Individual Fined for Unlawful Commercial Fishing Practices

An individual from Southern Ontario has been fined a total of $10,000 for the following commercial fishing violations:

Shawn Cook of St. Thomas pleaded guilty to unlawfully depositing materials in Lake Erie and unlawfully abandoning the flesh of fish suitable for food. He was fined $10,000 and was given a two-year probation order.

The Ontario Court of Justice heard that on July 13, 2025, a conservation officer received information that a commercial fishing captain was cutting up and dumping gill nets containing fish overboard. Over the following days, 320 yards of gill netting containing rotten fish washed ashore on a beach in Port Stanley. The nets belonged to Shawn Cook, captain of the commercial fishing vessel Lady Pietra.

Further inspection revealed that the nets contained rotten fish, including walleye, yellow perch, white perch and white sucker. Investigators also determined that floats, leads and other identifying features had been intentionally removed from the nets to conceal ownership.

Justice of the Peace Elizabeth Oudekerk heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, St. Thomas, on May 25, 2026.

To report a natural resource problem or provide information about an unsolved case, members of the public can call the ministry TIPS line toll free at 1-877-847-7667. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS. For more information about unsolved cases, please visit ontario.ca/MNRTips.