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Michigan man fined $2,000 for overfishing walleye near Amherstburg

The provincial government says conservation officers are still out enforcing the rules despite the pandemic. (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry - image credit)
The provincial government says conservation officers are still out enforcing the rules despite the pandemic. (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry - image credit)

A Michigan man has been fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to overfishing walleye in the Detroit River last year.

According to a media release from the provincial government, the man is also barred from having an Ontario fishing licence or engaging in any fishing activities in Canada for two years.

The case was heard remotely in late April and the man, a resident of Rockwood, Mich., pleaded guilty to catching over the limit.

Court heard that conservation officers stopped the man in the Amherstburg area on April 7, 2020, as he was returning to Michigan from Ontario waters.

Officers discovered 19 walleye on board, which is 13 fish over the maximum allowed through his sport fishing licence.

The ministry said conservation officers are continuing to patrol amid the pandemic.

"The Ontario government wants to remind anglers that fishing limits are in place to maintain sustainable fisheries for future generations to enjoy," the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry said in the media release on Friday.