Two individuals have been fined a cumulative $10,500 for illegally harvesting clams in Nanoose Bay and other related crimes.
In July 2024, Chao Jan Yu and Li Hua Chen were observed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) patrol officers in the Nanoose Bay Recreational Shellfish Reserve.
According to DFO, the officers witnessed the two individuals collecting shellfish in the intertidal zone, an area closed to shellfish harvesting due to possible contamination.
The officers then met the pair as they left the beach, when Yu attempted to evade the officers and discarded two buckets of clams.
“Obstructing fishery officers or failing to provide required documentation are serious offences that can result in significant penalties,” wrote DFO in a media release.
Because of the way these two individuals conducted themselves, on January 22nd, Yu and Chen were convicted of multiple offences under Canada’s Fisheries Act.
Yu was fined a total of $6,500, including a $2,500 fine for obstructing an officer, a $2,000 fine for retaining more than the daily limit of 75 clams and a $2,000 fine for harvesting prohibited species.
Chen was handed a $4,000 fine, which included a $2,000 fine for harvesting prohibited species and a $2,000 fine for possessing illegally caught fish.
Additionally, both were placed under a two-year fishing prohibition from harvesting any species of fish.
DFO says that illegal harvesting contributes to declining fish stocks and aquatic habitat destruction. It also threatens food safety and impacts the sustainability of fisheries for coastal and Indigenous communities.
It is the duty of fishery officers to combat illegal harvesting by enforcing fishing laws, conducting inspections, monitoring ecosystems and promoting public education and conservation.
DFO also wants to remind the public that shellfish harvesting closures such as the one in Nanoose Bay are put in place to protect public health and ensure sustainable fisheries.
