Ontario Conservation Officers
Ontario Conservation Officers are the enforcement arm of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry in Ontario, Canada. Conservation officers enforce provincial and federal laws related to natural resources, including fishing and hunting, and preventing forest fires.Conservation officers (CO's) patrol the lakes, trails and back roads of Ontario to protect natural resources, and ensure public safety. They are professional, armed peace officers trained to police standards. In 2015, Ontario’s conservation officers:
-made over 220,000 enforcement contacts
-issued close to 7,000 warnings
-laid nearly 3,000 natural resource charges
They also spent more than 8,900 hours educating the public on conservation and safety, providing information on:
-the regulations that protect species at risk
-how to recognize and help prevent the spread of invasive species
-prevention of forest fires
-boating safety and how to prepare fish for transport
-changes to fishing and hunting regulations
-how to report known or suspected resource abuse to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry TIPS violation reporting line at 1-877-847-7667
Powers and authorities
Conservation officers enforce Ontario’s natural resources laws. They investigate and prosecute offenders under many federal and provincial statutes, relating to:
-fire
-fish and wildlife
-invasive species
-forestry
-aggregates (sand and gravel)
-public lands
-public safety (e.g.