More Than $70,000 in Fines for Illegal Fishing Activity in Newfoundland and Labrador

In the second quarter of 2016 alone, more than $70,000 in fines were issued for fisheries violations in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Some of the significant penalties included:

Shrimp

• Roger Hammond of Catalina was fined $35,983 for fishing in the Funk Island Deep closed area. He must also report via Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) at 15-minute intervals for a period of two years.

Recreational Salmon

• John Stride of Conne River was fined $2,500 for jigging Atlantic salmon on the Northwest Gander River and obstructing a fishery guardian. He forfeited an Atlantic salmon measuring 69 cm, as well as a rod and reel with case and a backpack valued at $250.
• Amos Eason of Long Pond was fined $500 and forfeited a rod and reel for fishing in a scheduled salmon river without a valid inland licence.

Recreational Groundfish (Cod) Fishery

• Andy Osmond of Birchy Head was fined $500 for fishing Atlantic cod in a closed time. He is prohibited from applying for any type of fishing licence or engaging in any recreational fishing for a period of six months.

Whelk

• Lester Fudge of Burin was fined $6,000 and forfeited more than 25,000 pounds of whelk, valued at $12,180.48, for retaining fish less than 63 mm in length.

Lobster

• Derrick Day of Garnish was fined $3,000 for possessing v-notched lobster.

Crab

• Elvis Curl of Princeton was fined $2,000 and forfeited all seized gear for fishing for crab during a closed time.
• Keith Oates of Bay Bulls was fined $1,000 for failing to offload crab with the presence or supervision of a certified dockside monitor.
• Brian Keith Coates of Brownsdale and Claude Button of New Chelsea were each fined $500 for failing to offload crab with the presence or supervision of a certified dockside monitor.

Greenland Halibut (Turbot)

• Lindsay Small of Grand Falls-Windsor was fined $3,500 for failing to release turbot after the maximum catch limit was reached.
• David Martin of Shoe Cove was fined $1,750 for exceeding the trip limit.

Cod

• Donald Purchase of Channel-Port aux Basques was fined $500 for possessing one Atlantic halibut during the commercial cod fishery, contrary to licence conditions.

To view all convictions for April to June 2016, visit http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/charges-inculpations/nl-tnl-eng.htm