Shrimp Harvesters Fined for Illegal Possession of Eel Pouts
(Steveston, BC Canada)
Two commercial shrimp harvesters pled guilty and were fined $4,000 in Richmond Provincial Court December 3, 2009, on a charge of illegal possession of fish contrary to the Fisheries Act.
Kim Thanh Ho and Mien Thi Pham, of the commercial shrimp fishing vessel "Pamela Dawn,” were found guilty of being in possession of fish contrary to the conditions of their shrimp trawl licence. The vessel master, Kim Thanh Ho, has multiple previous convictions including a failure to release bycatch and failures to comply with license conditions. He was fined $3,000 and Ms. Pham was fined $1,000.
On July 10, 2009, when the vessel "Pamela Dawn" was anchored at the public sales dock in Steveston Harbour, fishery officers on patrol to verify licence compliance of commercial shrimp trawl vessels in the area observed Ms. Pham attempting to discard the contents of a container overboard. The officer ordered Ms. Pham to stop and undertook an on-board inspection. It was determined by the officer that the basket contained eel pouts (an eel-like bottom-dwelling fish) which were on ice and appeared to be ready to be sold.
Commercially harvested fish should be immediately sorted. As a condition of the shrimp trawl license, bycatch must immediately be returned to the water in the least harmful way and as close as possible to the natural habitat where the fish were caught.
DFO acts to end illegal fishing activity. As part of this work, the Department asks the general 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.
