A Canadian court has issued fines to three individuals caught overharvesting shellfish in the province of British Columbia (B.C.) last year.
According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), fishery officers discovered Richmond resident Diosa Delacruz and companion Nanaimo resident Rosemarie Allam harvesting oysters and clams in the Baynes Sound Recreational Shellfish Harvest Reserve (RSR), an area where commercial shellfish harvesting has been limited to allow for recreational harvesting. According to DFO, the reserve is a frequent site of illegal harvesting.
On 25 May 2024, DFO officers found Delacruz and Allam with 262 Manila clams, 222 of which were under the legal size limit. The harvest was also in violation of the area’s daily possession limit of 60 Manila clams. The two harvesters were also in possession of 151 oysters despite there being a daily limit of 12 oysters.
On 14 February 2025, the Courtenay Provincial Court fined Delacruz CAD 5,000 (USD 3,501, EUR 3,255) and banned her from fishing for one year. Allam was fined CAD 4,500 (USD 3,151, EUR 2,929) and banned from fishing for two years in an earlier 2024 court appearance.
“It is everyone’s responsibility to know the rules before they engage in any fishing activities, and to play their part in ensuring that B.C.’s shellfish populations and their habitats are protected and sustained,” DFO said in announcing the fines. “The minimum size limit of 35 mm for Littleneck and Manila clams in the recreational fishery ensures that the clams will spawn at least once before they reach the legal size limit. Harvesting undersize clams threatens conservation as it impacts their ability to re-populate the beach, creating an unsustainable fishery that could result in management changes or fisheries closures.”
DFO’s announcement of the fines comes shortly after the government fined a vacationer from the province of Ontario CAD 5,500 (USD 3,851, EUR 3,580) for overfishing oysters on Vancouver Island without a valid license.
In August 2024, DFO officers on patrol in an unmarked vehicle observed Ontario resident Raul Dumelod harvesting shellfish with a large bucket. After approaching Dumelod, the officers learned that he did not have a valid license and had already collected 312 oysters in his van – the daily limit for harvesting oysters in that area is 12 oysters. On 21 February 2025, the Courtenay Provincial Court fined Dumelod CAD 5,500.
“It is everyone’s responsibility to know the rules before they go out on the water, and to play their part in ensuring that B.C.’s fish species and their habitats are protected and sustained,” DFO said of the fine. “It is especially important for tourists to make sure they are fully informed of the rules on where and what they can fish and, in the case of shellfish, where harvesting poses a risk to human health.”
