Dozens of fish found rotting in an abandoned net north of Nipigon

NIPIGON, Ont. — The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is looking into the apparent abandonment of a gill net at the mouth of the Blackwater River on the eastern shore of Lake Nipigon.

The discovery was made on June 3.

The net contained the remains of dozens of rotting fish of various species including walleye, northern pike, whitefish and white sucker.

Conservation officer Ken Tuuri of the ministry's Nipigon office described the find as "a rare occurrence," but said "we can't have nets being left out and fish being wasted."

Tuuri said there is a licensed commercial fishery on Lake Nipigon, but the operators don't set up nets at river mouths.

Anyone with information about the incident should contact the MNRF at 807-887-5021, or the ministry's TIPS line at 1-877-847-7667.