The Provincial Court of British Columbia, Canada found Da Zhou, Zhao Chen, and Ngai Chau guilty of violating Canada's Fisheries Act, per recreational fishing regulations, on 15 December.
The men were also found guilty of obstruction of justice and violating recreational fishing regulations involving rockfish and lingcod.
Provincial Court Justice Michael Mrozinski delivered the sentence, which will prohibit the men from fishing for a year and forces them to pay a combined fine of USD 17,500 (EUR 16,527).
The gear involved in the violations, including fishing rods, reels, and lures, with a combined estimated value of USD 1,000 (EUR 944), must also be forfeited.
The investigation began 10 August, 2021, when a civilian called a government hotline to complain about a group of recreational anglers who were retaining fish over the daily limit at a location north of Lund, British Columbia, near Divers Rock Regional District Park, according to a press release issued by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Fishery officers were dispatched, and the anglers ran in opposite directions along the shoreline while attempting to discard their catch. The men were detained and initially refused to engage with officers.
Per the investigation, the officers seized nine rockfish and one undersized lingcod as evidence.
Photo courtesy of Ashley-Belle Burns/Shutterstock
