Property owner fined $60,000 for destroying vital fish habitat on Vancouver Island, B.C.

COURTENAY, BC, June 10, 2025 /CNW/ - Protecting fish and fish habit is vital to help sustain and support Canada's precious marine species. Under Canada's Fisheries Act, measures must be taken to avoid causing the death of fish and any harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat when conducting any work or activities in or near water.

Image: Submitted as evidence during the trial (CNW Group/Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region)

On January 23, 2025, in Courtenay Provincial Court, area resident David Tingley was found guilty of failing to correct work that he had done illegally on his property, that affected fish and fish habitat on the Trent River. Mr. Tingley was fined $60,000, which was directed to the Environmental Damages Fund for the conservation and protection of salmon and salmon habitat in the Vancouver Island region.

The case stems from work carried out without Fisheries Act authorization over successive years on one of Mr. Tingley's properties, which is bisected by the Trent River, an important fish bearing watercourse. 

DFO protects and conserves marine resources, and enforces the Fisheries Act. As part of DFO's work to disrupt and prevent illegal activity, the Department asks the public for information on activities of this nature or any contravention of the Fisheries Act and regulations. Anyone with information can call DFO Pacific Region's toll-free violation reporting line at 1-800-465-4336, or email the details to [email protected].

Quick Facts:

• Mr. Tingley made habitat alterations to the riverbank without appropriate authorizations.
• On May 15, 2020, Mr. Tingley was ordered to remediate the damage to the riverbank on his property by June 15 2020. Failure to comply with the order resulted in charges of failing to follow the direction of a fishery officer.
• Fishery officers work closely with biologists from DFO's Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program to ensure any work undertaken near water complies with the fish and fish habitat protection provisions of the Fisheries Act.
• There are serious consequences for non-compliance with the fish and fish habitat protection provisions of the Fisheries Act - Fish and fish habitat protection policy statement, August 2019 (dfo-mpo.gc.ca).

Associated Link: Projects near water (dfo-mpo.gc.ca)

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SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region

For more information: Media Relations, Pacific Region Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 604-666-1746, [email protected]; Media Relations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 613-990-7537, [email protected]