Fisheries and Oceans Canada is reminding shellfish harvesters to check closure status before every harvest after a group was fined a total of $19,000 for illegal fishing activities. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada (Mandatory Credit)
Five people fined for illegal shellfish harvesting on Vancouver Island
Sep 21, 2026 | 4:21 PM
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CAMPBELL RIVER — Five people have been fined a combined $19,000 after harvesting shellfish from a contaminated area on Vancouver Island.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada says officers were patrolling in late June when they came across people harvesting shellfish from an area in Campbell River, B.C., that was closed under the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program.
The department says shellfish harvested from closed areas can contain contaminants, bacteria, viruses or biotoxins that aren’t visible and can cause illness or death.
It says harvesting from those areas also puts the public at risk, threatens sustainable fisheries and disadvantages harvesters who comply with the law.
