A British Columbia, Canada-based judge has sentenced Scott Steer to six years in prison and a fine of CAD 1.1 million (USD 794,000, EUR 696,000) after years of persistent fishery violations.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice David Crerar said that Steer has the longest record of Fisheries Act violations in Canadian history. Steer and his co-accused corporation – which Crerar called a “sham” operated by Steer's wife – were accused of fishing without a license and breaching earlier orders forbidding him from possessing a fishing vessel, The Canadian Press reported.
In his latest offense, Steer was accused of selling more than CAD 1 million (USD 724,140, EUR 630,295) of illegally harvested cucumbers, along with seven other charges.
Crerar accused Steer of "ravaging the ocean and flouting the law,” with a long record of fisheries violations and other charges spanning more than 10 years. Crerar also said short jail sentences have failed to deter or rehabilitate him.
In fact, Steer and his wife continued their illegal fishing operations while his trial was taking place, according to Crerar’s ruling. Steer's persistent "knowing and mocking flouting of the law" indicates the "unlikelihood of remorse or rehabilitation, now or in the future,” the judge said.
Steer has 34 prior convictions from 13 cases, beginning in 2008. Other charges include illegally harvesting more than 1,000 pounds of crabs from Vancouver's harbor, defrauding a vessel owner, and various probation violations. Additionally, Steer was banned from fishing for 10 years in 2013.
Vancouver Island-based Pacific Sea Cucumber Association President Thom Liptrot told The Canadian Press the sentence wasn’t long enough compared to how much time he’ll actually serve. He added Steer shouldn't be allowed to have "anything to do with any sort of fish.”
Steer's illegal sea cucumber operation was "complex" and involved multiple co-conspirators, according to Crerar.
China is the biggest export market for sea cucumbers, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Strict rules allow licenses only for commercial purposes, and those license-holders can only harvest the species by hand for eight weeks annually.
There are 85 commercial license-holders in British Columbia, Liptrot said, and those licenses are "very valuable."
