HARBOUR BRETON, NL J. Petite and Sons Limited, English Harbour West, has
been fined $4,000 in Harbour Breton Provincial Court for possession of illegal lobster.
Fishery officers of the Harbour Breton office were on patrol in the English Harbour
area on May 10, 2006, and carried out an inspection of the lobster holding facilities
operated by J. Petite and Sons Limited. The investigation found eight undersized
and four V-notched lobsters. The illegal lobsters were subsequently seized and released.
Buying or possessing illegally caught lobster is a violation of the Fisheries
Act and punishable in a court of law. DFO is committed to the conservation of the
lobster resource.
Fishing licence violations results in fines
On October 16, 2006, Vincent Poole of English Harbour West and Derrick Day of
Garnish were each fined $500 for licence violations while fishing for cod.
The individuals were charged on February 17, 2006, when fishery officers of the
Harbour Breton field office conducted an inspection of the fishing vessel Atlantic
Lucy. An investigation determined that Mr. Poole, identified as the skipper
of the vessel, did not hold a valid licence. Consequently, Mr. Day, the vessel's
registered owner and fishing licence holder, was charged for permitting another
person, not named in the licence, to use his vessel.
Processing cod at sea
PLACENTIA, NL Martin C. Foley of St. Bride's was fined $1,000 in Placentia
Provincial Court on December 6, 2006, for processing cod at sea.
On November 7, 2006, Mr. Foley was apprehended by two fishery officers on boat
patrol in coastal waters near the community of St. Bride's. An inspection of his
fishing vessel found 103 lbs of filleted cod, which were seized and forfeited to
the Crown.
Quota overruns
Two fishers from Placentia have been convicted of exceeding their cod quotas.
On December 5, 2006, Paul Lambe was fined $500 for exceeding his individual cod
quota by 1,729 lbs and fined an additional $491.90, the monetary benefit he received
from the sale of the overrun.
Thomas Barry was fined $500 on December 6, 2006, for an overrun of 1,444 lbs.
An investigation by fishery officers of the Placentia Detachment and a review
of the cod landings by the Statistical Division of Fisheries and Oceans Canada led
to the convictions.
Cod fishing violations
HEAD OF BAY D'ESPOIR, NL - In Head Bay D'Espoir Provincial Court on October
23, 2006, Charlie Ball and Eric Kendall of Milltown were each fined $1,000 for possession
of untagged cod and for having their catch processed to a state whereby the total
catch could not be readily determined.
The court ordered 148 cod fillets and containers forfeited to the Crown.
The individuals were apprehended by fishery officers and marine guardians from
the Harbour Breton office near Hardy's Cove, Hermitage Bay, during the 2005 recreational
groundfish fishery in NAFO Subdivision 3Ps along the south coast.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Susan Keough
Communications Officer
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
709 -772-7628
Sam Whiffen
Communications Officer
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
709 -772-7631
