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Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) says it has fined three recreational fishers on northern Vancouver Island a combined total of $11,600 for illegally harvesting dozens of sea cucumbers last spring.
In a written statement, DFO said its officers were inspecting recreational fishers at Willow Point beach in Campbell River, B.C., on May 28, 2025, when the men were spotted.
The department says the fishers tried to dump a bucket they were holding into the water, but the officers ordered them to stop.
The officers discovered 43 giant red sea cucumbers and orange sea cucumbers. The daily limit is 12 per person.
One of the fishers told the officers he had more sea cucumbers in his vehicle, DFO said, where the officers discovered “an undetermined amount” of sea cucumbers and sea urchins.
“The recreational fishery for giant red sea cucumber is small but carefully managed to protect this slow‑moving species,” DFO said.
“Daily catch and possession limits are in place to ensure sustainable harvest opportunities, safeguard long‑term stock health, and support First Nations communities that rely on sea cucumbers for food, social and ceremonial purposes.”
Exceeding catch limits can put the sensitive species at risk, DFO said in its statement, adding that recreational overharvesting of species like marine sea cucumbers is unusual in B.C.
A prized ingredient
According to the Pacific Sea Cucumber Harvesters Association, the long, squishy sea creatures are prized in many Asian cuisines as a “featured ingredient in traditional dishes and festival meals.”
A Fisheries and Oceans Canada report from 2023 says sea cucumbers “are important to coastal First Nations who harvest them for food, social and ceremonial purposes since time immemorial.”
The DFO statement about the illegal harvesting last spring says three separate judgements were issued in Campbell River Provincial Court between November 2025 and January 2026.
The men were fined $6,000, $2,600 and $3,000 each, for a total of $11,600.