Person from Belleville area fined $20,000 for destroying fish habitat in the Bay of Quinte

BELLEVILLE, ON, Feb. 15, 2024 /CNW/ - As a result of an investigation by Fishery Officers with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), an individual from the Belleville, Ontario area was recently sentenced in the Ontario Court of Justice for violations of the Fisheries Act. The sentencing includes fines which will be directed toward supporting a Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory fishery project.

On Monday, December 11, 2023, an individual from the Belleville area was sentenced for carrying out work that resulted in serious harm to fish that are part of a commercial, recreational or Indigenous fishery, and failure to comply with the whole or part of a direction of an inspector or fishery officer. The individual was ordered to pay a fine of $20,000 that will be directed to the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte. The funds will be used for projects related to the conservation and protection of fish or fish habitat, or restoration of fish habitat.

The offending work occurred in the spring of 2018, and consisted of infilling an area approximately 22 metres wide along the shore and 18 metres out into the Bay of Quinte, adjacent to the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. This action permanently destroyed a wetted area and eliminated aquatic vegetation. This area had previously been home to a number of aquatic fish species for spawning, rearing, feeding, and cover. The court has ordered the individual to remove the infill in the area within 15 months of sentencing.

In 2019, the company hired by the individual to carry out the work, Tompkins Bros. Landscaping & Excavating, pleaded guilty to violations of the Fisheries Act and was ordered to pay a fine of $15,000. These funds were also directed to the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte.

Before undertaking any work in or around water, proponents should review DFO's information on projects near water. For more information on working near water, or to report a possible violation, residents of Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta should contact DFO's regional Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program at 1-855-852-8320, or [email protected].

• Destroying fish habitat in the Bay of Quinte cost a Belleville excavation company $15,000, and an individual $20,000.
• In addition to paying a fine, the individual has been ordered to remove the infill which impacted the aquatic habitat, at their own cost.
• The collected fines will be directed to the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte. The funds will be used for projects related to the conservation and protection of fish or fish habitat, or restoration of fish habitat.
• The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is committed to safeguarding the long-term health and productivity of Canada's fisheries resources and the habitat that supports them for generations to come.
• The Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program ensures compliance with relevant provisions under the Fisheries Act and the Species at Risk Act.
• The Program works with proponents to avoid and mitigate negative impacts to fish and fish habitat from proposed development activities to ensure conservation, protection, and restoration of fish and fish habitat.
• Through the Department's Conservation and Protection Program, DFO ensures and promotes compliance through a combination of land, air, and sea patrols; education and awareness activities; and, enforcement action when necessary.

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SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans Canada Ontario & Prairie Region