July 9, 1993

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CAR CARE

Experts share tips

on how vehicles can
run better in summer.

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104 pages Oftice, Editorial 985-2131

News photo by Torry "Petors

Street beat

NORTH VANCOUVER RCMP officers Mark Sylvestre (left) and Wayne Knap-
man, and two auxiliary officers, have been assigned to the new bike squad.
The team wili patro! streets on 21-speed mountain bikes that are equipped
with sirens and high-beam lights. See story page three.

PSR aL EISNER SNE A A TE

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Judge hands out stiff sentence
for shellfish fishery violations

THE FEDERAL  Depart-
ment of Fisheries and
Oceans (DFO) is applauding
a stiff 30-day jail sentence
handed to a fisherman who
violated crab harvesting
rules in waters near Cates
Park in North Vancouver.

By Chris Wong
Contributing Writer

Scotty Roxburgh, a DFO fish-
ery officer, said he is not aware of
past court decisions on crab fish-
ing violations that have been this

severe. ‘I think it’s a marvellous

decision,”’ he said.

Jay Straith, the federal Crown
counsel prosecuting the case, said
Cong Ty Hoang, 38, of Van-
couver, was sentenced for vio-
lations stemming from three Cates
Park incidents.

Straith said the violations in-
cluded two counts of possession
of undersized crabs, one count of
having crabs over the limit, and
one count of obstructing a DFO
officer.

Hoang was sentenced Tuesday
in North Vancouver provincial
court.

The man’s van, worth $2,000,
was also forfeited to the Crown,
Straith said.

“You can see that the courts
are becoming more and more
concerned about the abuse of the
crab fishery,’’ Straith said.
“Hopefully the word will get out
that this is not condoned by the
courts.””

In the past, the courts have typ-
ically imposed fines on crab fish-
ing violators rather than jail
sentences, Straith said. ‘Those
days are disappearing,’ he said,

DFO regulations stipulate that
recreational fishermen can catch
and keep a maximum of four
crabs a day.

To keep what is caught, the
minimum tegal width of a
Dungeness crab must be 6.5 inches
(165 mm). A Red Rock crab must
be at least 4.5 inches wide (115
mm).

is

Minimum legal size limits
for Dungeness and rock crabs

NEWS graphic Joan Pedersen

Despite the regulations, which
are detailed in a DFO Crab Guide
published in English, Chinese and
Vietnamese, harvesting of under-
sized crabs continues to occur,
said Frances Dickson,  shelifish
coordinator for the DFO’s pacific
region.

“We're having a really difficult
time with some recreational fish-
ermen taking undersized crabs,’’
she said. “If that continues, we
will have a problem with the crab
stock.’’

Dickson said she hopes the sit-
uation will improve when regula-
tions are amended to make it
mandatory for recreational fish-
ermen to obtain a tidal water
sport fishing licence.

Alan Campbell, president of the
North Shore Fish and Game Club

See Commercial page $

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