On November 16, 2022, the British Columbia (B.C.) Provincial Court found Da Zhou, Zhao Chen, and Ngai Chau guilty of significant violations under the Fisheries Act, including the obstruction of justice and violations of recreational fishing regulations involving rockfish and lingcod. The Honourable Justice Mrozinski delivered her sentence by prohibiting the three men from fishing for a year. She also ordered them to pay a total of $17,500 in combined fines and instructed that all of the defendants’ associated gear involved in the violations, including rods, reels, and lures, at an estimated value of $1,000, be forfeited to the Crown.
An investigation was initiated on the morning of August 10, 2021, when a concerned member of the public called the Observe, Record, Report line about a group of recreational anglers who appeared to be retaining fish over their daily limit, north of Lund near Divers Rock Regional District Park. Fishery officers from the Powell River Conservation and Protection (C&P) Detachment responded to the call and approached the fishers on the beach to conduct an inspection.
Upon seeing the officers, the anglers split up, ran in opposite directions along the shoreline and attempted to discard their catch. Once detained, the men initially refused to engage with the officers. Following an investigation, fishery officers seized a total of nine rockfish and one undersized lingcod as evidence and charges were subsequently laid under the Fisheries Act, including for obstruction. Failure to comply with fishery officers carrying out their duties, obstructing their enquiries, and attempting to hide evidence, can often lead to criminal charges and significant fines for individuals and companies.
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