Yankee Prawn Poachers Taken Down...

[IronNoggin]

A Washington couple and two accomplices were caught by DFO attempting to leave Canada with an illegal amount of prawns. These THEIVES are known "long-time" residents of China Creek Marina, and it can be assumed that the prawns were removed from the Alberni Inlet.

Acting on a tip from someone in the campground, the two vehicles (travelling seperately) were pulled out of line at the Duke Point Ferry Terminal. Search results by DFO Officers included over 3,200 prawns between the two vehicles. Each party had a letter from the other, indicating they had been given permission to transport the other's legal catch back to the US. But even with the bogus letters, they were well over the legal possession limits (400 per licence). It is obvious they were working together, and in complete awareness of the illegal nature of their actions.

Further investigation of their still standing campsite revealed more than an individual daily limit still in the on-site freezer.

Each bag of prawns had been graded and labelled with date and graded size, leading investigators to believe the product was headed for the US Black Market.
Dean & Wanda Leenhouts, Martin Sheely and Gerda Gustin (all of Washington State) recieved $ 1000.00 fines, and investigators have indicated they will seek further charges on the Leenhouts upon their return to Canada (DFO seeking a prohibition order not to be onboard a fishing vessel or engage in sportfishing in Canada for a minimum of one year, with related Licence suspensions).

KUDOS on the Department for their actions in this matter! Our resources are precious! Poachers are nothing but theives that steal from us all! If your intent is to conduct yourself in this fashion while on our waters, stay home, you simply ain't welcome!

Source: Alberni Valley Times, front page story, Wednesday July 6, by Niomi Hammett

Cheers,
Nog

 

[Tailspin]

Sounds like a few campsites just opened up at China !!!

 

[bigchrome]

Good to hear Nog

Agree a 100% we dont want you here if your going to steel from us. There is plenty of fish and shell fish to go around and with practices like that there wont be.

Way to go DFO, now if they could only fix that seal problem <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Bigchrome

 

[Mr. Dean]

thousand bucks?????????

They're likely still ahead of the game. I say start siezing the boat, car, pickup, tent, frying pan, coffee pot...................................

I think you get the idea.

Some like it rough...
Others just puke!.
Mr. Dean

 

[PinchMe]

Sounds to me like a well organized, entrenched group of Yank poachers that have finally gotten caught... way to go DFO!
I'm with BrewFish and Mr. Dean; $1000 fine and a one year suspension is weak and ineffective! They'll be right back at it once the suspensions are lifted, possibly earlier...
Check it out, the article says they were 'graded and labelled'. Black market prawns at, my guess, US$15 a bag for say 50 frozen (think roadside hawkers)... works out to US$1050 for just their one haul and they had another load ready to go in their freezer. These criminals were in it for the money... period... throw the book at 'em!

 

[totally tyee]

Good job DFO, it shows what a good solid tip will lead to!!!!

 

[Aristotle]

Hello All, yet another new yank member that is also embarassed. Throw the book and book shelf at these low lifes. We have stories like this every season in the puget sound of shell fish poachers. Then people wonder why we have such a short fishery for them.

 

[the runt]

WAY TO GO DFO.It's about time.I'm sure they lost there boats and gear.It wouldn't matter who they were.They should'nt be allowed to fish Canada again.Kudos to the whistle blowers.Bad enough when they do that crap down here,But when your a guest in another country.sure a 1000.00 ain't much But if you lose 2 fishing boats and gear.Do i here auction in the future.

thanks the runt

 

[GutZ]

You know what Calamity Jane would say.

I agree.

It's good to have friends.
It's better to have friends with boats.

 

[IslandWing]

Yah DFO, it should be front page news on more than just the Alberni paper, should be province wide to scare away all the thieves. I agree with Dean, the only problem was the fine, $1000, whats that couple of downriggers, hit them where it hurts and take everything away from these leeches and make the thieves walk home shoeless

 

[vince gee]

Right on nog,good news out od port,now if your campaign against banning jets on the flow would only work!!!!

Just Bring it!

 

[bonefish4]

Don't beleive everything you read--ever hear of journalistic sensationalism.

 

[IronNoggin]

Hey BoneFish (or is that BoneHead??): Heard about it before it hit the local rag. Story is true and verified. You gotta problem with taking down Poachers? Or somehow affiliated with these ones??

Wondering...
Nog

 

[MyEscape]

At the cleaning table at China Creek a few people were talking about this and rather then getting into a heated argument that could have turned nasty I listened to one paticular person justify that if they had been on seperate ferries there wouldn't have been a problem and further more most people size there prawns when freezing this doesn't mean anything. I must say most people said it wasn't the operators of China Creek that turned them in it was someone else !!! Do I need say more they were transporting on the same day in Canada and deserved to get what they got and more. Unfortunatly if they had departed one day apart with the second party being already in the States we would'nt even known about it. Let it be known I have no prejudice against anyone from the States but have a problem with anyone who buys fish from sources they shouldn't or those who poach or those who show a total disreguard for reasonable retention. Just my opinion.

Cheers ME

Happy Hookin!!!

 

[5-Salt Fever]

As a Yank, I couldn't agree with you more MyEscape. So what if they had traveled on different days or ferries, it's still wrong. I think you locals are taking this better than I would have - I'd pissed if someone came into my home waters and pulled that crap.

You'd only need to throw a couple of examples into jail for the message to get out.

 

[Pescadero]

I'm a Yank and a life long visitor. I hope you don't lump us all into one basket. We're not all like that !!

It doesn't really make any difference, the nationality or anything else for that matter. If you are a poacher, you deserve all you get and usually a lot more.

We recently had a Dungeness Crab situation similar to this. Only this time it was Californians. Two people are able to keep 24 crab. They were caught with 107. They were hid in the line locker, under the seats, in coolers, pillow cases, under the bed, hung from pouches under the hood of their vehicle and in the life raft can. To top it off they had no Shell Fish License.

It took about two years to get through the courts and several time and money wasting trips for them to come up and go back home. Fines eventually totalled about $7000.00 apiece, plus a 5 year ban from fishing or shell fishing in Oregon.

Us locals just loved it!!!!

Keep up the good work.

Pescadero

 

[tyee hunter]

spent the weekend chasing them off my traps in howe sound, right infront of my cabin....took offf everytime they saw a boat come near them...thus could not get a good id or even make of boat