Queen Charlotte Lodge Ltd. on Haida Gwaii Found Guilty of Fisheries Act Violations - Fined Total of $35,000

MASSET, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan. 23, 2017) - On December 14, 2016, in Masset Provincial Court, lawyers on behalf of Queen Charlotte Lodge Ltd. fishing resort pleaded guilty to six violations of the Fisheries Act. The Honourable Judge Dwight Stewart ordered the defendant to pay a total fine of $35,000 ($500 for each count for a total of $3,000 and an additional $32,000 fine) for illegal fishing activities.

Quick Facts

• Queen Charlotte Lodge is a 20-acre luxury fishing resort on the western shore of Naden Harbour, Haida Gwaii and has been in operation since 1991.
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada Conservation and Protection fishery officers conduct regular inspections of sport fishing lodges in the Haida Gwaii area. Such inspections occur at the beginning of the fishing season to ensure that all staff, new and returning, are aware of the rules and regulations and at unscheduled times throughout the season to foster compliance.
• An unscheduled inspection of the Lodge freezers led to the seizure of a bag of 28 filets of halibut, plus 25 boxes containing 38 halibut, 28 chinook, 119 coho and six pink salmon. These were seized as evidence in this case and ordered forfeited by the Court.
• Under the Fisheries Act it is illegal to possess more than the two-day limit allowed on a recreational fishing licence and outside of a permanent residence.
• Non-profit environmental groups on Haida Gwaii can submit proposals to access funding from the $32,000 portion of the total fine to finance projects to enhance fisheries conservation, habitat rehabilitation, fisheries education or marine mammal research.
• This is the second fishing lodge on Haida Gwaii in the last 13 months to face major fines for illegal activities.

The Government of Canada is committed to safeguarding the long-term health and productivity of Canada's fisheries resources, and the habitat that supports them, for generations to come. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has a mandate to protect and conserve marine resources and to prosecute offenders under the Fisheries Act. It ensures and promotes compliance with the Act and other laws and regulations through a combination of land, air and sea patrols, as well as education and awareness activities. As part of Fisheries and Oceans Canada's work to end illegal activity, the Department asks the public for information on activities of this nature or any contravention of the Fisheries Act and regulations. Anyone with information can call the toll-free violation reporting line at 1-800-465-4336.

Associated Link

B.C. Sport Fishing Guide - www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/index-eng.html

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