WATERTOWN (AP) -- A northern New York congressman says the U.S. tourism and fishing industries along the St. Lawrence River will be crippled by Canada's policy requiring boaters to report to customs every time they venture into Canadian waters.
The Watertown Daily Times reports that Rep. William Owens of Plattsburgh has written to the Canadian ambassador to the United States to protest the policy. The newspaper recently published a story about a man from the Thousand Islands region whose boat was seized by Canadian border agents as he fished while unanchored on Canada's side of the river in late May.
Canadian officials say boaters must report to a Canadian customs officer each time they cross the border along the river.
The man whose boat was seized had to pay a $1,000 fine on the spot to keep his vessel.
Information from: WWNY-TV, http://www.wwnytv.com
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