P.E.I. snow crab fishers fined for underreporting catch
CBC
Georgetown court dealt with several cases Thursday involving the underreporting of catches in P.E.I.'s snow crab fishery.
Four fishermen who pleaded guilty to violating section 43.4(1) of the federal Fisheries Act were fined: Jason Ahearn, James Gavin, Earl MacRae and Jeffery MacLeod. Charges were dropped against Casey Gavin.
Others among the 13 people originally charged were fined earlier.
In most cases, the fines amounted to $1,500 per offence.
Judge Nancy Orr expressed frustration at the low fines set out in the sentencing guidelines for this type of charge, saying the fines aren't much of a disincentive if someone ends up being able to sell 20,000 pounds of snow crab that didn't get reported as counting toward their quota. She made the remarks in relation to the sentencing of James Gavin. Court heard Gavin had an extensive record, with convictions dating back to 1995. Gavin was fined $2,500.
The cases in Georgetown court Thursday followed a Department of Fisheries and Oceans investigation in Souris dating back to 2019 and 2020. It was called Operation Gannet.
Both fishers and dockside monitors ended up being charged.
Court was told that fisheries officers watched as snow crab catches were landed and the monitors recorded the amounts.
Circumstances were similar in all their cases: estimates by fishers, and records from monitors, showed catches were much lower than the landings observed by fishery officers — in some cases, by 20,000 pounds.
A trial also began Thursday for fisherman Leo Dorgan, who has pleaded not guilty to failing to report his catches accurately. His is the final case connected to Operation Gannet.
One dockside monitor who earlier pleaded guilty to 24 counts was involved in some of Dorgan's landings, court heard.
The two-day trial is expected to wrap up Friday.
Carter Hutt, chair of the P.E.I. Snow Crab Association, declined CBC's request for an interview on the charges.
"It's a conservation matter," Orr said during a May court hearing connected to Operation Gannet.
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running Game
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing Game
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic Game
Four in five of the wildfires so far in Saskatchewan this year have been caused by humans — the vast majority of them accidentally. But experts say part of the reason they've spread so far, so fast, is another human factor: climate change driven by the burning of fossil fuels.
Just a block away from the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan there's a garden uniting green thumbs in Lloydminster.
Shelley Lindaas has long dreamed of seeing a Kermode bear cub in person.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) report outlining the events leading to the death of Erixon Kabera answered some questions for his family and friends, but many remain.
Syed Hassan says he doesn't like to complain much. But when his wife told him she got a parking ticket on Thursday night, he knew he needed to speak out.
Following the public outcry over the Jian Ghomeshi case, some legal scholars and sexual assault survivor advocates lauded changes made to the Criminal Code that would prevent defence lawyers from surprising complainants at trial with past emails or text messages with the defendant.
The Waterloo Region District School Board has been talking a lot about the word "family" this month.
At Pedro's Island Eatery in North Rustico, owner Pedro Gameiro has long been not a fan of using seed oils for frying
The parking lot of the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre in Whitehorse was full on Friday, and the building surrounded by well-dressed young people and their proud families. Despite the smoky conditions in the city, there was much to celebrate.
Toronto has moved one step closer to allowing fiveplexes and sixplexes in neighbourhoods across the city.
Warning: Some readers may find photos in this story distressing.
Fifty years ago this fall the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States met in a castle outside Paris for three days of meetings, at the conclusion of which they issued the Declaration of Rambouillet, a 15-point statement of principles and commitments.
An Iranian woman living in Newfoundland and Labrador says she's watching attacks between Israel and Iran with worry for her family back home.