Recreational Angler Breaches Conditions of His Previous Conviction so is Sentenced to Additional Fines and Prohibitions

SALMON ARM, BC, Dec. 13, 2017 /CNW/ - On September 26, 2017, Salmon Arm resident Brady Hareuther had significant penalties added to an existing Court prohibition. 

On October 21, 2015, in Salmon Arm Provincial Court, Mr. Hareuther pleaded guilty to several violations of the Fisheries Act committed in 2014. These included four counts of attempting to foul hook fish, possessing fish caught in contravention of the Act or Regulations, and one count of molesting/injuring fish on the Trinity Bridge, near Enderby, over a period of five days. He was ordered to pay $2,000 to be used for the conservation and protection of fish or fish habitat, prohibited from fishing on Mabel Lake, Shuswap River and in the Shuswap Lake systems for a period of two years, and fined $650.

On August 27, 2016, fishery officers observed Mr. Hareuther fishing on the Shuswap River and reminded him of the prohibition. Six days later fishery officers again found him angling in the prohibited area. They issued Mr. Hareuther a Summons and on September 26, 2017, the Court assessed an additional fine for Mr. Hareuther of $750 and extended the fishing prohibition for a further 18 months.

Quick Facts

• Mr. Hareuther violated a Court order that prohibited fishing in certain areas when there were other places where he could have legally gone fishing for salmon.
• Mr. Hareuther will not be eligible to fish in the Shuswap Lake system, Mabel Lake and the Shuswap River until mid-April 2019.
• Snagging, or foul hooking, is catching a fish, accidentally or intentionally, in any part of its body other than the mouth. It is illegal as it can cause fatal injuries to fish.
• If fish are exposed to fresh water prematurely there is almost instant loss of egg viability and vulnerability to lethal infections.
• To throw rocks at fish to injure them or to deter them from their migratory path is to molest or injure them. This is contrary to the BC Sport Fishing Regulations.
• The actions of Mr Hareuther, and other fishers charged for foul hooking fish in 2014, led to the closure of all fishing on the Shuswap River 50 m upstream and 50 m downstream of the Trinity Bridge between June 15 and November 15 of that year.

The Government of Canada is committed to safeguarding the long-term health and productivity of Canada's fisheries resources, and the habitat that supports them, for generations to come. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has a mandate to protect and conserve marine resources and to prosecute offenders under the Fisheries Act. It ensures and promotes compliance with the Act and other laws and regulations through a combination of land, air and sea patrols, as well as education and awareness activities. As part of Fisheries and Oceans Canada's work to end 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 the toll-free violation reporting line at 1-800-465-4336.

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SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region

Leri Davies, Strategic Media Relations Advisor, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region, Tel: [phone], Cell: [phone]

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