REGIONAL— With sufficient ice on many North Country lakes, anglers are starting to move their fish houses out to their favorite honey holes. But they’ll want to be aware of a new law that could cost them up to $100 if they leave trash out on the ice.
The new law took effect July 1 and it requires all trash to be placed in a container that’s secured to a fish house or your vehicle. That includes beer and pop cans, liquor bottles, cigarette butts and even fish remains.
“We don’t want people leaving that directly on the ice,” said Maj. Robert Gorecki, operations manager of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ enforcement division. “Number one, it can blow away. Number two, people tend to forget about that type of stuff.”
Garbage left behind on the ice is one of the biggest complaints conservation officers, or COs, hear every year, Gorecki said, and it’s what prompted the Legislature to pass the new law. COs report that they regularly find beverage containers, cardboard, and other trash left behind by thoughtless anglers. They also regularly find human waste, which is a public health concern as well as just, well… gross. Some of the newer high-end fish houses even have holding tanks for sewage and some users will just dump an entire season’s accumulation on the ice when they leave, creating additional environmental concerns.
Prior to the new law, conservation officers couldn’t take enforcement action for trash or other waste left on the ice if a fish house was occupied.
The new law gives conservation officers the ability to educate people first, and take enforcement action as needed, according to Gorecki. Violating the law is a petty misdemeanor and could result in a $100 fine.
“It really gives us some new tools in our tool belt to make sure the public is picking up after themselves,” Gorecki said. “We can directly address that with them while we’re out there on the ice talking to them about fishing or other activities, and make sure that they pick it up while we’re there.”
Minnesota Public Radio contributed to this story.