A Prince Rupert man convicted of illegally possessing 10 endangered northern abalone has been fined $7,500.
The Metlakatla Fishery Guardians alerted Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) on Sept. 8, 2025, that they suspected harvesters fishing in waters around Metlakatla, about five kilometres north of Prince Rupert, may have caught the protected marine species.
The report enabled DFO fishery officers to locate Caylin James Holland, who was found in possession of 10 northern abalone, according to a DFO news release issued Oct. 26.
Holland was convicted in Prince Rupert Provincial Court on Aug. 5, 2026, and fined $7,500.
The seized abalone were later returned alive to suitable habitat to maximize their chances of survival.
“Collaboration between Indigenous Fishery Guardians and federal fishery officers plays an important role in protecting vulnerable marine species, particularly in remote coastal areas,” said DFO.
The investigation highlights the role Indigenous guardians can play in monitoring local waters and supporting conservation efforts alongside federal enforcement agencies.
Northern abalone are listed as endangered under Canada’s Species at Risk Act. Their populations along British Columbia’s coast declined sharply due to over-harvesting prior to 1990, prompting a complete fishery closure in 1990.
“Illegal harvesting and possession continue to pose major threats to the species’ recovery,” DFO said.
The slow-moving mollusks are particularly vulnerable because people can collect them by hand from rocky shorelines exposed at low tide.
DFO encourages anyone with information about suspected fisheries violations to contact its Pacific Region reporting line at 1-800-465-4336 or email DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.