I once shared a drift with a fly angler on Bronte creek. Turns out he was an American baseball player from Montana. He commented on what a great steelhead /salmon fishery we had AND how much garbage was strewn around at each fishing spot we hit. He pointed out to me that in Montana the fine for littering was $5000!!. He also pointed out that it was riggerously enforced by Montana authorities. The result was pristine shoreline virtually everywhere in Montana. The size of the fine and the likelyhood of being caught seem to make the ignorant far more "informed". Personally I pick up and remove a big bag of garbage every time I travel down to the Whirlpool (one of the worlds most beautiful shore fishing spots IMO)to go fishing. If all anglers did the same or the Niagara Parks Commission took some responsibility for the whole Whirlpool area, including the stairs down and trails through, then we would have a truly world class fishing and hiking spot.

[ogliq2]

What would you think everyone would say if 1000 Americans went to Queenston and did the same thing,

didn't you guys already try that ? that's what the big statue is about ....

ROTFLMAO

[jason]

yes they should have higher fines for litering and maby people will get the poin i hate it when i see people litter allot of local fishing spots are pretty bad. and i hate when people throw garbage out of their car while driving that one really pisses me off. maby it would be nice to have signs posted down at queenston reminding people of the fines for littering, i was just out for a drive a few days ago and whent down by the dock and witnessed the chaos down there lotts of huge rubbermaid bins getting full i would like to go down myself with my kids and get enough for a few meals but its way too crowded so i agree they should have a limit set on smelt as well.

[Dan Andrews]

Tommy a camera is a good idea. The CO I talked to asked me to ask you guys to get licence plates numbers and if you can catch the littering in progress or pictures of them hauling up those totes full of fish. It may come in handy for prosecution at a trial in the event that they try to sell them. If you guys start going by the book and working with the CO's (Who do have other fish to fry and are spread thin) then we may not have to wait until next year to get the word out.

If your going down there don't bring the chip on your shoulder. Bring a camera but watch your back!!! We've had a few members who have been surrounded down there because of a disagreement. The last thing we want to see is a bunch of concerned citizens losing their cool and pushing people in the drink; show up on the news . If you know your not good at keeping in control because you love the resource, stay home until smelt season is over. I do exactly that every year come the salmon run.

[smerchly]

I once shared a drift with a fly angler on Bronte creek. Turns out he was an American baseball player from Montana. He commented on what a great steelhead /salmon fishery we had AND how much garbage was strewn around at each fishing spot we hit. He pointed out to me that in Montana the fine for littering was $5000!!. He also pointed out that it was riggerously enforced by Montana authorities. The result was pristine shoreline virtually everywhere in Montana. The size of the fine and the likelyhood of being caught seem to make the ignorant far more "informed". Personally I pick up and remove a big bag of garbage every time I travel down to the Whirlpool (one of the worlds most beautiful shore fishing spots IMO)to go fishing. If all anglers did the same or the Niagara Parks Commission took some responsibility for the whole Whirlpool area, including the stairs down and trails through, then we would have a truly world class fishing and hiking spot.

Wow...$5000 fine ! That would suit me fine ! What a difference there is when some guys will haul out garbage from the slobs who left it there . It's obvious we don't have the enforcement they have in Montana ,& I don't know how you can catch the slobs when they leave garbage at a place like the pool . They can blame "the other guy" . Some garbage is left by night anglers (and others) & it's hard to nail them . Obviously we could learn from the U.S. fisheries how to protect our environment , but we haven't the manpower to do it.

[Dan Andrews]

A couple more ideas I got in my sleep:

Call the Niagara Parks Police and remind them they are fighting for their jobs right now. They may be facing elimination through service cuts and protecting the parks is in their mandate.

Most word document programs have a language converter built right in. Can't you write something like "TAKE YOUR GARBAGE HOME" then use the program to translate and print it in different languages? It could be printed so one word is on each piece of paper and then put on a large cardboard sheet and nailed up like a billboard! "PUT YOUR LITTER IN YOUR TRUNK!"

Think it would work?

[Sea Nymph]

That sounds like a great idea chilli. I do signs and graphics for a living and would be more than happy to do something like that if people thought it would work. I am down there often so just let me know !