Man fined nearly $37K for illegal halibut fishing in Haida Gwaii, B.C.
Stefan Grega pleaded guilty to multiple violations of the federal Fisheries Act last month, according to a news release from Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
The DFO said the offences occurred during the 2022-23 commercial halibut fishery, when Grega 'illegally retained and sold fish' that he caught during a fishery closure.
The specific offences to which Grega pleaded guilty are listed in online court records. They are:
Two counts of purchasing, selling or possessing illegally caught fish
One count of fishing during a closed time
One count of catching or retaining fish from closed waters
And one count of placing or setting fishing gear during a closed time
All of the offences except one of the counts of possessing illegally caught fish occurred on May 4, 2022, according to court records. The remaining count happened on May 5, 2022.
Grega, who was born in 1946, is the owner of the commercial fishing vessel the Pacific Sunrise, according to the DFO.
The court imposed a total of $30,000 in fines – $10,000 for the placing or setting fishing gear charge and $5,000 for each other count. It also ordered Grega to pay $6,989.35, representing proceeds from the illegal harvest, the DFO said.
The federal department said it regulates seven distinct commercial sectors of B.C.'s groundfish fisheries, all of which are 'highly regulated and managed to conserve the stocks.'
Commercial groundfish fisheries are 'fully monitored at sea and dockside through either electronic systems or onboard observers,' the DFO said, adding that electronic monitoring video systems, fishing logbooks, dockside monitoring and the 'Groundfish Audit System' were all 'instrumental in identifying and investigating Mr. Grega's illegal activities.'
Anyone with information about contraventions of the Fisheries Act and its associated regulations should call the DFO Pacific Region's violation reporting line at 1-800-465-4336, or email the details to DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca, the department said.
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