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Had a visit at the camp this afternoon from our local CO. As seems to be the norm everywhere he has an enormous area to cover and as a result enforcement is definitely a challenge. He asked to keep an eye out more than usual as apparently there is an organized poaching ring in the area that is supplying the restaurant black market in the city. This is 82a but i am sure it is elsewhere as well. So eyes peeled everyone.
Yup been going on around 81 and 82 for a whileQuote:
Originally Posted by Species8472
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If the MNR have evidence that the venison is going to GTA restaurants, I would think from an enforcement side it would be easier to target the restaurants. There are only so many restaurants that offer game meat on the menu, so where are they getting the meat from. A legal supplier will have a paper trail and a bad actor will not for the supply of meat. It would beat running around big WMU hoping to get a poacher for probably one incident.Quote:
Originally Posted by Species8472
This stuff appears every now and then. Restaurants offering venison meals becomes known locally fairly quickly and people can't keep their yaps shut. Most law enforcement investigative techniques have been very successful in routing out the bad actors. Restaurants selling uninspected wild game meat lose their licenses permanently. Kissing one's livelihood goodbye is a very special kind of stupid.
What if they sell it private.
Or what if it is not advertised as venison?
Hard to pass it off as chicken. They have to call it something wildish on the menu. inspection of supply records should show a paper trail.Quote:
Originally Posted by Terrible_E
Who says they are selling it as game meat? It could easily be substituted for beef in any sort of stir fry or stew. I do it all the time.Quote:
Originally Posted by finsfurfeathers
Could be something like shark fin soup. Not on the menu but available in certain places if you ask.
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Originally Posted by finsfurfeathers
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Originally Posted by trimmer21
You guys are thinking inside the box. You are assuming it is being done at a mostly legit place of business that has a license and is inspected and the owner of said place of business is just trying to make a bit of extra cash.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gilroy
That may occasionally be true but as you have pointed out not that hard to track down and hard to hide if inspected regularly.
Crimes that feed human gluttony and avarice have always existed. That's why we have always had speak easys, gambling dens, body houses, after hours clubs etc .. Just like criminals don't typically license their handguns these places don't get a business license or get inspected. They pay cash for what they need and only take cash for whatever product or service they peddle. If they get caught they wait a few weeks and reopen somewhere else.
If money can be made it is happening. There is a market especially among rich people from certain demographics. Cultural plays a role as well as it is a big deal and gets points to eat exotic wild game for some groups.
Given the population and diversity of the GTA I guarantee there is a market and that it is available.
Unfortunately, many people don’t make the connection that buying fish and game on the black market supports poachers. If there was no demand then the supply should dry up.
I agree with Sam, if there was no demand there would be case for poaching, same with almost all other illegal activity, no one willing to pay half the price for something they know is stolen then no one would steal it to begin with.
And unlike things like electronics wild game is not sold at a discount. It is sold at a significant premium. In the last 10 years I have had numerous friends offer me stupid amounts of money for game meat. Fortunately they were all chagrined when informed that was illegal.Quote:
Originally Posted by sabmgb
I think you are likely correct in your thinking.Quote:
Originally Posted by Species8472
This would be extremely easy to do at any legit restaurant. Any enforcement agency that would be interested is stretched very thin. Any other outfit wouldn’t know the first thing about illegal sale of wild game, or have the mandate, training or capability to deal with it. Add to that, no business is going to lose a license to operate because of one charge for a relatively obscure offence.