After news broke that a B.C. fisherman was sentenced to pay $250,000 for fishing violations — including setting prawn traps in a protected glass sponge reef area near Sechelt — the Pacific Prawn Fishermen’s Association (PPFA) has said it supports the judgment.
Commercial fishing often gets a bad rap. In an email, Mike Atkins, the executive director of PPFA, pointed out that media coverage often highlights stories from nations with inadequate resource management and lack of enforcement. Canada, however, “boasts some of the most stringent and effective fishery management practices globally,” he wrote.
That’s why, on March 5, the association published a statement that they are “staunch advocates for marine conservation and sustainable fisheries management” and commend the enforcement actions taken by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Conservation and Protection officers. The PPFA highlighted monitoring tools that can help prevent fishing violations, including the 24-hour vessel monitoring systems that report set and haul locations to regional and national fishery officers. Independent observers were also used in this case. “Both monitoring tools are solely funded by the individual prawn harvesters,” PPFA stated.
“The commercial fishing industry faces an ongoing challenge of negative public perception, with many wrongly assuming that all fishermen are dishonest individuals solely focused on maximizing their catches. However, this stereotype couldn't be further from reality,” Atkins said. “While every industry has its share of bad actors, the truth is that the overwhelming majority of fishermen prioritize conservation and responsible stewardship of the resources they rely on. Their dedication extends beyond their own livelihoods, encompassing the well-being of future generations, often including their own children.”
PPFA’s March 5 statement was in response to news that Delta’s Dean Keitsch was sentenced in Sechelt Provincial Court on Jan. 31 after he was found guilty of 13 charges related to fishing violations in the summer of 2020. Among the charges, Keitsch was found guilty of setting prawn traps within a closed, protected area: a glass sponge reef reserve near Sechelt. Parts of the slow-growing organism (which provides valuable habitat to other species) were found broken off in the traps.
“It was through monitoring initiatives funded by the very fishermen themselves that led to the conviction of Dean,” Atkins wrote. “We applaud the work done by DFO Conservation and Protection officers resulting in this conviction.”
In an interview with Coast Reporter last month, fishery officer Bill van Egteren said he’s “pretty sure this is precedent-setting for commercial prawn fishing violations” and called the ruling a “really good win for Mother Nature.”
