Two Vancouver Island men have been fined $40,000 after they were caught illegally fishing prawn near Ladysmith.
On April 29th, Scott Castle was found guilty of remotely directing Vessel Master Terry Lorenz to illegally fish in a closed area of Stuart Channel near Ladysmith for several days.
Additionally, he was convicted of illegally selling prawns from this area, and failing to complete mandatory fish slips—which is a requirement for prawn harvesters in Canada.
He was fined $30,000 for fishing during a closed time and the licence violations, plus an additional $8,228 from the proceeds of selling the illegally caught prawns.
Then, on May 15th, Lorenz had his trial and was found guilty of the same offenses, and was fined $3,000 and is now prohibited from fishing for five years.
According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), the case stems from a report they received in May of 2022 of a vessel illegally fishing.
Fishing in closed areas is said to deplete the population of female prawns needed for reproduction. By closing certain areas, the prawn population maintains healthy numbers.
If you ever see suspected illegal fishing activity, you can report it to the DFO at 1-800-465-4336, or email the details to DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
