Anglers Go To Court

In June, a concerned member of the public phoned Report a Poacher regarding a group of anglers on the Oldman River upstream of Highway 22.  The caller suspected that the men may be keeping more fish than the limit (the limit for this area is zero).  The licence plate numbers of the suspected anglers was recorded and passed along to authorities.  Officers responded and discovered six Lethbridge men in possession of 25 cutthroat trout and 4 bull trout.  On September 29, 2015 at 10:00am, the suspects of this event are set to appear in Pincher Creek Provincial Court.

Bull and Cutthroat Trout seized from poachers

The Oldman watershed faces significant pressures from a variety of factors.  Poaching, off-highway vehicle abuse, erosion and natural resource extraction have all played a role in the new unfortunate reality for the Oldman.

I addressed the grim reality our native trout species face in one of my previous blogs: A Load of Bull

There are a large group of stakeholders that have a keen interest in this region.  Anglers have an opportunity to take a stand and place a higher emphasis on a sustainable resource that we all responsibly enjoy for decades to follow.

The Beautiful Oldman River 

The court proceedings against the poachers is an opportunity for anglers to come together.  On September 29, 2015 anglers will be gathering at the Provincial Court in Pincher Creek to respectfully observe the  proceedings.  If you would like to attend this gathering, please sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/oldman-river-poaching-case-tickets-18621116260

It is important that we anglers play a respectful role and show that we take these types of issues seriously.  We won't truly appreciate what we have until it is taken from us.