Court issues $33K in fines for illegal halibut fishing in protected B.C. glass sponge reef

Part of a B.C. glass sponge reef is seen in this photo provided by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. (DFO)

A commercial halibut fisherman has been fined more than $33,000 for fishing illegally in a protected area near Bella Bella, B.C., authorities announced Thursday.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada said Brent Belveal, who owns and operates the commercial vessel Gypsy Soul, was fined $33,596 after pleading guilty to fishing inside of the Hecate Strait Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reef Marine Protected Area and selling his illegal catch.

The provincial court decision in the case came down on May 24, but the DFO did not publicly share details about it until Thursday.

The charges against Belveal stemmed from illegal fishing activity that took place in April 2020, according to the DFO, which said it was reported through electronic monitoring equipment that operators of licensed halibut fishers must keep on their vessels as a condition of their licences.

A DFO subject matter expert told the court B.C.'s glass sponge reefs are approximately 9,000 years old and "are considered to be the largest living example of glass sponge reefs that were abundant millions of years ago."

"The slow growth, fragility and highly sensitive nature and structure of these sponges make the reefs particularly vulnerable to damage and disturbance, since recovery may take tens to several hundreds of years," the DFO release reads.

"Harvesters who disregard fishery closures under the Fisheries Act and the Oceans Act (Marine Protected Area) regulations pose a risk of causing new damage to the reefs, and undermine decades of work to provide protection to these globally unique ecosystems."

The reef where Belveal was caught fishing was designated a Marine Protected Area in 2017, the DFO said, adding that "it is the responsibility of all harvesters to know the rules and follow them."

Anyone who has information about illegal fishing activity or other contraventions of the Fisheries Act and its regulations in B.C. is asked to call the DFO Pacific Region's violation reporting line at 800-465-4336 or email [e-mail].