B.C. seeks $6 million in properties allegedly tied to illegal crab-sales scheme
B.C. director of civil forfeiture alleges money from crab sales was laundered through commercial property in Richmond and a Vancouver house.
Crab Fishing and Organized Crime
- Thread starter Rockfish
- Start date
trophywife
Crew Member
the real poachers go unscathed.
ryanonthevedder
Active Member
FN sub contracts their harvest to a third party and gets a skim on the sale.
Just like Jimmy Pattison...
Charges can't/won't stick to a FN license but you can penalize those doing business with them.
Just like Jimmy Pattison...
Charges can't/won't stick to a FN license but you can penalize those doing business with them.
Capt_Ed
Crew Member
Unfortunately it won't help because there always another one down the road
Leasing commercial licences and quota is a normal part of every commercial fishery on the coast, including the crab fishery. That's how CFEs and commercial fishing companies work.
Sometimes, the leasee has undisclosed & hidden ties - and the buyers mentioned in this article (thanks Rockfish for posting) were some of the "cultural backgrounds" I obliquely referenced at:
and purposely didn't reference at:
I can also confirm that numerous FNs were taken in and lied to when they leased their licences to the point people SS had secretly organized for his backers mentioned in this article. SS is well known as a poacher - but he hides his association by using other people to lease licences and front companies to launder money. Many FNs also never received full compensation after unknowingly leasing licences out to the SS organized crime bunch, and are out many thousands of $.
If you have no understanding of how commercial fisheries work - that's fine. But FN CFEs and non-aboriginal commercial fishing companies are under the same vulnerability to being taken advantage by organized crime and both suffer financially because of it.
You did read that: "The Million Ocean owners created false paperwork in an attempt to disguise the illegal purchase and sale of the crab meant for the First Nation food fishery".
So, either the owners laundered the crab that was supposed to go to FN members that was a deliverable for the crab lease; or the owners pretended to DFO they were designated by a FN to catch FSC crab for a FN delivery and the FN knew nothing about it since if they had - the crab boat would have had bone-fide LEGAL paperwork (which happens all the time through a designation letter).
In other words - the membership of that FN did NOT get an expected food distribution as per the lease agreement because the company owners SOLD IT; or they misrepresented that FN legal authority as fraud w/o their knowledge.
Sometimes, the leasee has undisclosed & hidden ties - and the buyers mentioned in this article (thanks Rockfish for posting) were some of the "cultural backgrounds" I obliquely referenced at:
FN signs MPA.
https://www.cheknews.ca/tsawout-first-nation-signs-declaration-of-marine-protected-area-1157372/
sportfishingbc.com
and purposely didn't reference at:
Ghost traps again!
https://www.richmond-news.com/local-news/sea-island-coast-guard-joins-fishery-officers-to-seize-illegal-crab-traps-6478690 Seems they do this every year and the numbers are always about the same!
sportfishingbc.com
I can also confirm that numerous FNs were taken in and lied to when they leased their licences to the point people SS had secretly organized for his backers mentioned in this article. SS is well known as a poacher - but he hides his association by using other people to lease licences and front companies to launder money. Many FNs also never received full compensation after unknowingly leasing licences out to the SS organized crime bunch, and are out many thousands of $.
If you have no understanding of how commercial fisheries work - that's fine. But FN CFEs and non-aboriginal commercial fishing companies are under the same vulnerability to being taken advantage by organized crime and both suffer financially because of it.
You did read that: "The Million Ocean owners created false paperwork in an attempt to disguise the illegal purchase and sale of the crab meant for the First Nation food fishery".
So, either the owners laundered the crab that was supposed to go to FN members that was a deliverable for the crab lease; or the owners pretended to DFO they were designated by a FN to catch FSC crab for a FN delivery and the FN knew nothing about it since if they had - the crab boat would have had bone-fide LEGAL paperwork (which happens all the time through a designation letter).
In other words - the membership of that FN did NOT get an expected food distribution as per the lease agreement because the company owners SOLD IT; or they misrepresented that FN legal authority as fraud w/o their knowledge.
Last edited:
SpringFever2359
Well-Known Member
Quote from op
"Crab caught under these licences cannot be sold. Chiong had obtained the crab from First Nation crabbers, according to the province’s claim"
end quote..
To me that sounds like fn caught and sold their "food crab" to middleman Chiong?
ship happens
Crew Member
From what I understand it's legal for FN to do so. It was written in the treaty that they are able to sell their food in pursuit of modern living.
"These rights were clarified by the 1999 Marshall decision. Fishing in pursuit of a moderate livelihood allows catches to be sold for a reasonable profit to support community members."
Spring Time in Vienna
Active Member
Bravo to the CO's for finding a creative way to hold someone accountable. They are actively told by their superiors and politicians that FN is off limits, not to mention the parade of court cases that increase the commercial rights of FN fisheries. So this way they cut off some of the distribution of illegal fisheries and no one can cry fowl and courts ring the middle men up. Hopefully they can duplicate this method across other species.
Richmond seafood company fined $40,000 for catching small crabs
This is the second fine for Tenshi Seafood in three years.
www.richmond-news.com
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