IN THE COURTS: Fines for lobster, fisheries violations

Lobster violation fines total $5,500

GRAND BANK, N.L. – Wayne Miller of Fortune, N.L. was fined $2,500 in Grand Bank provincial curt for possession of v-notched lobster.

On May 12, 2007, fishery officers from the Marystown Detachment conducted a dockside inspection and found Miller in possession of five female v-notched lobsters, which is not permitted under the conditions of his commercial lobster licence. The seized lobsters were returned to the ocean.

Also convicted of possession of v-notched lobster were Harold Kearley Jr. and Frank Clarke, both of English Harbour East. Both men were fined $1,500.

On May 8, 2007, fishery officers from the Marystown Detachment, on coastal patrol in Fortune Bay, inspected the lobster holding crates of Kearley Jr. and Clarke and found each individual in possession of three female v-notched lobsters. The seized lobsters were returned to the ocean.





Lobster poaching draws fines of $2,500 for two men

Yarmouth, N.S. – Two Yarmouth men were each fine $2,500 after pleading guilty to poaching lobster in Yarmouth harbour.

Twenty-five-year-old Christopher M. Corporon and 31-year-old Jamie L. Muise were observed by federal fisheries officers hauling up five lobster traps late at night on Sept. 23, 2007. The traps were hauled near Bunker Island.

DFO says the men wore dark clothing as they pulled, emptied and returned the traps to the water after 10 p.m.

The men were arrested. Fisheries officers found 62 lobsters in their possession, 61 of which were undersized. The lobsters were returned to the water.

The commercial lobster season was closed at the time.





Retaining v-notched female lobsters nets fine

CLARENVILLE, N.L. – Albert F. Hefferan of Southeast Bight, N.L. was fined $1,250 in Clarenville provincial court for retaining v-notched female lobsters.

On May 9, 2007 fishery officers from the Placentia Detachment on patrol in the Isle-au-Valen and Clattice Harbour area boarded Hefferan’s fishing vessel and found one v-notched lobster. A subsequent check of his holding pens at Clattice Harbour identified another three v-notched. The four lobsters were returned to the ocean.

V-notching is a voluntary practice amongst commercial lobster fish harvesters where one in four egg-bearing female lobsters is notched with a special tool that cuts a V shape from the section of the tail fan. The lobster is then carefully returned to the water. V-notching remains clearly visible for several years, and allows the female to grow larger, spawn several times and produce more and better quality eggs. It is illegal to retain undersized and V-notched lobsters.





Fishing log violation results in fine

Ralph Ryan of Southern Harbour, N.S. was fined $800 in Clarenville provincial court for failing to return all his fishing logs for 2006, which is a condition of his fishing licence.

This violation was detected when routine checks of fishing logs from the 2006 fishing season were conducted by the Statistics Division of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Ryan failed to comply with repeated requests by DFO to return his logs and was subsequently charged.