Surrey Provincial Court, B.C. - On May 19, 2021, in Surrey Provincial Court, the Honourable Judge Satinder Sidhu found recreational crab harvester Laird Goddyn guilty of violations of Canada's Fisheries Act. Justice Sidhu fined Mr. Goddyn $7,500 and banned him from holding tidal and non-tidal fishing licences for a period of 5 years. Mr. Goddyn's fishing vessel, which was seized as evidence, was ordered returned to Mr. Goddyn, subject to a $4,638.48 storage fee.
Mr. Goddyn was identified as a harvester of interest to Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Conservation and Protection Branch in Langley following information shared by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The U.S. officers were investigating Mr. Goddyn for illegal crabbing activities on April 24, 2018, that potentially involved sales in Canada.
On June 30, 2018, the RCMP contacted Langley Detachment fishery officers to alert them to the fact that, during a recreational fisheries compliance inspection at White Rock's Elgin Park Marina, officers found Mr. Goddyn with a large amount of crabs.
Mr. Goddyn was in possession of 89 crab; the legal daily recreational possession limit is 4. The crab were measured then released alive back into the water, and Mr. Goddyn's fishing vessel and cell phones were seized as evidence.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada has a mandate to protect and conserve marine resources and to prosecute offenders under the Fisheries Act. It ensures and promotes compliance with the Act and other laws and regulations through a combination of land, air, and sea patrols, as well as education and awareness activities.
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