May 28, 2012, Guelph: On April 16, 2012, a conviction was registered in the Ontario Court of Justice in Simcoe against Lakeshore Fish Market Inc., also doing business as Lakeshore Fish Company, of Port Dover, Ontario. This conviction resulted in a fine of $6,000.
Lakeshore Fish Market Inc. entered a guilty plea to two counts of violating Section 6(2)(e) of the Fish Inspection Regulations, thereby committing offences under Section 17.1 of the Fish Inspection Act.
Section 6(2)(e) of the Fish Inspection Regulations pertains to the import of fish into Canada. A written notification of each importation of fish has to be provided to an inspector either prior to the importation or within 48 hours following the importation.
An investigation by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) determined that Lakeshore Fish Market Inc. did not provide written notification to an inspector for two large shipments of fresh round yellow perch which was imported on May 14 and May 17, 2011, from Ohio.
The legislated requirement to provide import notification ensures that CFIA inspectors are aware of the importation of fish products, and enables them to fulfill their mandate to ensure that imported fish products are safe for human consumption.
