Commercial Crab Harvester Fined $7,000 for Illegally Harvesting Dungeness Crab – License Suspended for One Year August 27, 2008
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SURREY, B.C. – An investigation carried out by Fisheries and Oceans Canada has resulted in a conviction, $7,000 fine and a one-year licence suspension for a Surrey, B.C., man who engaged in illegal crab fishing practices.
Mr. Dinh Ly Hoang was convicted on June 5, 2008, in Surrey Provincial Court, of two offences contrary to the Fisheries Act: catching and retaining Dungeness crab that were less than 165mm in width, and failing to return the undersized crab to the place from which they were taken.
On August 9, 2007, fishery officers conducted a licence inspection of the vessel CEE GEE 1 off Roberts Bank in the Strait of Georgia. During the inspection, the officers observed that 326 of the 688 Dungeness crab on board were female or less than 165 mm in width, a direct violation of commercial crab licence conditions.
In a subsequent inspection conducted on August 23, as the vessel CEE GEE 1 was returning to port in Steveston Harbour, fishery officers observed that a significant number of the Dungeness crab on board were female or undersized.
After pleading guilty in court, Mr. Hoang was fined $7,000, to be paid to the Receiver General of Canada, and had his crab fishing licence suspended for a period of one year.
The court ordered that the fine be used for promoting education, proper management and control of the crab fishery and crab habitat, as well as for the purpose of shellfish study, enhancement and management in fisheries areas I and J.
DFO acts to end illegal fishing activity. As part of this work, the Department is asking 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.
For more information:
Carrie Mishima
Communications Advisor
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Pacific Region
604-666-0392
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SURREY, B.C. – An investigation carried out by Fisheries and Oceans Canada has resulted in a conviction, $7,000 fine and a one-year licence suspension for a Surrey, B.C., man who engaged in illegal crab fishing practices.
Mr. Dinh Ly Hoang was convicted on June 5, 2008, in Surrey Provincial Court, of two offences contrary to the Fisheries Act: catching and retaining Dungeness crab that were less than 165mm in width, and failing to return the undersized crab to the place from which they were taken.
On August 9, 2007, fishery officers conducted a licence inspection of the vessel CEE GEE 1 off Roberts Bank in the Strait of Georgia. During the inspection, the officers observed that 326 of the 688 Dungeness crab on board were female or less than 165 mm in width, a direct violation of commercial crab licence conditions.
In a subsequent inspection conducted on August 23, as the vessel CEE GEE 1 was returning to port in Steveston Harbour, fishery officers observed that a significant number of the Dungeness crab on board were female or undersized.
After pleading guilty in court, Mr. Hoang was fined $7,000, to be paid to the Receiver General of Canada, and had his crab fishing licence suspended for a period of one year.
The court ordered that the fine be used for promoting education, proper management and control of the crab fishery and crab habitat, as well as for the purpose of shellfish study, enhancement and management in fisheries areas I and J.
DFO acts to end illegal fishing activity. As part of this work, the Department is asking 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.
For more information:
Carrie Mishima
Communications Advisor
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Pacific Region
604-666-0392
