Rampant Illegal Retention, Inadequate Fines & Poor Enforcement

Alberta’s fisheries are suffering colossal illegal retention rates of 39 – 50%. (Illegal retention means that a fishermen keeps more fish than he is legally allowed to). This is absolutely desecrating our fisheries. Logically, we believe it makes sense to raise minimum fines and increase enforcement. In reality the Province, SRD and Fish & Wildlife have only made the problem worse.

Minimal Fines & Inadequate Enforcement

Over the past 6 years just $984,000 has been brought in by the Fish & Wildlife enforcement. While that might seem like a big number, let’s break it down.

In the 2009 to 2010 fiscal year, 123 conservation officers were employed at salaries of between $55,000 – $75,000 each. If you do the math, each officer brings in just $1,300 to $2,600 worth of fines annually despite their salary levels. We ask you: is this any way to run a business?!

“Do You Know How Much Work That Is?”

In 2010, the Friends of the Red Deer River petitioned 200 anglers in the act of angling to see if they supported higher fines for illegal retention. 199 of them replied positively.

When our organization proposed raising the minimum fines to the SRD, their response was simply “Do you know how much legislation that would take?” To them we reply, “Do YOU understand how much damage NOT changing that restriction does?”

Is it not the job, duty and responsibility of these well-paid executives to enact such legislation for the security of our Province’s natural capital, watersheds and fisheries?

“No Gas? No Patrols? No Problem!”

Adding to the problem is the fact that in 2010, Provincial government, SRD and our Fish & Wildlife Management collectively implemented a “gas coupon” program for all enforcement officers. When an officer runs out of “gas coupons” they are no longer able to patrol in divisional vehicles.

This drastically curtailed conservation officer policing routines & enforcement strategies despite the already extreme levels of illegal retention.

Not only that, but as many enforcement officers will tell you, much of their time is spent in paperwork behind a desk. You can’t catch offenders while sitting in your office.

Where Does That Money Go?!

When a fishery suffers illegal retention, we believe it makes sense to direct the fines collected from illegal retention on that watershed right back into the fishery.

In reality, even when an offender is apprehended with illegally retained fish, fine revenues are directed elsewhere into the system and the fishery that incurred such devastating losses receives no mitigation. The result is continually eroding fisheries across Alberta.