Three people pleaded guilty to a combined six charges and were fined a total of $13,500 for Fisheries Act violations late last August in Deep Bay. (The Canadian Press)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

fishing fines

Hefty fines issued for illegal oyster harvesting in Deep Bay

Jul 9, 2024 | 2:54 PM

NANAIMO — Three people were fined a total of $13,500 after they pleaded guilty to several Fisheries Act violations involving oysters north of Qualicum Beach in Deep Bay.

Chung Ya Lao, Chun Shui Tu, and Yilai Zhu entered guilty pleas in provincial court in Vancouver in late May to six charges and were then sentenced in relation to the August 26 offences.

The convictions were recently published online by Fisheries and Oceans Canada after charges were officially filed last November.

Lao was fined $7,000 for obstructing a fishery officer, along with purchasing, selling or possessing illegally caught oysters.

Tu and Zhu were fined $3,000 and $3,500 respectively after they pleaded guilty to harvesting oysters without a license and purchasing, selling or possessing illegally caught oysters.

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Lao has until the end of 2025 to pay the fine, while Tu and Zhu were ordered to pay up by the end of this year.

Licenses are required to legally participate in the recreational oyster fishery in the province, with a daily catch limit of twelve.

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