A Mission man has pleaded guilty to obstruction of fisheries officers' duties following an incident in the waters near Sechelt in May 2023.
Devin Brentwood Reeve has been fined $18,000 in $4,500 installments over four years after pleading guilty to obstructing or hindering a fishery officer during a compliance inspection on May 20, 2023.
On Sept. 23 at the North Vancouver Provincial Court, the Crown explained commercial prawn fishing in B.C. is a “short-lived fishery.” Being open for approximately two months every spring, they explained it's an environment where “time is of the essence.”
Fisheries officers were on patrol during May 2023 and came to inspect the Eventide 1, a vessel licensed to harvest prawns, a fishery that was open at the time. The boat is owned by Eventide Fishing Limited, a corporation owned by Reeve’s father, Robert Reeve.
The vessel’s crew was “in the process of harvesting or about to start hauling in the gear” as officers approached, the Crown told the court.
When fishery officers announced their intention to perform an inspection, the crew onboard the vessel told them to wait until they were done hauling the line and Devin Reeve specifically told them they weren’t allowed to come aboard, the Crown said.
The Crown put forward that officers noted this was odd behaviour in their report, saying it's customary for fishers to stop hauling immediately once Fisheries and Oceans Canada shows up, and that in that circumstance, a full compliance inspection can take 10 to 15 minutes.
A central part of fisherman compliance inspection is checking documents and the logbook, said the Crown and Robert Reeve offered to go collect the documents and hand them over instead of being boarded.
While alongside the fishing vessel, officers saw Robert Reeve stay in the wheelhouse for 10 minutes and at that point officer Brooke Davis announced she was going to board the vessel –– which Devin Reeve again tried to prevent, said the Crown. When Davis told them they would be charged with obstruction, Robert Reeve came out of the wheelhouse. The Crown alleged when Robert Reeve was asked what he was writing, he did not answer and returned to the wheelhouse.
At this point, Davis boarded the vessel and saw what she believed was Robert Reeve filling out the log book – which is meant to be filled out at the end of each day, said the Crown.
After asking Robert Reeve to put the pen down and stop writing, the Crown said Davis observed the last day filled in the log book was May 18 –– two days prior –– and believes based on the penmanship and the pen he was holding, that he had completed the entry for May 16 and May 17 while she was standing in front of him.
Davis returned to DFO’s boat to write a ticket of non-compliance for the log book and when she returned to the fishing vessel to issue the ticket, the Crown said she described Devin Reeve as, “very verbally aggressive and angry.”
The Crown continued, saying when Davis issued an official warning for obstruction, Devin Reeve said he was a ticketed captain, it's his prerogative to say no to to an inspection if he believes it's unsafe.
When Davis explained the only unsafe factor was their refusal to stop hauling gear, the Crown said that Devin Reeve picked up a mallet on a table between the two of them and hit his open hand with it.
The Crown said Davis naturally interpreted this as threatening and told Devin Reeve to put his hands up while she served the ticket for the log book.
The fisheries officers then left the fishing vessel and forwarded the charge of obstruction the the Crown.
The Crown outlined section 49 of the Fisheries Act, which gives officers broad powers to ensure compliance with the act of the regulation that they may enter and inspect any place.
A joint submission was proposed, a $18,000 fine, payable in $4,500 installments over four years. The defence emphasized Reeve's remorse and financial constraints. The judge endorsed the joint submission, imposing the fine with installment payments.
Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
