A Provincial Court judge in Sechelt has fined a property owner $70,000 for damage done to salmon habitat in 2021.
In a news release following the judge’s decision, the DFO says George Winkler pleaded guilty in October 2023 to violating the fish and fish habitat protection provisions of the Fisheries Act by doing work that resulted in the death of fish and the destruction of fish habitat.
On November 22, 2021, Fisheries and Oceans Canada was informed that an excavator was being used in Stephens Creek on a property at Lower Road in Roberts Creek, Sechelt, dredging the stream bed and using the material to build up the banks on either side.
On November 26th, DFO fishery officers and biologists inspected Stephens Creek, collecting salmon eggs from the dredged material.
The dead eggs were confirmed to be pink or chum salmon.
The DFO says the unauthorized dredging also resulted in the alteration, disruption and destruction of 38.7 square metres of aquatic habitat.
An environmental impact statement submitted to the Provincial Court says Winkler’s actions could have eliminated the 2021 salmon run from Stephens Creek and may affect salmon production for years to come.
