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Excavation work judged harmful to fish habitat
Harbour Grace – Two companies were each fined $1,000 in provincial court on April 3, 2006, for undertaking excavation work harmful to fish habitat.
On October 3, 2003, a fishery officer from the Bay Roberts Detachment responded to a complaint that excavation work was being carried out in Hope Brook, a small stream near Hope Avenue in Bay Roberts. The fishery officer observed an individual operating an excavator in the brook.
An investigation concluded that Riverside Excavating Limited, of Harbour Grace, was conducting the excavation work in the brook on behalf of Atlantic Grocery Distributors Limited, of Bay Roberts. An inspection of the site determined that the path of the brook was altered by the excavation. This violates the Fisheries Act, which prohibits any work, or undertaking, resulting in the harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat.
Development projects are often referred to DFO to be reviewed for potential harm to fish habitat and a “Letter of Advice” is issued to the proponent(s) outlining preventative measures. In this incident, the proponents were operating without a letter from DFO.
Ice fishing infraction and fines for crab overrun
St. John’s – David Hynes, of Ferryland, was convicted in provincial court in St. John’s on April 10, 2006, for violating fishery regulations while ice fishing in inland waters February 2006.
Fishery officers of the Bay Roberts Detachment, while on snowmobile patrol, observed Mr. Hynes ice fishing on Hawk's Nest Pond using 15 separate fishing lines. Fisheries regulations stipulate that it is illegal for an individual to use more than three separate lines when ice fishing.
Mr. Hynes was fined $200 and prohibited from fishing recreationally in inland waters for one year. Four trout, an ice auger and all handlines were seized and forfeited to the Crown.
Gerard Melvin, Tor’s Cove and Donald Doyle, Burnt Cove, were convicted April 10, 2006, of exceeding an individual crab quota by 663 lbs.
Fishery officers of the Bay Roberts Detachment charged the two men on March 15, 2006, following a review of Mr. Melvin’s 2005 Snow crab landings. Mr. Melvin was fined $500 for exceeding his quota and an additional $920, the amount of his monetary benefit from selling the crab overrun.
Mr. Doyle was fined $400. He was the designated operator of the vessel owned by Mr. Melvin when the quota overrun occurred.
For more information:
Sam Whiffen
Communications Officer
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
(709) 772-7631
Kim Penney
Communications Officer
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
(709) 772-7629
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