Illegal fishing and snowmobiling in protected areas of northern B.C. have kept B.C. Conservation Officers busy lately.
BC Conservation Officer Service along with BC RCMP patrolled a caribou area close to Prince George in the Omineca region on Feb. 21, and found a group of people snowmobiling, despite the area being closed to the public, according to a statement posted to social media.
Conservation officers said that thirteen caribou were spotted nearby.
READ MORE: B.C., Ottawa sign sweeping 30-year deal for northern caribou habitat
“Closures are in place to support the recovery of caribou populations. Patrols continue,” the authority said in a tweet.
In another incident, on Feb. 23, officers went on a joint patrol with BC Parks staff to Carp Lake, north of Prince George, and seized 17 set lines and ‘several bags of rainbow trout and burbot” from an individual, the agency stated in a tweet.
BC Conservation said that it will be suggesting charges to Crown counsel.
Caribou conservation has been a contentious issue this past year. Public engagement sessions were held in northern B.C. last April to address the issue of a declining caribou herd.
READ MORE: Forest industry protests northern B.C. caribou protection deal
READ MORE:Public engagement session held in Vanderhoof to address the caribou recovery program
Aman Parhar
Editor, Vanderhoof Omineca Express
aman.parhar@ominecaexpress.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
