Richmond Provincial Court has sentence two commercial shrimp harvesters pled fine of $4,000 on a charge of illegal possession of fish contrary to the Fisheries Act. Kim Thanh Ho and Mien Thi Pham, of the commercial shrimp fishing vessel “Pamela Dawn,” were found guilty of being in possession of fish contrary to the conditions of their shrimp trawl licence.
It is informed that Kim Thanh Ho, the master of the vessel, has different convictions including a failure to release bycatch and failures to comply with licence conditions. He was fined $3,000 and Ms. Pham was fined $1,000. It is said that on July 10, 2009, when the vessel “Pamela Dawn” was anchored at the public sales dock in Steveston Harbour, fishery officers on patrol to verify licence compliance of commercial shrimp trawl vessels in the area observed Ms. Pham attempting to discard the contents of a container overboard.
The fishery officers inspected the vessel and were determined that the basket contained eel pouts (an eel-like bottom-dwelling fish) which were on ice and appeared to be ready to be sold. Commercially harvested fish should be immediately sorted. As a condition of the shrimp trawl licence, bycatch must immediately be returned to the water in the least harmful way and as close as possible to the natural habitat where the fish were caught.
Such surprise raid is the activity of DFO to end illegal fishing. As part of this work, the Department asks the general public for information on activities of this nature or any contravention of the Fisheries Act and Regulations.
