After thorough investigations conducted by fisheries officers from the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) detachment in Marystown six individuals were found for the offence of illegal lobster fishing. Joan Pike of Harbour Mille was convicted of possession of v-notched and undersized lobsters and fined $6,000.
According to the fishery officers there were illegal lobsters on June 2, 2008 during a patrol in the Harbour Mille area and an inspection of lobster holding pens belonging to Ms. Pike. Perry Cluett of Garnish was convicted of possession of v-notched and undersized lobsters and fined $5,750. While on patrol in the Garnish area on May 23, 2008, fishery officers conducted an inspection of Mr. Cluett’s lobster catch and detected the illegal lobsters.
It is said that Clayton Johnson of Jacques Fontaine and Edison Dominaux of St. Bernard’s were both convicted of possession of v-notched lobsters, and Mr. Johnson was also convicted of possession of undersized lobsters. Allan Nolan and Merril Tibbo of Frenchman’s Cove were both convicted of possession of v-notched lobsters, and Mr. Nolan was also convicted of possession of egg-bearing lobsters.
All illegal lobsters in these violations were photographed by fishery officers and immediately released back into the water. V-notching is a voluntary practice amongst commercial lobster harvesters where one in four egg-bearing female lobsters is given a v-shaped cut in a section of the tail fan.
