Outspoken Outfitter Fined For Poisoning Wildlife
Friday, July 08, 2005 at 16:26
An outfitter north of La Ronge has been fined a total of $8,250 for illegal outfitting and poisoning wildlife.
Eric Wayne Galloway was recently convicted of illegally poisoning a wolf and a bear with an extremely toxic agricultural chemical known as Furidan.
Galloway injected the poison into a moose head and set it out to be eaten by the wolf and bear.
Galloway was also fined for organizing hunts outside of hunting season.
The investigation into the illegal outfitting conviction began in October 2002 on a tip from a hunter.
Complaints made through the province’s Turn In Poachers (TIP) line in November 2003 prompted the investigation into the illegal poisoning of animals.
The fines were levied yesterday – the same day Galloway went public with his complaints about Saskatchewan Environment’s so-called “Let It Burn” policy.
Galloway told several media outlets that he couldn’t believe the department was refusing to put out a forest fire near his camp.
A lightning strike on Sunday started a small fire across the lake near his operation.
The blaze was left unchecked and now Galloway says it is raging out of control.
Crews with Saskatchewan Environment have put sprinklers on his buildings to make sure they escape any potential damage.
However, Galloway says he would like to see a little more effort from the government in helping him save his business.
Galloway says it doesn’t make sense running a camp where there is no forest.
He says he has had multiple cancellations since the fire began and is not sure how he’ll stay open.
Galloway’s camp is located about 110 kilometres north of La Ronge.
Under the provinces’ new forest firefighting policy implemented last year, Saskatchewan Environment will fight forest fires within twenty kilometres of a community. However, fires in remote areas are left alone, even if they are in close proximity to fishing camps or cottages.