COURTENAY, BC, March 21, 2025 /CNW/ - On February 21, 2025, in Courtenay Provincial Court, the Honourable Judge B. Hutcheson found Scarborough resident Raul Dumelod guilty of catching and retaining oysters over the daily limit, and of fishing without a valid licence in Buckley Bay, British Columbia (B.C.). Dumelod was charged in August of 2024 and fined a total of $5,500.
The case resulted from a routine inspection by fishery officers from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)'s Conservation and Protection Directorate. DFO fishery officers support the Department's ongoing efforts to rebuild, protect and sustain fish and shellfish populations through regular patrols, enforcing the Fisheries Act and its regulations, and by participating in investigations and court proceedings. In the case of shellfish harvesting, the Department is particularly concerned with illegal harvesting in commercially licenced areas and locations that may impact legal harvesting opportunities for First Nations. Additionally, DFO regularly inspects areas that are closed due to possible contamination as harvesting (in any form) can pose severe risks to human health.
On August 29, 2024, fishery officers were patrolling near the Buckley Bay/Union Bay area on Vancouver Island in an unmarked patrol vehicle during the low tide. They observed Mr. Dumelod with a large bucket and approached him to confirm if he had been harvesting shellfish from the beach and had a valid licence to do so. They subsequently found that Mr. Dumelod also had two large buckets in his van filled with oysters and could not produce a valid tidal waters fishing licence. Fishery officers found 312 oysters, which is 300 more than the daily limit of 12. The area where Mr. Dumelod was harvesting was clearly marked as a commercial oyster lease with no harvesting permitted. Further signage in the area indicated that recreational oyster harvesting was permitted 0.3 km northwards, where harvesting is legal.
It is everyone's responsibility to know the rules before they go out on the water, and to play their part in ensuring that B.C.'s fish species and their habitats are protected and sustained. It is especially important for tourists to make sure they are fully informed of the rules on where and what they can fish and, in the case of shellfish, where harvesting poses a risk to human health.
DFO has a mandate to protect and conserve Canadian fisheries and to enforce 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
- Over 400 species of bivalves (i.e., shellfish with two shells) are found along the coast of B.C., but only a few species are targeted for harvest.
- In the recreational Pacific Oyster fisheries, the main management measures are a daily harvest limit and possession limits. As in all fisheries, repetitive, excessive harvesting poses a significant risk to the sustainability of Canada's aquatic resources.
- The main management concern regarding the over possession of Pacific Oysters is the impact of over-harvesting specific beaches on First Nations' territories and on other harvesters' ability to access the resource in the future. Over-harvesting of Pacific Oysters may lead to local depletion of the resource, negatively impacting the sustainability of Pacific Oysters on the beach, and negatively impacting the future harvest opportunities at the site for legal harvesting by First Nations, recreational harvesters, or commercial harvesters.
- The recreational fishery is open throughout the year in most south coast waters that are not closed due to biotoxin or fecal coliform contamination. Information on open and closed areas, daily limits and licensing information can be found on the DFO website.
- The confiscated oysters were successfully reseeded on the appropriate beach near the water's edge.
- In B.C., there is also considerable concern about illegal harvesting in areas that are closed. All areas in the Pacific are closed due to possible contamination, unless an approved water quality and biotoxin testing program is in place to ensure that the bivalves in the area are safe for consumption. The consumption of bivalves from areas closed due to contamination concerns or biotoxins could result in illness or death of the consumer.
- If a person becomes sick or dies from the consumption of bivalves, and there is no way to pinpoint the source, widespread closures of all harvests may become necessary, which may have economic implications for all intertidal bivalve fisheries.
- On Vancouver Island alone, there are more than 330 contaminated closed areas, some in easily accessible areas where commercial-scale harvest has not occurred in years.
- The fine imposed by the Court underscores the seriousness of violating fishing rules and regulations under Canada's Fisheries Act, which is intended to protect and preserve at-risk fish and shellfish populations.
Associated Links:
- Recreational harvesting rules and regulations - https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/shellfish-coquillages/rules-regles-eng.html
- Shellfish harvesting openings and closures and shellfish safety - https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/shellfish-mollusques/closures-fermetures-eng.htm
Image: Confiscated oysters laid out on the DFO patrol truck bed, presented in court as evidence
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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]
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