On February 14, 2025, in Courtenay Provincial Court, the Honourable Judge B.E. Hutcheson found Richmond resident Diosa Delacruz guilty of retaining more than the daily quota for clams and oysters and for fishing without a British Columbia (B.C.) Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence. Ms. Delacruz was fined a total of $5,000 and was banned from fishing for one year. Her fishing companion, Nanaimo resident Rosemarie Allam, was found guilty by the Honourable Judge D.M.D. Stewart, in an earlier court appearance in August 2024, of daily quota violations, and for failing to comply with her conditions of licence. She was fined a total of $4,500 and received a two-year fishing ban.
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.
Bounded by three oceans—the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic—Canada is home to the longest coastline and some of the best quality fish and seafood products. We are known for our high standards for sustainability and food safety. Our premium fish and seafood continues to be prized around the world.
Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier announced Canada’s first ever conservation strategy to restore and rebuild wild Atlantic salmon populations and their habitats.
Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, announced over $7.6 million in funding for four projects in British Columbia under the Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Fund (AERF). This fund supports aquatic restoration projects helping to address the root causes of impacts to coastal and marine environments, including Canada’s coastline, estuaries, and inland regions.
Recent detections of MSX disease, or multinucleate sphere unknown X (MSX), in Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) and New Brunswick, have posed significant challenges for the oyster industry across Atlantic Canada.
Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, proposed additional actions to address threats to Southern Resident killer whales that build on existing measures.
Fisheries are vital to many coastal communities and a driving force of the economy in Atlantic Canada. The seafood sector is a rapidly shifting environment—with new innovative technologies being adopted and more efficient ways of harvesting being used. To support these improvements, today the Government of Canada and the Province of Nova Scotia announced funding through the Atlantic Fisheries Fund (AFF) for 142 projects in Nova Scotia’s fishing and seafood sector.
Fisheries are vital to many coastal communities and a driving force of the economy in Atlantic Canada. The seafood sector is a rapidly changing environment, with new and innovative technologies being adopted to improve efficiency, seafood quality, and sustainability.
Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, announced $4.79 million in funding for ten projects as part of the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (CNFASAR). This investment directly supports conservation and recovery for aquatic species at risk in BC.