Scott Steer has a 'prolific' history of violating fishing laws in B.C.
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New federal fisheries charges have been laid against an already banned B.C. commercial fisherman who will be sentenced this October on other fisheries charges.
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Scott Stanley Matthew Steer has earlier been jailed and fined and has a 22-year prohibition from fishing in Canadian or U.S. waters.
Steer faces eight new charges in Nanaimo that were laid against him and a numbered company owned by a family member for illegal fishing activities involving the harvest of sea cucumbers between July 2019 and March 2020, according to a statement by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans this week. The charges were laid in May, according to the DFO.
Three additional charges were sworn against Steer on July 6, 2021, in provincial court in Nanaimo for which there is no additional information.
Steer was also rearrested and appeared in court June 1, 2021, for a bail hearing for breaching his court-ordered conditions, said the DFO.
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Steer is under 24-hour house arrest and is to be sentenced in October, in provincial court in Vancouver, after convictions for five counts on May 14, 2021, related to illegal crab fishing.
According to the DFO, on March 1, 2020, just before midnight, a Vancouver SeaBus advised the Marine Traffic Centre of a vessel fishing crabs in the harbour at night.
The coast guard was advised and fishery officers from marine patrol program enforcement vessel the M. Charles investigated and discovered Steer illegally fishing for crab, the DFO alleged. After ignoring commands to stop, the vessel was boarded at high speed and Steer and three crew members were arrested and held in custody by the North Vancouver RCMP.
The fishing vessel, plus a truck and trailer were seized, and 300 live crab found on board were released into the water.
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Two of the three crew members arrested on March 2, 2020, are awaiting trial.
“Harvesters who choose to ignore the rules give themselves an unfair advantage, undermine the effective management of the fishery, and threaten the sustainability of the resource,” the DFO said in a statement.
Steer is also the subject of a forfeiture lawsuit by the province of $1.3 million in cash and a Gabriola Island property, valued at $622,000.
According to the forfeiture claim filed on June 28 by the province in B.C. Supreme Court, Steer has a “prolific” history of illegal fishing violations on the B.C. coast dating back to 2010.
Banned commercial fisherman faces sentencing plus more charges of illegal fishing: DFO - Vancouver Sun
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