Conservation officers remind anglers to plan ahead before removing their ice huts

As the weather warms up for spring, officials at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry are reminding anglers to plan their ice hut removals ahead of time as many lakes across the region have significant slush conditions.

Here are some tips and reminders:

• Ice huts must be removed from certain Fisheries Management Zones (FMZ) in Ontario by a specific date
• Make sure your huts are placed on the ice in a way that prevents them from freezing into the ice
• Ice hut owners are responsible for removing all debris, garbage etc. from the ice in the vicinity of their ice huts as leaving debris frozen can become an environmental and public safety concern.
• Ice huts that remain out on the ice beyond the specified deadline, will be investigated and may result in charges being laid against the owner of the hut.

Conservation officers are also asking anglers to start planning and implementing the removal of their ice huts now, before the specified deadline, and not wait until the last minute to move them.