Nanaimo, B.C. - Illegal harvesting contributes to declining fish stocks and aquatic habitat destruction, as well as threatens food safety, and impacts the sustainability of fisheries for coastal and Indigenous communities, recreational harvesters, and commercial operators. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) fishery officers play a vital role in combatting illegal harvesting through their work to enforce fishing laws, conduct inspections, monitor ecosystems, and promote public education and conservation.
On January 22, 2026, in Nanaimo Provincial Court, Chao Jan Yu and Li Hua Chen were convicted of multiple offences under Canada's Fisheries Act. Mr. Yu was fined a total of $6,500 dollars ($2,500 for obstructing a fishery officer carrying out his duties; $2,000 for retaining more than the daily limit of 75 clams; and $2,000 for harvesting prohibited species). Ms. Chen was fined $4,000 dollars ($2,000 for harvesting prohibited species; and $2,000 for possessing illegally caught fish). Both were placed under a two-year fishing prohibition from harvesting any species of fish.
The convictions stem from a July 2024 patrol in the Nanoose Bay Recreational Shellfish Reserve. From an elevated vantage point, fishery officers observed two individuals collecting shellfish in the intertidal zone, an area closed to shellfish harvesting due to possible contamination. As the pair left the beach, they encountered the fishery officers on the railway tracks where Mr. Yu attempted to evade the officers and discarded two buckets of clams.
DFO reminds the public that shellfish harvesting closures are in place to protect public health and ensure sustainable fisheries. Unauthorized harvesting puts consumers, ecosystems, legitimate harvesters and Canada's reputation as an exporter of safe shellfish at risk. Obstructing fishery officers or failing to provide required documentation are serious offences that can result in significant penalties.
