Two B.C. men have been handed significant penalties after being found guilty of harvesting prawns illegally in a closed fishing area near Ladysmith.
In separate rulings at Nanaimo Provincial Court, Scott Castle and Terry Lorenz were convicted of multiple offences related to the commercial prawn fishery, including fishing in a closed area of Stuart Channel, failing to complete mandatory fish slips and the illegal sale of prawns.
Castle was found guilty on April 29 of remotely directing Lorenz, the vessel master, to fish in the a closed area over several days. He was fined $30,000 for fishing during a closed time and licence violations and $8,228 representing the proceeds of the illegal sale.
Lorenz was convicted on May 15 of the same offences and fined $3,000. He was also prohibited from fishing for five years.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) said the case began with a report on May 30, 2022, that a vessel was fishing during a commercial closure in several sub-areas off Vancouver Island’s south coast.
The department emphasized that illegal harvests threaten prawn populations, disrupt conservation efforts, and harm coastal communities, including Indigenous peoples and recreational anglers, who rely on the fishery.
Fishing in closed areas can severely impact the reproductive cycle of prawns, DFO noted. All prawns begin life as males, but they transition to females around age three. Females spawn early in the year and die shortly after. Removing spawning females or immature males from the population disrupts this cycle and threatens future stock.
Under Canada’s Fisheries Act, only fish harvested under a valid licence may be sold, and all commercial sales must go through licensed processing plants to ensure public health and safety.
