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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Two men faced separate charges under the Fisheries Act in Yellowknife territorial court on Tuesday and both received fines.

One man pleaded guilty and proceeded with sentencing despite not having a lawyer represent him. He was charged for two offences stemming from an Oct. 12 incident when two fisheries officers on patrol at Prosperous Lake saw a rod in the water that was connected to a tree. The officers also found that the rod had two barbed hooks at the end.

Only barbless hooks are allowed for sport fishing in the NWT.

The man was inside a nearby cabin and said the rod was his. The officers seized the fishing rod.

Crown prosecutor Mike Himmelman said the charges for fishing offences reflect "the value we put on this particular resource."

"Hopefully the accused has learned from this experience," Himmelman said, adding the man had no previous record for this type of offence.

Deputy Judge Michel Bourassa scolded the accused as he said the laws are in place "to try and protect the fish from this type of thing."

For leaving a rod unattended and fishing with barbed hooks, the man was given a total fine of $300.

A second man also pleaded guilty and was fined for taking a trout from Prosperous Lake.

The man was approached by two fisheries officers on patrol on Oct. 11. They asked him if he had any success fishing. He admitted to catching a lake trout at Prosperous Lake, which was then seized by one of the officers.

According to ENR regulations, the daily catch and possession limits on lake trout from Prosperous Lake is zero between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31.

"Lake trout in Prosperous Lake have been exploited," said Himmelman. "This is a serious matter." Bourassa fined the man $200 despite the Crown's request for a fine of $300.

"Everybody won't be able to pull fish from Prosperous Lake much longer if the rules aren't obeyed," said Bourassa.