Some Manitoba fishing fines quadrupled

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This article was published 01/04/2025 (198 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The provincial government has quadrupled fines for certain fishing offences.

The latest annual angler’s guide, released Tuesday, states that the fines for using barbed hooks or leaving a line unattended jumped to $220 from $52. The fine for possession of crayfish has also quadrupled, from $102 to $433.

The fine for going over the limit is $390, nearly four times the previous amount of $102, while the fine for bringing live bait into Manitoba has more than doubled, from $202 to $433.

The guide states that, “Some set fines have increased as part of Canada’s process to amend The Contraventions Act.”

The federal government’s website states the Contraventions Act provides an alternative to the summary conviction procedure set out in the Criminal Code for the prosecution of certain federal offences and reflects the distinction between criminal and regulatory offences.

“It allows enforcement authorities to commence the prosecution of a contravention by means of a ticket with the option of voluntary payment of the prescribed fine, therefore avoiding the longer and more costly summary conviction procedure set out in the Criminal Code,” the website states.

The provincial department of Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures said in an email that the increases were partly the result of changed federal regulations. Fines have also been increased “as a deterrent for the more serious infractions” after significant engagement with anglers, the email said.

The increased fines related to crayfish and bringing live bait into Manitoba are intended to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.

“We want to ensure that all Manitobans can enjoy fishing sustainably for generations to come,” the email said.

The Manitoba fishing guide also lists several proposed regulation changes that would be implemented for the 2026-27 season. Most are specific to certain bodies of water or regions, but two would be provincewide.

Currently, recreational anglers are not allowed to keep any largemouth bass, regardless of their size. Under a proposed change, fishers could possess as many as four at any given time as long as none are longer than 45 centimetres, except at Mary Jane Reservoir. The limit of four and the maximum length matches the province’s current limits for smallmouth bass.

Fishers would also be restricted to possessing one arctic char, except in stocked trout waters. The current limit is eight.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca

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