HARBOUR GRACE/GANDER, N.L.
A number of investigations conducted by fish and wildlife enforcement officers in Newfoundland have resulted in thousands of dollars in fines as well as prohibitions for the violators.
According to a release issued by the Department of Fisheries and Land Resources on Nov. 28, an individual was convicted and fined $1,000 for illegal possession of big game at Harbour Grace Provincial Court on Oct. 1.
The conviction stemmed from an investigation officers conducted in May after receiving information about a poached moose near the North Harbour highway. A search warrant of a residence in Branch recovered a quantity of meat that matched DNA samples taken from the kill site.
The individual was also prohibited from applying for a big game licence for five years.
Also at Harbour Grace Provincial Court on Oct. 1, an individual was convicted for taking more than one moose on a big game licence.
The conviction was the result of an investigation that started in January 2017 when an officer patrolling on snowmobile in the Peak Pond area discovered two moose that had been shot and abandoned. The officer then encountered five individuals with another moose that had been shot and tagged.
Through forensic analysis of bullets recovered from the carcasses, officers matched a firearm to one of the animals that had been shot and abandoned, the release indicated.
The individual was fined $1,000 and is prohibited from holding a big game licence for five years. Additionally, a gun and ammunition were forfeited.
At Gander Provincial Court on Oct. 2, an individual was convicted for fishing during closed time and angling by means other than the set method.
An investigation was conducted after a fish and wildlife officer observed the person angling in scheduled waters during closed season.
The individual was fined $200 on each count. Seized items were also forfeited to the Crown.
Two individuals were convicted for fishing violations at Gander Provincial Court on Oct. 24.
One individual was convicted of netting inland waters and possession of fish caught in contravention. They were fined $3,000 for the netting violation and $1,000 for the illegal possession. The person was also prohibited from fishing for a period of five years.
The second individual was fined $2,000 for netting in inland waters and $1,000 for illegal possession. That person received a three-year prohibition from fishing.
Items seized during the investigation, including a gill net, five Atlantic salmon and 15 brook trout, were forfeited.
