Scott Stanley Matthew Steer has a prolific history of illegal fishing, even after being convicted and jailed. (Nanaimo RCMP)

By Spencer Sterritt

forfeit

Banned Gabriola Island commercial fisherman taken to B.C.’s highest court

Jul 26, 2021 | 1:39 PM

GABRIOLA ISLAND — A lengthy history of fishing act violations and court breaches has taken an embattled Gabriola Island commercial fisherman to the top court in B.C.

A notice of civil claim against Scott Stanley Matthew Steer was filed in the B.C. Supreme Court by the province on June 28. The B.C. Civil Forfeiture Office is seeking Steer’s Gabriola Island home and more than $1.3 million in cash across various bank accounts.

The office claimed Steer, who’s prohibited from being involved in any sort of fishing until 2038, laundered profits from illegal fishing through the purchase and payments of the Gabriola Island home and he’s continued to commercially fish through many different companies in both his name and that of his common-law wife Melissa Larocque.

“Since at least 2010, Steer, Larocque and the defendant companies have been engaging in illegal fish, sales of fish, immigration and tax contraventions in addition to ongoing breaches of Steer’s court order.”

Steer was arrested in early March, 2020 while allegedly illegally fishing in Vancouver Harbour. His boat was boarded after a pursuit and approximately 300 crabs and 4 commercial crab traps were found.

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A search warrant of an affiliate business found 17 different live crab deliveries purportedly made by Larocque. A large amount of fishing gear was found at their home.

In the same year, Steer allegedly fraudulently applied for a fishing grant through the Native Fishing Association in the name of Terry Seymour. “Steer collected up to $80,000 by fraudulently posing as Seymour and as a member of the eligible First Nations,” the civil claim said.

He was convicted of the Vancouver Harbour infractions in mid-May, to be sentenced in October, 2021.

Steer faced nine more charges in late May, 2021 related to diving for sea cucumbers and breaching more conditions to not own or use fishing gear.

Steer and Larocque are accused of not paying taxes on the more than $1.3 million deposited in one year into their many bank accounts across multiple banks.

“Steer and Larocque continuously move their money between accounts. They make almost daily payments to associates and pay some associates more than once in a given day. The transaction records also show numerous deposits from unknown sources, as well as cash deposits.”

The office charged Steer with laundering money through the house on Gabriola Island, which was purchased by his mother-in-law but used full-time by him.

“The Gabriola property is an instrument of crime as the purchase was made as a way to launder the money gained from unlawful activity,” the forfeiture claim said.

No reply from Steer has yet been filed with the courts.

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spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @SpencerSterritt