Two people were found guilty of illegal fishing near Ladysmith in 2022.
The case stems from a report to Fishers and Oceans Canada (DFO) that a vessel was fishing during a commercial prawn fishery closure in several areas around Vancouver Island.
DFO says fishing in a closed area depletes the population of female prawns and prevents reproduction.
“All prawns begin life as males. After they mate, at 2.5 to three years of age they transition to female. The females then spawn between January and April and die within a few weeks, around the age of four,” reads a news release from DFO. “Retaining undersize prawns prevents smaller males from mating and reaching maturity.”
Scott Castle was found guilty in Nanaimo Provincial Court on April 29 this year of remotely directing Terry Lorenz to illegally fish in a closed area of Stuart Channel near Ladysmith over several days. He was also convicted of illegally selling prawns.
Castle was fined $30,000 for fishing during a closed time and the licence violations, plus an additional $8,228 from the proceeds of the sale of the illegally caught prawns
Lorenz was found guilty of the same offences on May 15 and was fined $3,000 and handed a prohibition on fishing for five years.
“On the Pacific Coast of Canada, the lucrative commercial prawn fishery is a significant source of revenue for commercial harvesters, as well as providing processing-related jobs that benefit coastal communities,” reads a news release from DFO. “Excess and illegal harvesting undermines these economic benefits, harming not only harvesters and communities, but also recreational anglers and Indigenous peoples who rely on prawn as a vital food source. Excess and illegal harvesting also poses a serious threat to conservation efforts.”
DFO is asking the public to help report any illegal fishing to the DFO Pacific Region’s toll-free violation reporting line at 1-800-465-4336 or email the details to [email protected].
