Poachers put wild stocks in peril

Since early June, there have been numerous cases of poaching in Newfoundland and Labrador (NFLD), and experts are concerned that wild populations are at risk.

Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Officers have laid charges related to illegal poaching on several occasions, resulting in seizures of fishing gear, ATVs, nets and salmon.

In order to catch the poachers, officers have been hiding out beside rivers, using night-vision goggles, infrared equipment and remote cameras. But they can’t seem to stay ahead of the illegal fishing.

After numerous complaints of illegal netting, a joint operation was started between the Department of Justice and Public Safety's Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Division and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The operation has disrupted a salmon poaching ring in the small community of Hampden, NFLD.

“As a result of a lengthy investigation, in the early morning of August 9, Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Officers from the Corner Brook Detachment and Fishery Guardians from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Springdale Detachment were successful in apprehending three adult women from Hampden for salmon poaching on Hampden River,” stated a news release by department of Justice and Public Safety.

The women were observed throwing rocks into a pool to drive salmon into a net that completely spanned the river. They were arrested without incident. One net, one salmon and two ski masks were seized. The three women face charges of possession of a net near inland waters, netting salmon in inland waters and possession of fish caught in contravention of the Fisheries Act. However, the investigation is continuing as officers believe there may be other individuals involved.

The most severe incident of poaching occurred last week, when officers apprehended two men and seized their boat, nets and 54 illegally obtained salmon.

Fish and Wildlife Enforcement say an increase in salmon poaching in Newfoundland and Labrador this year is driven in part by the opportunity to make money.

"We've been quite busy this year," said Hayward Taylor, chief of enforcement for the province. "The violation numbers have certainly increased.

Taylor told CBC news that poachers can make quite a profit, but warned the public that buying and possessing the salmon are both illegal and can lead to hefty fines.

But the endangered populations of wild Atlantic salmon are paying the bigger price and fish and wildlife officers in Newfoundland and Labrador are warning that the poaching is having "a severely negative impact on salmon and trout resources," according to a news release issued last week.

The effects of poaching is being exacerbated by a warm summer, coupled with low precipitation, which is is putting more stress on the wild populations of fish and many rivers throughout NFLD are now closed to anglers in efforts to relieve pressures on spawning salmon.