Fishermen feared attack

[plowjock]

Ah so
The white five gallon bucket brigade strikes again.
Why do you hink the MNR had to make up the Fishing regs in Chinese a few years back?
They are such honest humble people.
NOT

[Fishboy]

Ah so
The white five gallon bucket brigade strikes again.
Why do you hink the MNR had to make up the Fishing regs in Chinese a few years back?
They are such honest humble people.
NOT

The member of the white-bucket-brigade that I saw up the valley a few years ago was definitely not Chinese. He was white-trash and he made the Trailer Park Boys look high-brow. He was worm fishing for brookies in a lake up the valley and he put every fish he caught into his bucket. When I mentioned possession limits, he swore at me and threatened to kill me if I didn't leave him alone.

The MNR prints the regs in English, yet we still have poachers of European heritage like the guy I just wrote about. Don't generalize about people based on their national or cultural origin. Frankly, I've been cheated more often by "honest" Canadians than I have by Asians. In fact, in 10 years of international business, I can count the number of times I've been cheated by Asians on one finger.

Right now I'm extending that finger in the direction of the F-H members who have lowered themselves to the level of racist comments.

[ganman]

Ouch Plowjock....even that made me, a small town boy unsullied by political correctness and sensitivity training wince.

Now Fishboy, as a fellow fly fisher I did not miss your subtle dig about the wormer. I bet you typed that with a sneer as all us uppity fly fishers do.

I'm accusing you of being a...."wormist"

[lifeisfun]

Not to start a political rant in here, but just to answer your question about why kids in Canada are brought up with racism in them in some cases.

I live in Ottawa, and simply listening to a radio station like CFRA will show you how much hate to others some people have and try to promote.

What the heck you drinking ... ?
Who is "promoting hate" on CFRA ???

[slop]

I have witnessed first-hand, the 'white bucket biologist' on many occasions while enjoying my favorite pastime on our waterways. It would be my opinion that these biologists come in every shape, size, sex and ethnic background....so that's why I believe that education and enforcement would go a long way in protecting and preserving our valuable resources for future generations to enjoy. It's obvious that MNR funding/budgets are having an effect on enforcement. Penalties for violating the law should also be stiffer as well. As a Canadian, I need to do my part and send a message to our (about to be) elected officials and you all have the oppertunity to do so as well.

Nobody here can judge whether or not the alleged attacks are racially motivated....I would suspect that the perpetrators are just fed up and allegedly took matters into their own hands...not a good thing either. If there are charges laid and justice served(custody as punishment) we will still be paying for three square meals a day and a bed to sleep in ....not to mention health care and education.....

Super Prison's would be cool too....the convicted could manufacture lures instead of licence plates...and enjoy neither

I'm done

[Fishboy]

Ouch Plowjock....even that made me, a small town boy unsullied by political correctness and sensitivity training wince.

Now Fishboy, as a fellow fly fisher I did not miss your subtle dig about the wormer. I bet you typed that with a sneer as all us uppity fly fishers do.

I'm accusing you of being a...."wormist"

Sublte....moi?

[orrsey]

I know that area very well, and its almost funny how well that bridge is marked. As stated you dont need to speak a certain language to understand a fish and a hook with a big "x" across it. There is more than one of these signs on both sides of the bridge as well as posted on the bridge. And it explains that there is a fish sanctuary. The people of Westport are very good, and friendly people. The fact that they were chased away had nothing to do with them being Asian, I have seen the locals chase other local kids out of there before as well. As stated the locals are very protective and proud of that sanctuary. I would never say that someone should be attacked but if the locals dont kick people out of a place like that who is? The MNR? I have also felt the frustration of people travelling from Toronto to fish a local crappie whole where people used to fish. Big Coleman coolers full of 14-15inch crappie were carted out nightly. I think its great that more and more people are fishing, it only helps this sport/past time but its a bad feeling when 13 cars show up and 5 people pile out of each car carrying coolers only to fill them and do it all again the next day. Needless to say that crappie spot is nothing like it used to be.

[Eli]

[Moosebunk]

They were fishing in a sanctuary that is clearly marked.

They were told. More than once. There were two seperate incidents at both ends of the sanctuary that night. This issue goes back to last year also.

Sad but true, and the issue goes back even further than a year as I've talked about it a few times over the years up here with a co-worker whom works with me 6 months of the year. The other 6 months of the year the fella's at home at his permanent address in the town of Westport. His house, right there with waterfront on the exact sanctuary where the poachers were fishing.

He knows I'm into fishing and the "white bucket" thing has been brought up before. One of the most gentle men you'd ever meet, he would say he wasn't happy with the continual poaching by Asian's on the sanctuary. Who better to witness it than a man with a full time window view.

It sucks that violence has resulted, but it seems obvious that signs up all around the sanctuary and community members verbally warning people isn't getting the message across. The MNR are absentee landlords. The kind of message sent now by the "VAN MOB" will hopefully be a one time blow that will make all others of any race rethink coming to Westport, breaking the law by poaching, damaging the fisheries, and flaunting these acts for years in the face of a small and proud community.

Do I think a white, black, red, purple, burgundy or aquamarine person would have gotten same treatment in this case. Yes, very likely... as it's crime nonetheless that has been being committed time and time again, and it's obviously enough to make people angry with the criminals.

[Dartee]

They were fishing in a sanctuary that is clearly marked.

They were told. More than once. There were two separate incidents at both ends of the sanctuary that night. This issue goes back to last year also.

Sad but true, and the issue goes back even further than a year as I've talked about it a few times over the years up here with a co-worker whom works with me 6 months of the year. The other 6 months of the year the fella's at home at his permanent address in the town of Westport. His house, right there with waterfront on the exact sanctuary where the poachers were fishing.

The instances of fishing in that sanctuary are not even remotely new.
25+ years ago when I lived there it was an issue as well. People used to fish and get run off the bridges often. Some people used to even try and fish in the sanctuary behind the old Tweedsmere hotel. They were usually spotted by the people in the house at the bottom of Foley Mountain.

The most obvious location was the Sandlake-Westport Mountain road end of the ponds (many bobbers in the hydro lines 20 ft out over the water).

Back then race had nothing to do with it. It is a pure disregard for the rules and the resource.
Today its just a different group/demographic pleading ignorance of the laws. They all know perfectly well that the Weak Laws are being broken and the MNR is stretched too thin to respond seriously.
As long as there is a market and $$$ being made, this will unfortunately continue. Dry up the market and the illegal commercial fishing will dwindle.

[wolfe]

All too often these days when someone crosses the line and is called out on it, the racial card is played. Some times it is merely a smoke screen to draw attention away from their initial trespass.

That being said, of course, hate crimes do exist and are both unacceptable & repulsive...and vigilante violence is not condoned, but one can understand the frustration locals experience when they see a repeated offense occuring and no one in an authority position taking action.

As Orrsey mentioned, those bridges are clearly marked and you don't have to read English to interpret the picture correctly. Maybe they should put a big picture of an ax-weilding man and cowering fisherman next to the big picture of the X'd out fish and hook.

Sorry to hear this happened in Westport, especially, as it's my home away from home.

W.

[yokes]

CBC Radio 1's show "Sounds like Canada" ran this story today.

They call it "Nipper Tipping" and the Chinese community calls it a hate crime.

I did not hear any mention of why people are doing this, wether it is a hate crime or vigilantism.

[Todd B.]

I believe that the CBC radio show was in relation to recent events in the Barrie / Simcoe area where fishermen (asian and caucasion) have been pushed into the water (with there gear sometimes tossed in as well.) It was reported that these were random assaults on non-local fishermen by locals. This is in contrast to what seems to be vigilante justice in Westport.