Commercial groundfish harvester receives $76,000 in fines and a one year prohibition for illegal fishing of Atlantic halibut

October 31, 2025

Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia - Canada’s marine species are a precious common resource for Canadians and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is committed to helping sustain and protect them, now and for the future.

On October 29, 2025, in Port Hawkesbury Provincial Court, Nova Scotia, the Honourable Judge Alain Bégin sentenced Nova Scotia resident Grant William Cameron to a total monetary penalty of $76,561.35. Mr. Cameron, who had pled guilty in a previous court appearance, was sentenced to $40,000 in fines for setting fishing gear during a closed time and failing to provide the correct position of a fishing vessel at the request of a DFO-designated at-sea observer. The court imposed an additional fine of $36,561.35, equivalent to the gross profits made by the sale of 4,390 lbs of Atlantic halibut. The Court further ordered a one year prohibition on groundfish fishing in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) division 4S and groundfish fishing subarea 4T2a, and the mandatory use of a vessel monitoring system (VMS) on his fishing vessel for one year.

Between September 7-8, 2022, Mr. Cameron was authorized by DFO to conduct a test fishery in subarea 4T2a to determine the presence of species not currently fished commercially in the area in question, such as Atlantic cod. The results of this test fishery were intended to inform groundfish fisheries management decisions. Instead, Mr. Cameron fished in NAFO division 4S, more than 120 km away from the authorized area, in an area that was closed to groundfish fishing at the time. In addition, when an at-sea observer requested vessel coordinates, those for  subarea 4T2a were incorrectly provided instead of the actual location of the vessel in 4S.

DFO protects and conserves marine resources and enforces the Fisheries Act. To assist its work to disrupt and prevent illegal fishing activity, DFO invites anyone with information on any unauthorized activities or any contravention of the Fisheries Act and regulations to call their nearest Fisheries and Oceans Canada office or Crimestoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).