**MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND FORESTRY NEWS RELEASE**

An Iroquois Falls man has been fined $1,300 for fishing offences.

Richard Gelinas pleaded guilty and was fined $1,000 for possessing an over-limit of fish and $300 for packaging fish so that the species could not be easily identified. His fishing licence was also suspended for three months.

Court heard that on June 3, 2017, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry conservation officers were patrolling on Lake Abitibi at Long Point when they checked Gelinas for compliance. The officers, along with the canine unit, discovered that Gelinas was in possession of 12 skinless walleye, eight over the permitted limit. The fish were forfeited to the Crown.

Justice of the Peace Nathalie Breton heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Timmins, on September 27, 2018.

For further information on fishing regulations, please consult the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary, available at ontario.ca/fishing.

To report a natural resources violation, call the ministry’s TIPS line at 1-877-847-7667 toll-free any time or contact your local ministry office during regular business hours. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). And visit Ontario.ca/mnrftips to view an interactive, searchable map of unsolved cases. You may be able to provide information that will help solve a case.