Over $57,000 in fines and forfeitures handed down for repeat fishing offences

MARYSTOWN, N.L. - Alvin H. Short of Upper Island Cove, N.L. has been sentenced to $15,000 in fines and has forfeited over $42,000 in catch for fishing scallop during a closed time on four separate occasions.

On May 3, 2006, fishery officers from the Marystown detachment of Fisheries and Oceans Canada boarded the vessel Setting Sea II as it was illegally fishing scallops in Area 11 in 3Ps, just west of the Burin Peninsula.

Short, the captain of the vessel, was informed that he was fishing during a closed time and was asked to return to port in St. Lawrence.

When the Setting Sea II returned to port, its scallop catch was seized, valued at $18,603. Short was charged and subsequently convicted of fishing scallops during a closed time.

On July 18, 2007, a fishery officer on board a surveillance flight observed and identified the Setting Sea II fishing in the North Sea Scallop Bed during a closed time. In the early morning hours of July 19, fishery officers met the Setting Sea II when she landed in St. Lawrence and seized the catch on board, valued at $23,759.50.

Further investigation by fishery officers revealed that Short had also fished the closed area on two previous trips in 2007. Short was again charged and subsequently convicted of fishing scallops during a closed time.

Recently in court, Short was ordered to pay $3,000 and $12,000 in fines, respectively, for the offences in 2006 and 2007. Short was also forced to forfeit his scallop catch seized, valued at $42,363.