Court Fines BC Groundfish Harvester $37K

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Daajing Giids, British Columbia - Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) manages groundfish fisheries for seven distinct commercial sectors on the Pacific Coast: Groundfish trawl, Halibut, Sablefish, Inside Rockfish, Outside Rockfish, Lingcod, and Dogfish. These fisheries are highly regulated and managed to conserve the stocks and support economic prosperity for the communities who fish there.

On May 22, 2025, Stefan Grega, owner of the commercial fishing vessel the Pacific Sunrise, pled guilty to multiple violations of Canada's Fisheries Act. During the 2022-2023 commercial Halibut fishery, Mr. Grega illegally retained and sold fish caught in the Haida Gwaii Archipelago during a fishery closure. The court imposed a $30,000 fine and ordered Mr. Grega to pay an additional $6,989.35, representing proceeds from the illegal harvest, resulting in a total financial penalty of $36,989.35.

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