NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR – Three fish harvesters recently were convicted for failure to comply with conservation measures in the lobster fishery.
On December 10, 2008, in provincial court at Bonavista, two men from Bonavista were convicted. Hedley Butler was fined $1,500 and prohibited from fishing lobster for the first 10 days of the 2009 lobster fishery for possession of undersize and v-notched lobster. Darrin Cooper received a $1,000 fine and is prohibited from fishing lobster for the first five days of the 2009 lobster fishery for possession of undersize lobster.
These convictions resulted from a boat patrol in the Bonavista Bay area in June 2008. DFO fishery officers from the Clarenville detachment inspected the fish harvesters’ holding crates and found undersized and v-notched lobsters. The lobsters were returned to the water alive after being processed as evidence.
On November 25, 2008, in provincial court at Harbour Breton, Mr. Daniel Baker was convicted of possession of v-notched lobsters. Mr. Baker received a $1,200 fine and a one day suspension at the start of the 2009 lobster season. He also forfeited his catch.
This conviction resulted from an inspection by DFO fishery officers at the wharf in Harbour Breton where an inspection revealed 11 v-notched female lobsters in Mr. Baker’s catch. The lobsters were seized as evidence, photographed and released back into the water alive.
V-notching is a voluntarily 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. The lobster is then carefully returned to the water. A V-notch remains visible for several years, and allows the female to grow larger, spawn several times and produce more and better quality eggs. It is illegal to retain undersized and V-notched lobsters.
DFO is committed to the conservation and protection of lobster resources in Newfoundland and Labrador. Anyone wishing to report suspicious fishing activities may do so by contacting their nearest DFO office or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
Sam Whiffen, Communications Officer
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
(709) 772-7631
NR-NL-09-02E
