A Nova Scotia fisherman was found guilty on a charge of fishing out of season in the Bay of Fundy. The New Brunswick court has slapped huge fine of $23,000 on this fisherman. He has also received a lifetime ban from participating in any aboriginal fishing licence. His name is Leonard Jewers aged 38 of Ecum Secum, N.S., the captain of the Fundy Trapper II. He was fishing under an Indian Brook First Nation licence at the time of his offence in southwestern N.B. in November 2006.
Jewers was also fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to obstructing a fishery officer and was ordered to forfeit the $8,000 from the sale of his catch. The court has dropped five other fishery charges against him and charges against one of his crewmembers were also withdrawn. It was on Nov. 2, 2006, DFO officers boarded Jewers’ vessel that was fishing in lobster fishing area (LFA) 36 in the Bay of Fundy.
They found that Jewers’ vessel was about a half mile in the closed zone although fishing in the adjacent LFA 35 had started in October, lobster fishing in LFA 36 was not set to commence until Nov. 4. According to DFO there were 30 crates of lobster on board. Half of the catch was sold, the rest was in too poor condition and was released. DFO also said that the lobster fisherman was uncooperative and damaged the vessel’s electronic equipment that would be used to indicate the fishing vessel’s whereabouts.
The fisherman said that he had unknowingly drifted into LFA 36 and was fishing under an aboriginal licence, but the department said this wasn’t a native issue, rather it was a poaching issue. The court has fined huge amount on Jewers.
