Vancouver, B.C, - On May 24, 2024, the Honourable Judge Roy Dickey fined Brent Belveal, owner and operator of the commercial Halibut fishing vessel Gypsy Soul, a total of $33,596 for offences under Canada's Fisheries Act. Mr. Belveal pleaded guilty to fishing inside of the Hecate Strait Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reef Marine Protected Area (MPA) near Bella Bella, B.C., and for selling his illegal catch.
An impact statement submitted to the Provincial Court by a Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) subject matter expert outlined the unique nature of the sponge reefs and the potential harms done by illegal fishing within the MPA. The glass sponge reefs are approximately 9,000 years old, and are considered to be the largest living example of glass sponge reefs that were abundant millions of years ago. The slow growth, fragility and highly sensitive nature and structure of these sponges make the reefs particularly vulnerable to damage and disturbance, since recovery may take tens to several hundreds of years. Harvesters who disregard fishery closures under the Fisheries Act and the Oceans Act MPA regulations pose a risk of causing new damage to the reefs, and undermine decades of work to provide protection to these globally unique ecosystems.
