Couple fined for wildlife violations
A German couple has been convicted and fined for violating the Wildlife Act
A German couple has been convicted and fined for violating the Wildlife Act during their trip to the territory last year.
Both Britta Kristina Blank and Hans-Jocher Warner Steffen Bormann were found guilty on July 31 of this year. They are from Schopfloch, Germany.
The couple was stopped at the Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport on Sept. 25, 2017.
They were charged with attempting to transport wildlife outside of the territory.
A conservation officer also wrote out several tickets for the way the couple had packed the wildlife in their cooler.
According to the tickets, these violations included packing fish in a way where the size, species and quantity of fish could not be determined. This resulted in three $50 fines.
In court, each were sentenced to further fines.
Blank was fined $1,500. She must pay this fine through the Yukon Fish and Game Association’s Turn in Poachers and Polluters (TIPP) trust fund.
As well, she will have to successfully complete the Hunter Education and Ethics Development (HEED) course.
Blank will not be able to get a hunting licence nor be with anyone armed in the field for three years. This prohibition could last longer if the fine is not paid and the HEED course is not completed.
Bormann had a similar sentence imposed. He was ordered to pay $2,500 to the TIPP fund.
He too must complete the HEED course, but his hunting prohibition lasts until Oct. 31, 2019.
His prohibition could be extended if he fails to pay the fine or complete the course.
Comments (18)
Up 3 Down 3
moe on Aug 22, 2018 at 5:14 pm
"Born and Raised Yukoner" (like that's an accomplishment), if you weren't such a fool you'd have read the article and realized that there is NO MENTION of any grouse or porcupines.
Your pride in where you happened to have popped out on the planet, and your glee in calling others fools says more about you than about anyone else.
That said, the real problem is with the reporting on this story. Very poorly written as the issue seems to be something that is not mentioned in the article, while the reporter made the way the fish was packed seem like the main point.
How many grouse and porcupines DID they kill?
Up 4 Down 2
Born and raised yukoner on Aug 22, 2018 at 1:17 pm
It's not just the fish, none of you fools have mentioned all the grouse breasts they had ( weren't in season ) oh and the porcupine meat.
If everyone was like those cowards there wouldn't be nothing
There ignorance of these poachers is pure ignorant. Germans aren't stupid people.
The Yukon government is amateur hour.
Up 14 Down 3
Hugh Mungus on Aug 21, 2018 at 10:49 am
@ Max Mack on Aug 19, 2018 at 12:31 am
"They were taking some fish home. Probably didn't even realize it wasn't allowed."
Ignorance of the law is no excuse.
It's pretty widely know that transporting many food products across international borders is illegal and not just because: Muh FISH! It's to protect native species, prevent over harvesting and to halt the transmission of parasites that may become invasive species.
Up 6 Down 11
Matt on Aug 20, 2018 at 7:48 pm
Oh boy....this is an overzealous prosecution. Was there anything illegal about them taking the fish in the first instance? If there was it would have been mentioned.....so instead their filets were not up to snuff and some posters are calling for lifetime ban and other over the top punishments... it's a fish filet for ___sakes
Up 15 Down 5
ythunter on Aug 20, 2018 at 2:27 pm
Meanwhile, while everyone is focusing on this nothing burger, Yukon outfitters are hammering our moose and sheep populations and pushing their agenda.
Way to keep focused on the real issues Yukoners.....
Up 4 Down 20
Ilove Parks on Aug 19, 2018 at 7:09 pm
These fines are too steep. These people should somehow be made to feel that their mistake was minor and that they are still welcome in the Yukon.
Maybe we could pay Condor to fly them back and have them teach a German course and talk about must see areas in Germany and Europe.
Up 3 Down 13
Greasy Tex on Aug 19, 2018 at 7:44 am
I believe a work restore assignment at a historic site for one week each would be more fitting as everyone would benefit instead of having only losers.
Up 14 Down 12
Max Mack on Aug 19, 2018 at 12:31 am
They were taking some fish home. Probably didn't even realize it wasn't allowed.
Unbelievable that 31 folks gave thumbs up to "Hugh Mungus" for his comment to "ban the idiots from ever coming back to Canada" . . . ban people for a cooler of fish? Are you kidding me? Were not talking terrorism or robbing banks, for gawd's sake!
Up 9 Down 7
Woodcutter on Aug 18, 2018 at 9:44 pm
I guess I better not fillet my fish until I get home.
Up 10 Down 9
My Opinion on Aug 18, 2018 at 5:42 pm
@Brian
Did you even read the article? It was $4000.00 worth of fines. For cutting them up wrong. Likely no heads or filleted. I think it is crazy.
Up 11 Down 9
People In Glass Houses on Aug 18, 2018 at 12:18 pm
@Hugh- Ban them from the country for having a couple fish in the cooler with them? You’re pretty high and mighty there so I’m assuming you’ve never done anything worse than taking a non government approved fish in your life? I’ve seen many Yukoners do much worse than this trivial matter and get away with it Scott free.
Up 12 Down 10
what?? on Aug 18, 2018 at 10:06 am
These were fishing violations?! Packing their fish wrong?!
Up 6 Down 2
Jake on Aug 18, 2018 at 8:18 am
Yea for sure Hugh Mungus. And the regular Joe still can't hunt.
Up 19 Down 2
Brian on Aug 18, 2018 at 8:13 am
What a joke!!!
All our Conservation Officers are flooded with a heavy workload, and then to hand out a jerk off fine of $50!!!
What motivates anyone not to go poach, sure isn't the threat of a fine.
Guess this is a different German couple then the 2 that were caught with 60 Grouse and Ptarmagin and a whack of fish also. Not only over harvesting, but exceeding possession limits and laughing all the way home about the joke enforcement system we have.
Up 2 Down 15
OurCounty on Aug 18, 2018 at 12:31 am
Since we have a robust tourism industry, with adventure morons who want to bring in former NHL and German Nationals. Why not let Donald Junior get his horns scraped too. Which no one commented on last week?
More wildlife folks in the field with these looser trappers who carry cuffs reading the riot act to those that want to kill our animals.
Up 11 Down 14
Josey Wales on Aug 18, 2018 at 12:09 am
Gee Hugh...idiots they may be, still an error no?
About the ban from Canada thing, watch the news much, vote a few years back? Well Hugh if not, we have “leadership” in Ottawa these days that encourages every idiot to come here from all over the globe.
We have honour killings, air India bombers, human trafficking, semi annual beheadings....etc, so no they will not be banned.
Might now get random roadside pull overs inspecting how coolers are packed, maybe a cooler registry and body cams required? ...to ensure compliance but of course when hunting.
Seems kinda like a sexist outcome to fine mars more than venus for comparable violations, does it not?
The only folks going to be banned in Canada very soon are, critical thinkers, actual nationalists, perhaps biologists as they are xenophobic with their voodoo science, fleeing South Africans, and those with Opinions contrary to the “state”.
Dieversity is our strength....said a idiot many times.
Up 16 Down 7
My Opinion on Aug 17, 2018 at 10:37 pm
What kind of wild life are we talking about? Sounds like it is frozen filleted fish in a cooler. This sounds ridiculous.
It says (packing fish in a way where the size, species and quantity of fish could not be determined.) Isn't that what you do when you fillet or process your fish? At some point in the process you must be able to do this.....Right?
Is there more to this story? It doesn't seem right. I must be guilty too then.
Up 42 Down 19
Hugh Mungus on Aug 17, 2018 at 4:17 pm
Ban the idiots from ever coming back to Canada let alone the Yukon.