BURST
Four seafood lovers tried to play a shell game, but this time, they got schooled.
Three years after Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) caught four people illegally harvesting shellfish in Deep Bay, B.C., court proceedings finally ended with convictions and fines totalling $18,000.
One of the four tried to clam up, but was unsuccessful. On July 7, Xiaohua (Jessica) Liu was convicted of making a false or misleading statement and unlawful possession of oysters and fined $4,500 in the Courtenay Provincial court.
The three others involved had previously pleaded guilty in May 24 in Vancouver. Ya Chung Lao was fined $7,000 and prohibited from fishing for one year, found guilty of fishing for obstruction and unlawful possession. Yilai Zhu was fined $3,500 for fishing without a licence and unlawful possession, while Chun Shui Tu was fined $3,000 for the same offences.
The DFO had stopped them while fishing in Deep Bay, between Courtenay and Parksville on Vancouver Island, and found them in possession of illegally harvested shellfish.
Arrest warrants were issued during the investigation and court proceedings, as several of the accused failed to appear in court.
All recreational and commercial shellfish harvesters must adhere to DFO’s licensing requirements, catch and possession limits, species restrictions and area closures.
Anyone with information about suspected fisheries violations is encouraged to contact DFO Pacific Region’s toll-free violation reporting line at 1‑800‑465‑4336, or email DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.