By Neil Cameron
Special to the Mirror
Three Washington state men face a list of fisheries charges according to documents filed in Gold River provincial court Thursday, Nov. 21.
The 11 counts under the federal Fisheries Act came from one Fisheries and Oceans Canada vessel check Sept.11 and was first reported in the Campbell River Mirror Sept. 12. Gold River RCMP also assisted.
Geoffrey Aaron Hoover, Johnathan Nollan Magee and Bradley Stephen Wolgamott were charged first with possessing fish filets that “were dealt with in such a manner” that fishery officers were unable to identify the species.
Then the three were charged with possession of lingcod that were “dealt with in such a manner that the size of the fish could not be readily determined.”
The third count involved possession of fish caught in contravention of the Fisheries Act.
On the fourth count, the trio was charged with possessing more than twice the daily quota for Chinook.
On the fifth count, Wolgamott was charged with producing a tidal water sports fishing licence to fisheries officers bearing the name of Chosen Wolgamott that contained other false and misleading information.
Wolgamott, on the sixth count, was charged with giving fisheries officers two copies of a 2019-2020 tidal water sports fishing licence that contained false or misleading information.
Count seven listed Wolgamott as catching and retaining in a day, more than two Chinook salmon, contrary to section 44 of the British Columbia Sports Fishing Regulations (BCSFR).
In count eight, Wolgamott was charged with retaining more than 10 chinook in a year, contrary to section 47 of the BCSFR.
Hoover, in count nine, was charged with fishing without a licence.
In count 10, Hoover was charged with catching and “retaining salmon without a valid conservations stamp.”
In count 11, Magee was charged with not recording his catch in ink on his fishing licence.
The charges were sworn in by Fishery Officer Greg Askey in front of Justice of the Peace D. Smith. The 30-foot Cutwater style boat, gear and fish were seized at the time.
The trio is scheduled to make an appearance in Gold River Provincial Court on Jan. 24, 2020.
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