A Minnesota man has been fined $1,500 for illegally bringing live baitfish into Ontario.
Robert Bulik of Moorhead pleaded guilty and was fined $1,500 for importing live fish into Ontario for use as bait.
Justice of the Peace Pat Clysdale-Cornell heard in Ontario Court of Justice, Fort Frances, Dec. 19, that Sept. 24 Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry conservation officers contacted Bulik after receiving information from Canada Border Services Agency, said a news release from the OPP.
Officers at the Fort Frances Bridge port of entry found Bulik to have a total of 570 live minnows inside two plastic jerry cans in his boat, next to four other jerry cans containing fuel. Upon investigation, conservation officers learned that Bulik bought the baitfish in Minnesota and was on his way to fish Rainy Lake.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the International Falls port of entry had advised Canada Border Services Agency that they suspected Bulik transferred live minnows into jerry cans before driving across the International Bridge to Ontario, said the news release.
The ministry reminds the public that importing live organisms can threaten aquatic ecosystems by introducing invasive species, and transmitting pathogens such as parasites, viruses and bacteria not native to Ontario.
Recent snowfall has allowed for good progress on opening trails throughout Voyageurs National Park.
Caution is urged off trails; ice ridges have been active, and high winds over the past few days have created snowdrifts, currently soft, on the lake surface. Some snowmobile trails still remain closed, but progress is moving quickly to open them as ice conditions allow.
The snowmobile speed limit within the park is 45 mph on frozen lake surfaces and 25 mph on all overland portages. Speed limit signs are posted at trailheads and portages.
The Rainy Lake Ice Road is now open from the visitor center to Cranberry Bay, and around portions of Dryweed Island. The Kabetogama Lake Ice Road is now open from the Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center Boat Launch to the Ash River Visitor Center Boat Launch. Ski trails are open, packed, and tracked. Snowshoe trails are open, but not packed. The speed limit for the ice road is 30 mph.
When ice fishing, holes must be drilled at least 50 feet from ice roads and snowmobile trails.
The Rainy Lake Visitor Center is open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The visitor center offers maps, information, and hot cocoa during business hours. Snowshoe and cross-country skis loans have started for the season.
The most up to date winter trail conditions are at www.nps.gov/voya.
Snowmobile trails
- International Falls to Kettle Falls (Purple Trail) – Closed
- Rainy Lake/Black Bay to Kabetogama Lake to Ash River (Green Trail) – Open and staked
- Ash River to Crane Lake (Green Trail) – Open and staked
- Chain of Lakes (Dashed Black Trail) – Closed
- Ash River to Kettle Falls (Yellow Trail) – Open and staked
- East Namakan Lake to Sand Point Lake (Blue Trail) – Closed
Ice roads
Rainy Lake - open to Cranberry Bay and around portions of Dryweed Island
Kabetogama – open to the Ash River Visitor Center Boat Launch
Ski trails
- Echo Bay Ski Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
- Black Bay Ski Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
- Tilson Connector Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
- KabAsh Trail – Open
Snowshoe trails
- Black Bay Beaver Pond Trail – Open, not packed
- Blind Ash Bay Trail – Open, not packed
- Oberholtzer Trail – Open, not packed
- Sullivan Bay Trail – Open, not packed
Yellow starthistle flowers have sharp spines that can injure grazing animals.
January’s Weed of the Month, yellow starthistle (Centurea solstitialis), is a toxic plant that infests millions of acres in the western United States. It is native to Eurasia and was likely brought to North America as a contaminant in alfalfa. Though widespread throughout the western states, there are no known populations in Minnesota.
Yellow starthistle has many characteristics that favor its invasiveness. The plant is an aggressive colonizer of pastures, grasslands, ditches, and disturbed areas. It produces abundant seed for reproduction and the seed remains viable for 10 years. The seed spreads by wind, water, vehicles, wildlife, and by moving contaminated soil and hay. Yellow starthistle depletes soil moisture and decreases species diversity. It is also highly toxic to horses, causing a fatal nervous disorder called “chewing disease”.
This noxious weed on the eradicate list has distinctive identification characteristics. It has yellow flowers with sharp spines at the base of the flower. The spines can injure eyes, noses, and mouths of livestock. An annual plant, it forms a rosette in the fall with lobed leaves. When it sends up the flowering stem in the spring and summer, the branches and stems are rigid and spreading. The stems and leaves are covered in white hairs that give it a grayish color.
Residents of Minnesota are asked to be on the lookout for yellow starthistle and to report sightings to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Management strategies are aimed at preventing seed formation and spread, and include the following:
- Buy certified seed to plant hayfields and pastures.
- Clean equipment, boots, clothes, after being in an infested area.
- Prescribed burning can be used to effectively manage yellow starthistle.
In addition to prevention and cultural management, herbicides can also be used. For specific herbicide recommendations, please contact your regional University of Minnesota Extension educator.
As a noxious weed on the eradicate list, all above and below ground parts of the plant must be destroyed. To report infestations of yellow starthistle or any other noxious weeds on the eradicate list, please contact Arrest the Pest by voicemail at 888-545-6684 or email at arrest.the.pest@state.mn.us.
