The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has charged eight people and five companies in relation to illegal halibut fishing.
Of the 66 charges filed 41 were issued on December 13 through the Halifax Provincial Court for offenses under the Fisheries Act and the Atlantic Fishery Regulations, 1985. An additional 15 charges were laid on December 9.
The specific charges have not yet been released but the DFO has confirmed they have seized 17 undersized halibut in relation to the investigation.
The five companies charged include Sambro-based A.L.S. Fisheries, Law Fisheries, Starfish Fisheries, Bedford-based XLZ Holdings and Starfish Licences.
They also seized a 50-foot longline fishing boat and related fishing gear, two vehicles, a 28-foot enclosed trailer, a compact track loader, and $36,000 in cash.
Halibut is big business in Nova Scotia, with the groundfish being one of the most valuable in the world. The latest figures from 2019 indicate Nova Scotian landed Halibut accounts for 54 percent of all groundfish sales in the entire maritime region.
