CRESTON - Four East Kootenay residents have been ordered to pay a total of $7,000 in fines after they were caught systematically overfishing at Duck Lake north of Creston.

Bruce Smith of Cranbrook and David Deveau, Ronald Traverse and Leonard Bond of Canal Flats were each fined $1,750 after pleading guilty to charges under the federal Fisheries Act of exceeding their catch limit and, under the provincial Wildlife Act, of possessing fish that could not be identified.

The fines were issued Nov. 25 in Cranbrook provincial court.  The court also ordered the men to forfeit fishing rods, reels, tackle boxes and other equipment. 

Creston district conservation officers began an investigation after receiving complaints from other anglers that the men were taking more than their limit, although they were never found with too many fish in their camp.  With the help of the special investigations unit of the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, it was discovered that the men were taking fish to a house near Creston after catching the limit and then returning to fish again.

On May 12, two teams of conservation officers and RCMP searched the men's trucks and campers and the Creston house simultaneously, and the men were arrested.

Under the federal Fisheries Act regulations, the maximum penalty for exceeding the catch limit of fish is $100,000.  The maximum penalty for offences under the Wildlife Act regulations is $25,000 and six months imprisonment where a person is found in possession of unidentifiable fish that has been filleted and thus cannot be counted or weighed by conservation officers. 

Illegal angling threatens fish populations and recreational opportunities.  Anyone with evidence of any illegal activity is encouraged to call the ministry's Observe, Record, and Report program toll-free at 1-800-663-WILD (9453).  All information is kept confidential.

Contact:

Bill Bresser, Manager,
Special Investigations
Enforcement Branch,
Victoria
250 952-4118

Arnold DeBoon
Conservation Officer
Creston
250 428-3217