News Release
Fish and Wildlife Investigations Result in Significant Fines
Media Contact
Lesley Clarke
Director of Communications (A)
Department of Justice and Public Safety
709-729-6985, 699-2910
LesleyClarke@gov.nl.ca
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Investigations conducted by Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Officers in Labrador have resulted in recent convictions for offences related to illegal fishing.
On December 15 at Provincial Court in Wabush, Zachery Hicks and Jamie Butt each received a fine of $4,000 for exceeding the possession limit for brook trout and ouananiche. In addition to the significant fines, the individuals, both from Labrador City, received five year fishing prohibitions and various items related to the offences were forfeited to the Crown, including three ouananiche, 20 brook trout, four fishing rods and reels, a cooler and a tackle box.
Charges were laid when officers from the Labrador West detachment stopped a vehicle on July 7, 2016, in the Sail Lake area north of Churchill Falls as it was exiting a boat launch. Officers determined the occupants were significantly over the possession limit for brook trout and ouananiche as set out in the Federal Fisheries Act.
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to
protecting the province's resources and to ensuring they remain
available for those who respect legislation concerning the proper
management and conservation of fish and wildlife. The public can
play a significant role in assisting officers by reporting any
suspicious activity. This can be done anonymously and toll-free at
any time, by calling 1-877-820-0999 or Crime Stoppers at
1-800-222-TIPS. Anonymous online reports can also be submitted
at www.stoppoaching.ca
or www.nlcrimestoppers.com
.