B.C. recreational prawn fishers fined $7,400 for traps in Howe Sound sponge reef closure

Two British Columbia recreational harvesters were fined a combined $7,400 for fishing prawn traps inside a closed glass sponge reef area near Passage Island in Howe Sound. Fisheries and Oceans Canada said Nov. 2, 2026, that Xiu Qiang Song was convicted Sept. 14, 2026, in North Vancouver Provincial Court and fined $5,000 for fishing during a closed time. Martin Madden was earlier convicted June 4, 2026, of the same British Columbia Sport Fishing Regulations offence and fined $2,400.

Fishery officers found the traps during a Dec. 11, 2025, patrol in the Queen Charlotte Channel 1 Glass Sponge Reef closure. DFO reminded recreational fishers that those closures protect fragile, slow-growing reefs — some thought to be thousands of years old — that can sit as shallow as about 22 metres in Howe Sound. Glass sponges grow only 1–2 centimetres a year and break easily under gear and sediment.

Anyone with tips on Pacific Region fisheries violations can call DFO's toll-free line at 1-800-465-4336 or email DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Fisheries and Oceans Canada — Recreational harvesters fined for illegal prawn fishing near Passage Island (Nov. 2, 2026).