Anglers could lose valuable fishing spot

By Taylor Renkema

Nature photographer Chris Petrie has been coming to the Quinte Conservation Area for 15 years to photograph birds. This year he has rescued two baby birds in distress, tangled in fishing line left behind on the shores and in the tree branches. The conservation authority is cracking down on anglers leaving garbage behind. "It makes me so mad," he says. "This has to stop." Photo by Gail Paquette

If anglers aren’t careful, they could lose a valuable fishing spot within the Quinte Conservation area.

The area on the south side of Hwy. 2 is the subject of numerous complaints lately of garbage being left in and around the water.

The spot is popular for fishing but General Manager Terry Murphy says people are being downright disrespectful. And, there are consequences for litterbugs.

“If they’re not caught, it can kill wildlife and make the area look terrible. If they are caught, they can be charged with trespassing,” he said.

The area is mostly used for picnics, but Murphy said they had to remove their garbage bins because people were misusing them by bringing their garbage from home and dumping it next to the bins.

Young birds and animals get tangled up in fishing line and try to eat plastics that people leave behind, which can kill the animals. Quinte Conservation is a community-based environmental protection agency, he said.