Investigations conducted in 2019 and 2020 by the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture’s Resource Enforcement Division, have resulted in jail time and a loss of fishing privileges related to illegal netting, possession and sale of Atlantic salmon and the breach of a court order.
Following reports from the public regarding illegal netting, on September 26 and 27, 2019, conservation officers from Clarenville conducted surveillance, which resulted in apprehending and charging James Holloway of Bloomfield, for fishing a species without authorization contrary to the Atlantic Fishery Regulations, and for possessing fish caught in contravention of the Fisheries Act. One salmon, a groundfish, a 90-foot gill net, and other small tools were seized.
When these charges were laid, Mr. Holloway was already on a two-year fishing prohibition for a 2018 conviction.
On July 28, 2020, conservation officers conducting surveillance in same area again apprehended Mr. Holloway, and charged him with two counts of fishing for a species of fish without authorization contrary to the Atlantic Fishery Regulations, two counts of possessing fish caught in contravention of the Fisheries Act, and offering to sell fish caught in contravention of the Fishery (General) Regulations. Twenty-four salmon, a sea trout, two gill nets, and small tools were seized.
On August 17, 2021, at Provincial Court in Clarenville, Mr. Holloway was convicted of all charges. He was sentenced to six months in jail, given an 18-month probation order, and is prohibited from fishing in inland or coastal waters for 10 years. All items seized during the investigations were forfeited to the Crown.
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to protecting the province’s fish and wildlife resources. The public can, and does play a significant role in assisting the Resource Enforcement Division, by reporting suspicious activity. This can be done anonymously, 24 hours a day, by calling toll-free 1-877-820-0999, or to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. Anonymous reports can also be submitted online at www.stoppoaching.ca or www.nlcrimestoppers.com
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Media contact
Craig Renouf
Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
709-637-2923, 640-6922
craigrenouf@gov.nl.ca