Man fined for illegal oyster fishing
George Roy Enman Murray was harvesting in a contaminated area
A P.E.I. man who said he hoped to sell oysters he collected in an area that was closed because of contamination was recently fined $1,000.
George Roy Enman Murray, 54, appeared before Judge Nancy Orr in provincial court in Charlottetown where he pleaded guilty to fishing oysters in an area that was closed.
Crown attorney Matthew Bradley told the court that on Oct. 21, a conservation officer responded to a complaint about someone collecting oysters near Stratford.
That area was closed to shellfish harvesting at the time.
Bradley said the conservation officer saw a man walking on the shore with oysters in his hand.
The officer talked to Murray and showed him the sign notifying people that the area was closed to harvesting.
There was also a reusable grocery bag full of oysters nearby, which Bradley said Murray denied knowing anything about.
The court heard Murray later admitted he picked the oysters that were in the bag and said he was going to sell them if he found a buyer.
Bradley said there were 290 oysters, and all were eventually returned to the water.
Murray had a prior conviction in 2000 for fishing in a contaminated area.
Before hearing his sentence, Murray addressed the court, saying he lived in the area and didn’t realize it was closed.
Murray said he didn’t see the sign.
In sentencing Murray, Orr told him she didn’t think she needed to say much about why people can’t fish in a contaminated area.