A routine fishery officer inspection in Canada has led to significant penalties and a fishing prohibition for a North Coast commercial salmon harvester.
In July 2021, Garry Dean Stoner was fined CAN$88,644 after pleading guilty to 12 counts under the Fisheries Act for violations that occurred between June and September 2017, and in July and August 2018, in waters north of Haida Gwaii. Mr Stoner was also prohibited from commercial salmon fishing for 18 months.
In pronouncing sentencing, The Honourable Justice Calvin Struyk said, “Mr. Stoner’s unwillingness to comply with licence conditions is an affront to all fishers attempting to comply with complicated licence conditions.”
“In the court’s view, Mr Stoner’s flagrant non-compliance with licence conditions justifies a salmon fishing prohibition.”
The conviction followed a Fisheries and Oceans investigation triggered by a routine fisheries inspection in 2017. Fishery officers on board a Conservation and Protection enforcement platform, boarded Mr Stoner’s vessel, the F/V Prestige II, while it was actively engaged in the Area F commercial salmon troll fishery.
The subsequent investigation established that Mr Stoner had failed to submit a single Coho or Chinook salmon head between the three separate required landings; overfished his Chinook salmon quota; retained prohibited fish, and violated other commercial licence requirements.
