Port Coquitlam, British Columbia - Non-compliance with Canada's fishing regulations undermines conservation efforts and threatens the sustainability of fisheries resources for Indigenous communities, recreational harvesters and commercial operators. Fisheries and Oceans Canada's (DFO) fishery officers play a vital role in protecting fish and fish habitat through enforcement, education, monitoring and inspection activities.
On March 31, 2026, in British Columbia (B.C.) Provincial Court, Braden Lee Herback pled guilty to multiple offences under the Fisheries Act, was fined $5,500 and received a one-year fishing prohibition for failing to record catch information; retaining an undersized Chinook salmon; possessing 15 spot prawns carrying eggs contrary to licence conditions; and retaining four Dungeness crabs in a condition that prevented fishery officers from determining their size and sex.
DFO reminds recreational harvesters that fishing licence conditions, catch recording requirements, size limits and species-specific retention rules are essential to protecting fish populations and supporting sustainable fisheries. Harvesting undersized fish, retaining egg-bearing prawns, or altering fish and shellfish to prevent compliance verification are serious offences that can harm fish stocks and reduce benefits for Indigenous communities, coastal economies and future generations.
