Two Vancouver men caught crabbing illegally in Cates Park are facing serious charges and are potentially on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars in fines.
Not having a crab fishing licence was the least of their crimes when they were approached on the Cates Park dock Jan. 11 around 9 p.m. by North Vancouver RCMP officers on routine patrol.
Recreational crabbing is off limits one hour after sunset and before sunrise in the area.
Police observed one of the men using three crab traps, which is one trap over the legal limit. Both men, meanwhile, were in the possession of 27 undersized Dungeness crabs, 21 of which were female, also in violation of crab licence conditions.
“They didn’t even have a measuring device ... which is irresponsible fishing,” said North Vancouver RCMP spokesman Cpl. Richard De Jong.
Police discovered some of the crabs in a plastic garbage bag hidden in a spare tire of a vehicle belonging to one of the men.
The accused, Sivakumaran Sellathurai, 37, and Sirpavan Kandasamy, 38, made an initial appearance in North Vancouver provincial court Wednesday. They are facing four counts each for violation of federal and provincial fishing regulations.
The charge of possession of female crabs alone carries a potential fine of $500 per crab.
“These are very, very heavy fines,” said De Jong. “These individuals violated every (crab fishing) offence that we can think of.”
Police officers routinely patrol the North Vancouver shoreline, and under the federal Fisheries Act can issue violation tickets.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada did not respond to The News’ interview request by press time. Information on the federal department’s website points to regulations around Dungeness crab fishing designed to protect the male species until they become sexually mature, giving them the chance to spawn at least once before they are harvested.
Four crabs is the recreational daily limit for catching Dungeness or Red Rock varieties in Cates Park, a popular spot, or anywhere on the South Coast.
Dungeness crabs must measure at least 165 millimetres in width or be thrown back in the water; 115 millimetres is the legal size for Red Rock crabs. A valid licence is always required when harvesting shellfish in B.C.
Sellathurai and Kandasamy are due back in court on April 29.
