Inland Fish Enforcement Program (IFEP)

Observe, Record & Report

The Inland Fish Enforcement Program seeks assistance from the public in reporting any illegal activities involving inland fish stocks.

Introduction

Newfoundland and Labrador's inland fish resources are the common property of the people of the province. Unfortunately not everybody takes this responsibility seriously. Inland Fish Enforcement Officers patrol inland and coastal waterways in an effort to protect Atlantic salmon and trout stocks. These officers target the more serious poaching activities such as illegal netting, trafficking, etc. Poachers are adopting more sophisticated illegal harvesting methods to avoid detection. Officers are requesting assistance from the public in an effort to apprehend resource abusers and ask everyone to follow the Observe, Record & Report method:
Observe

The types of violations to look out for include:

	illegal angling i.e. jigging, close time, etc
	Illegal netting
	illegal commercialization
	exceeding bag limits
	other infractions of inland fish related legislation

Your ability to recognize a violation improves by becoming more familiar with current laws and regulations. Feel free to contact a provincial inland fish enforcement officer if you have questions about applicable legislation.

An important safety consideration is not to approach or confront a suspected violator.

What to record?

Accurate observation and reporting is essential to help prevent these illegal activities.

Important information to record includes:
 

	Date and time of violation
	Description of Violator
	- Name (if known)
	- Sex
	- Age
	- Height
	- Weight
	- Eye Colour
	- Physical Marks or Scars
	- Clothing and Peculiarities
	Details of Violation
	- Type of Offence
	- Action of Violator
	- Type of Equipment Used
	- Location
	- Description of Vehicle, Vessel or Aircraft
	- Licence No.
	- Province or State
	- Make and Model
	- Colour
	- Unusual Marks
	Witness(es)
	- Name
	- Address
	- Telephone

How to Report?

Once the important facts have been recorded; submit the form at the bottom of this page.

You may also contact your local IFEP officer, IFEP Headquarters or Crimestoppers to report illegal activities.

Please act immediately.

With timely, accurate information, an apprehension of the violator and subsequent conviction can often be obtained without it being necessary for you to appear as a witness. It is frequently vital for an officer to contact you directly, however, to confirm details of the event you have reported. For this reason, it is requested that you provide your identification information. Anonymous reports have low priority for investigation because of the difficulty of corroborating information, getting warrants, etc. Your name will not be released to any person without your consent.

Observe, Record and Report - Submission Form Personal Identification (optional): Your Name: Address: Phone: Email:
Report: Details of Violation: e.g. type of violation violator's actions type of equipment used location date and time Description of Violator: e.g. Name (if known) Sex Age Height Weight Eye and Colour Physical Marks or Scars Clothing and Peculiarities Transport Involved: e.g. vehicle, vessel, aircraft licence no., province make, model colour markings Witnesses: e.g. name, address, phone

Thank you for supporting our Enforcement Program and your information is important in the protection and conservation of inland fish resources.

COMMITTED TO PROTECTING INLAND FISH STOCKS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.