A judge has fined the owner and operator of the commercial halibut fishing vessel Gypsy Soul a total of $33,596 for offenses under Canada’s Fisheries Act, the country’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) revealed Aug. 8.
Judge Roy Dickey on May 24 fined vessel master Brent Belveal after Belveal pleaded guilty to fishing inside of the Hecate Strait Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reef Marine Protected Area (MPA) near Bella Bella, British Columbia, and for selling his illegal catch.
The case stems from illegal fishing activity on April 4 and 5, 2020, which was captured through electronic monitoring data provided to the DFO as a license condition for groundfish like halibut, as well as other commercial fishing fleets.
An impact statement submitted to the Provincial Court by a Fisheries and Oceans Canada expert during the case outlined the unique nature of the sponge reefs and the potential harms done by illegal fishing within the MPA.
The glass sponge reefs are about 9,000 years old, and are considered to be the largest living example of glass sponge reefs that were abundant millions of years ago. The slow growth, fragility and highly sensitive nature and structure of these sponges make the reefs particularly vulnerable to damage and disturbance, since recovery may take tens to several hundreds of years.
The Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs protected area was designated under the Oceans Act of February 2017.
Harvesters disregarding fishery closures under the Fisheries Act and the Oceans Act MPA regulations pose a risk of causing new damage to the reefs and undermine decades of work to provide protection to these globally unique ecosystems, experts say.
DFO has a mandate to protect and conserve marine resources and to enforce the Fisheries Act. As part of its work to disrupt and prevent illegal activity, it asks the public for information on activities of this nature or any contravention of the Fisheries Act and regulations.
Anyone with information can call DFO Pacific Region’s toll-free violation reporting line at (800) 465-4336 or email the details to DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.