A sweep done by fishery officers from Steveston, Langley and Chilliwack, working with the Sea Island coast guard base, recently found 270 illegally set crab traps in Boundary Bay.
The fishery officers were doing a five-day patrol last week when they seized and released fish and crabs, including 788 Dungeness crabs and 119 red rock crabs that were in the illegally set traps.
Fishery officers will now try to identify seized traps and gear in order to find the perpetrators.
A fisheries spokesperson said charges for the illegal crabbing could follow.
Of the 270 traps seized, 154 were sealed shut.
The Fisheries Act specifies traps needs to have an escape mechanism or rot cord to allow any trapped animals to get out.
Otherwise, if the trap is lost or abandoned, marine animals die in the trap and become bait for other wildlife.
“This has a highly damaging impact on the populations in the area,” explained DFO spokesperson Leri Davies.
The fishery officers from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) worked with the Canadian Coast Guard on the operation.
The operation utilized the CCG Hovercraft Siyay from the Sea Island coast guard base as a platform, coordinating with conservation and protection patrol vessels to combat suspected illegal fishing.
This was the second time they were using the hovercraft for a sweep of illegal traps.
Davies called it a “highly successful” example of a joint DFO/coast guard enforcement initiative.
“While fishery officers and the CCG operated within their respective mandates while on the water, they shared operational knowledge to ensure the success of the sweep and gained a deeper understanding of each other’s roles and responsibilities,” explained Davies in a press release.
DFO is appealing to the public for information on any suspicious or potentially illegal fishing or trapping activities, or if the public suspects any contravention of the Fisheries Act.
Anyone with information can call the toll-free violation reporting line at 1-800-465-4336 or via email at DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
