Lynn Lau
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Dec 10/01) - The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) says it will step up patrols after officers found several hundred fish that were apparently abandoned at local fishing holes.

During a patrol Nov. 30, fisheries and wildlife officers from Inuvik recovered five sled-loads of fish that had been left piled on the ice at four locations around the Mackenzie Delta. Some fish had been partially scavenged by ravens and foxes.

Leaving fish behind at a fishing hole is considered wastage, which is illegal under the Fisheries Act.

"The perception of local people is they can go out jiggling and catch as much as they like, stack it up on the ice in the hopes that someone will come by and pick it up for their dog teams," federal fisheries officer Mark Simms says. "But you can't just dump fish on the ice."

Anyone caught wasting fish can be hauled into court and handed a hefty fine, but such charges are unusual, since it's difficult for officers to patrol the many scattered sites. Simms says that's why public cooperation is necessary to ensure fish stocks stay healthy.

People fishing for sport should practice catch-and-release fishing using barbless hooks -- the type found on most jiggling lines, Simms says. Jiggling, or jigging, is a popular method of catching fish with a short hand line.

The recovered fish, mostly Northern Pike (jackfish) and burbot (known locally as Loche), will go to the Beaufort-Delta Dog Mushers Club to be used for dog feed.

Meanwhile, local fishers are wondering what all the fuss is about.

Edward Lennie says it's common practice for people to leave fish behind and pick it up later. "I don't get excited about it. As far as I'm concerned, when fish are piled, they're not wasted. Don't just say that people are going out wasting stuff -- that's to me, that's not right."

He says fishery officers should check with people before they disturb their fish piles. "That's trying to change a lifestyle, that's a lifestyle I grew up with."

Another fisher, Colin Allen says he thinks the fisheries department is too finicky about fish wastage. He says people used to catch far more fish than they do today because every family kept dog teams for transportation. "Today, you leave one fish and the government says you're not supposed to do this -- I don't know."

Still, the 65-year-old says he doesn't like to see fish stacked up on the ice, simply because it attracts ravens, who make a big mess. Allen has a cabin near a creeks commonly used by fishers.

"I try my best to keep my jiggling creek clean," Allen says. "I always tell people when they're fishing to take their fish home, but young people, they don't listen. Some people just go out there and they don't care. They're just from town and they don't want that fish."

Allen says when he goes jiggling, he always takes his catch away. His wife, Rita Allen, also says she would rather people take their fish from the jiggling spot. "Long ago, they never leave anything," Rita says. "They don't waste, they save. Nowadays, it's just a sport for them. They go fishing and leave them. They shouldn't really leave them in a fishing place like that. It doesn't look good."