The MP for Bruce Grey Owen Sound is joining local anglers in anger at seeing a native commercial fishing boat dropping nets in Colpoy’s Bay.
Larry Miller says he received phone calls from many constituents in recent days about a native commercial boat having dropped nets in the illegal section of the bay for fishing.
There is no official agreement in place now to stop the fishing as the last one expired in December.
However Miller — and the President of the Bruce Peninsula Sportsmen Association Dave Leggatt — would like to see the book thrown at the commercial fishermen over what Miller is calling “a blatant disregard for what’s right and what’s wrong.”
Miller says it is illegal to catch rainbow trout in the upper area of the bay and the trout are already starting to spawn.
He adds the fish industry is already in bad shape in Owen Sound, Wiarton and Georgian Bay and to take away the future population is just irresponsible.
Meanwhile Leggatt says area fishermen are very angered over this and at a recent Sportsmen Association meeting it is all the members wanted to talk about.
Leggatt was on the dock Monday with several members as well as a representative from the Ministry of Natural Resources who said the nets would be removed and the boat would leave.
Leggatt says the fishing boat is well known and is from the Cape Croker.
Leggatt says the very least he would like to see is the fisherman charged with illegal fishing of rainbow trout.
Native officials have yet to sit down with the Ministry of Natural Resources and come up with a new official agreement.