A Nanaimo angler is out thousands of dollars and their fishing gear after Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) caught him fishing in a conservation area off of Vancouver Island.
According to the DFO, on August 31st, 2022, Colin Wood was spotted in the Northumberland Channel Rockfish conservation area, situated to the west of Gabriola Island and southeast of Snake Island, on August 31st.
As a DFO patrol vessel approached Wood’s fishing boat, he was seen throwing fish overboard. Officers also found evidence of freshly killed fish on his vessel.
“When questioned, Mr. Wood denied fishing, disposing of fish, or acknowledging that he was in an RCA (Rockfish Conservation Area),” the DFO in a media release.
The fines imposed on Wood are mainly due to obstructing a fishery officer by discarding fish overboard ($2,500), providing false or misleading statements to a fishery officer ($2,500), and exceeding the possession limit for Chinook Salmon ($1,000).
Furthermore, Wood’s fishing equipment was seized as evidence, and he is prohibited from participating in certain fishing activities for one year.
“The government of Canada is committed to protecting Canada’s fisheries resources, and the habitat that supports them, for generations to come,” said the DFO.
Anyone with information on illegal fishing activities is asked to call the DFO Pacific region reporting line at 1-800-465-4336.
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