Notorious Gabriola Island fisheries violator jailed following late night boat chase

Steer also breached two court orders by being on a fishing vessel and in possession of associated gear.

Justice Edelmann wrote Steer showed “remarkable disregard” for the safety of officers and other boaters.

“Mr. Steer led fisheries officers on a high-speed chase through a busy commercial port in the middle of the night with no navigational lights. He engaged in various evasive maneuvers, including hairpin turns and near collisions. He put the safety of the officers and other users of the harbour at risk.”

The Judge found there were no buoys on the gear which dragged on the harbour floor with a grappling hook.

The Crown lobbied for a two-year jail sentence, the longest amount permitted. Steer’s lawyer countered with a 12-month non-custodial sentence.

With credit for time served Steer is serving nearly five months as of the Nov. 12 judgment.

Steer was also issued a maximum of three years probation.

The post-release portion of his sentence begins with one year of house arrest to apply between the hours of 10 p.m and 6 a.m daily.

He was also handed a lifetime fishing ban, after previously ignoring multiple lengthy fishing prohibitions.

The vessel and fishing gear associated with the March 2, 2020 incident were also forfeited.

Repeat offender/more legal trouble

Steer has a long list of convictions for a range of fisheries violations and court-ordered breaches spanning back more than 13 years.

In 2008 Steer was fined for fishing out of season.

His criminal career took off drastically in 2013 when Steer was convicted of eight fisheries violations, jailed for six months and ordered to pay $15,000 for defrauding a crew member of wages.

Steer was convicted of numerous fishing offences in 2016, resulting in four separate jail tenures of between 21 and 80 days behind bars.

During a 2016 sentencing hearing for violating previous court orders, Supreme Court Justice Neena Sharma scolded Steer for his continued defiance of fishing laws.

“I want you to think about what it will do to you and your family. You are 38. You do not want to find yourself in your 40’s and 50’s going in and out of jail. What will your kids do? What will your spouse do? What will you do when you get out?” Justice Sharma said.

In 2017 Steer was convicted of illegally fishing for crab in Burrard Inlet and jailed for four months.

As Steer continues serving his current jail sentence he’s dealing with two sets of charges laid earlier this year totalling a dozen offences related to alleged fisheries violations in 2019 and 2020.

A charge of buying, selling or possessing illegally caught fish applies against a numbered company directed by Steer’s wife, Melissa Steer.

On top of new criminal charges, Scott Steer is named in ongoing substantial civil litigation under the province’s forfeiture act.

The province is seeking Steer’s Gabriola Island home and more than $1.3 million in cash from various bank accounts. The province claims Steer laundered profits from illegal fishing through the purchase and payments of the home.

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On Twitter: @reporterholmes

by Ian Holmes

Notorious Gabriola Island fisheries violator jailed following late night boat chase

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