NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR – Two Newfoundland companies and one fish harvester recently received strong penalties for failure to comply with conservation measures in the lobster fishery.
On November 25, 2008, in provincial court at Grand Falls-Windsor, J. Petite and Sons Limited of English Harbour West was convicted of possession of v-notched and undersized lobsters. The company was fined $4,500.
DFO fishery officers from the Harbour Breton detachment inspected a lobster holding pound owned by the company in June 2008 and found 26 v-notched female lobsters and three undersized lobsters. The lobsters were seized, photographed and released back into the water.
On January 7, 2009, in provincial court at Grand Bank, Parrott’s Seafoods Limited of St. Bernard’s and Edward Pardy of Bay L’Argent were convicted of possession of v-notched and undersized lobsters and possession of egg bearing lobsters. Parrott’s Seafoods Limited was fined $1,500 and Mr. Pardy, an employee of the company, was also fined $1,500.
On May 11, 2007, fishery officers from the Marystown detachment conducted an inspection of a lobster collector boat owned by Parrott’s Seafoods Limited and found 27 female v-notched lobsters, one undersized lobster and one egg bearing lobster. The lobsters were seized, photographed and released back into the water.
V-notching is a voluntarily practice amongst commercial lobster harvesters where one in four egg-bearing female lobsters is given a v-shaped cut in a section of the tail fan. The lobster is then carefully returned to the water. A v-notch remains visible for several years, and allows the female to grow larger, spawn several times and produce more and better quality eggs. It is illegal to retain undersized and v-notched lobsters.
DFO is committed to the conservation and protection of lobster resources in Newfoundland and Labrador. Anyone wishing to report suspicious fishing activities may do so by contacting their nearest DFO office or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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For more information:
Sam Whiffen, Communications Officer
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
(709) 772-7631
