A GUILTY PLEA LEADS TO A $35,000 FINE FOR ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF ABALONE

Ucluelet, B.C. – Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) announced today that John Albert Frank, a resident of Ahousat, received a fine of $35,000 after pleading guilty to one count of unlawful possession of abalone (a marine mollusc).

In 2004, Mr. Frank a member of the Ahousat First Nation, was apprehended in the city of Port Alberni and was charged with illegal possession of abalone.  Mr. Frank had 196 abalone in his possession.  Mr. Frank was apprehended as a direct result of information passed to fishery officers from an anonymous concerned citizen.

Recently in Ucluelet Provincial Court, Mr. Frank pled guilty and received a penalty totalling $35,000 of which $5,000 constituted a fine.  The remaining $30,000 will be directed towards DFO for the purpose of promoting and fostering the recovery of abalone stocks on the west coast of Canada, and for the conservation and protection of abalone and abalone habitat.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada would like to remind the public that abalone are listed as a threatened species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA).  The abalone species is a wildlife species that is likely to become endangered if nothing is done to reverse the factors leading to its extirpation or extinction.  Illegal harvesting and poaching of abalone are considered the biggest factors affecting the recovery of this species.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is extremely concerned with illegal activity and asks for assistance from the general public for information on activities of this nature or any contravention of the Fisheries Act and SARA. To report violations please call the 24-hour, toll-free Observe, Record and Report line at 1-800-465-4336.

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For more information:

Jeanette Lam

Communications Officer

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region