Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is asking residents near salmon-bearing creeks to be on the lookout for poachers during spawning season, after three men were spotted taking fish from a stream in Coquitlam, B.C.
The incident happened in late October. Three men used nets, which is almost always illegal, to fill a red cooler full of salmon, which is always illegal in Hoy Creek, a waterway that has undergone significant restoration in recent years, and now sees regular coho and chum returns.
“This isn’t their first time they’ve been there, and likely not the last, in the sense that if they’re not going to get caught, they’re probably going to do this in the course of all salmon returns,” said Tyler Storgaard, hatchery manager with Hoy-Scott Watershed Society.
Storgaard said his group has found evidence of other poaching along the creek, including discarded fishing gear.
Art Demsky, a fisheries officer and commander of the DFO’s Fraser Valley West detachment, said two officers investigated the report of poaching at Hoy — and they’ve gone back since to patrol — but didn’t find the suspects.
According to Demsky, there have been about 1,500 salmon-related violations this year in the Lower Fraser region, including plenty of incidents in the tributaries, like Hoy Creek.
He said tickets can start at $575 and courts can order fines as high as $100,000 in some cases.
“Sooner or later we do catch these people. They may get away one time, but they’re going to do it again because they got away with it and chances are we’ll get them,” he said.
But Demsky is honest about the chances of catching poachers without the help of vigilant people who report violations.
“The only way for us to catch them is if we stumble upon them,” he said.
Demsky calls neighbours near salmon-bearing creeks “the eyes and ears,” and people should report incidents to the DFO’s ‘observe record report,’ or ORR line.
He said if possible, avoid confronting suspected poachers, but take photos and video, including license plates.
Demsky said it’s important to maintain the fish stocks in the rehabilitated creeks like Hoy.
“It’s a lot of hard work that are put into these streams by these people, and for the most part a lot of them are volunteers, and they’re the one’s ensuring that there’s fish to come back and spawn year after year.”
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