Three men were fined a total of $11,600 for illegally harvesting sea cucumbers at Willow Point Beach in Campbell River.
The men were approached by conservation and fisheries officers who were conducting inspections of fishers at the beach on May 28, 2025.
According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), when the officers identified themselves, the men immediately began emptying items from a bucket they were holding back into the water.
“The officers ordered the group to cease what they were doing so that they could inspect the fishers’ licences and catch,” DFO said. “They discovered 43 giant red sea cucumbers and orange sea cucumbers, which is over the daily possession limit of 12 sea cucumbers per person.”
DFO said daily catch and possession limits are in place to ensure a sustainable harvest and to support First Nations communities that rely on sea cucumbers for food, social and ceremonial purposes.
DFO noted that when individuals exceed harvest limits, they put this sensitive stock at risk.
The three men were convicted between Nov. 24, 2025, and Jan. 29, 2026. Fines of $6,000, $2,600 and $3,000 were issued following three separate trials.
All the live sea cucumbers were returned to the ocean.
