Drone footage exposes trashy truth behind ice fishing
Digital Reporter
Friday, May 1, 2015, 2:26 PM - Drone video taken in Rothesay, N.B. revealed debris left behind on the Kennebecasis River by ice fishers.
A rough winter left many of the 125 ice fishing huts on Renforth Wharf frozen into place. As a result, the fishermen were unable to remove the shacks and as temperatures started to climb, debris fell through the ice.
Video captured shows the popular ice fishing area in Rothesay, N.B. in April.
Upset residents have had enough of the waste washing ashore.
"Well if it lays on the beach, yeah it bothers me, because we go down to the beach and this will make a hell of a mess on the beach," area resident Bill Silliphant told CBC. "I know (the owners) were out trying to cut (them) out. I saw them about a week-and-a-half or two weeks ago out there, and it was dangerous because the ice was settling and it was breaking up they were out trying to get it out of there, they really were," he said.
Rothesay mayor said he is very disappointed and is looking into ways in which the annual mess could be prevented in the future. However, considering the water on the Kennebecasis River is under provincial legislation, Bishop told CBC reporters the town doesn't have much say.
"We've contacted them and I think another year they will be more diligent, or diligent in making sure the shacks are removed."
Under the Clean Environment Act all of the huts were to be removed by March 15.
"For the most part, people clean up after themselves and respect the environment. But every year there are a few who don't," said Department of Environment spokesperson Jennifer Graham. "We understand the severe weather conditions and significant ice build-up this year posed some problems for ice fishers in removing their structures. As such, there is more debris this year than in other years."
Spoke with the ice fishing assn. president. He says volunteers have been trying to cleanup. Will continue to try. #NB pic.twitter.com/n3hqDqQG7D
— Matthew Bingley (@mattybing) April 30, 2015
Owners who don't clean up the debris, could face penalties.
Volunteers from the Renforth Ice Fishing Association spent hundreds of hours trying to clean the mess, said president Gary Gower. Once the weather improves, the team plans to use boats to drag out what is left of the floating debris.
Earlier this winter, The Weather Network's Nathan Coleman documented the ice shack concerns, and how it began. Watch his report:
