Over $500,000 in fines and remediation efforts conclude a six-year investigation into massive habitat destruction along the Chilcotin and Kleena Kleene rivers

QUESNEL, BC, 27 June 2024 /CNW/ – A comprehensive, six-year study into habitat destruction along the Chilcotin and Kleena Kleene rivers has been completed with a total of 545,000 US dollars in fines, following three court cases. The investigation was conducted by fisheries officers from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in Williams Lake And Prince George, British Columbia (BC) in collaboration with provincial natural resource officials and biologists.

The greatest habitat destruction caused in these cases resulted from the removal of riparian habitat vegetation, filling of side channels, blocking of fish migration, river diversion, unauthorised river alterations and unauthorised work on Crown land. The purpose of the work was to increase the area available for agricultural purposes. There was no Fisheries Act or provincial approval for any of this work.

The first trial in this case ended in October 2022 following an admission of guilt by Altherr & Schellenberg Cattle Co. LTD, when the company was ordered to pay a fine of 280,000 US dollars for serious violations of Canada’s Fisheries Act Habitat regulations.

The second trial ended on February 28, 2023after Altherr & Schellenberg Cattle Co. LTD pleaded guilty. The company was fined 175,000 US dollars for serious violations of Canada’s Fisheries Act, BCs Water Sustainability Act, and the BC Law on forest and pasture use.

The third trial ended on May 28, 2024after contractor Bayliff Enterprises, Ltd., which was hired by Altherr & Schellenberg Cattle Co. LTD to carry out clearing operations along the Kleena Kleene River, pleaded guilty.

Bayliff Enterprises Ltd. was fined 90,000 US dollars for serious violations of Canada’s Fisheries Act and BCs Law on forest and pasture use. 45,000 US dollars The fine was imposed by Judge Mulder of the Quesnel Provincial Court to deter businesses and individuals from making money through unauthorized activities.

In total 545,000 US dollars in fines were imposed on the company and the contractor involved in these violations. 440,000 US dollars The funds were ordered to be held in trust with the Environmental Damages Fund (EDF) to conserve and protect salmon, salmon habitat or salmon habitat in the Chilcotin region of BC. The remainder of the fines went to the General Revenue. The court also ordered the company to pay a total of 1,250,000 USD commits to remediate the affected sites along the Chilcotin and Kleena Kleene Rivers within two years and to produce four reports comprehensively documenting the work undertaken and the survival rates of plantations on the riparian areas adjacent to the rivers over the next decade.

The DFO is tasked with protecting and conserving marine resources and Fisheries ActAs part of the DFO’s work to prevent and deter illegal activities, the Department is asking the public for information about such activities or any violations of the Fisheries Act and regulations. Anyone with information can call DFO Pacific’s toll-free violation reporting line at 1-800-465-4336 or email details to [email protected].

Quick Facts:

The company’s fish and fish habitat violations occurred between 2017 and 2020 on two private ranch properties along the Chilcotin and Kleena Kleene Rivers, near Redstone and Kleena Kleene, BC, and on Crown land.
The Chilcotin River system supports important salmon populations including coho salmon, chinook salmon and sockeye salmon. Within these populations there are COSEWIC listed salmon populations: Interior Fraser coho salmon population (endangered), Middle Fraser Stream chinook salmon population (endangered) and Chinook salmon (endangered).
The habitat destruction described in these cases includes deforestation in the riparian areas and tributaries of the Chilcotin and Kleena Kleene Rivers, removal of topsoil and filling of tributaries of the river, construction of bunds, diversion of water and alteration of flow conditions/direction at the Chilcotin site. The work was carried out without a permit and had no Fisheries Act Permissions.
Fisheries officials work closely with biologists from DFO’s Federal Fisheries Habitat Protection Program to ensure that all work conducted near water complies with the fish and fish habitat protection provisions of the Fisheries Act.
It is a legal requirement that all work, projects and activities must take measures to prevent fish deaths and harmful changes, disturbances or destruction of fish habitats.
Failure to comply with the provisions for the protection of fish and fish habitats can have serious consequences – Policy Statement on the Protection of Fish and Fish Habitats, August 2019 (dfo-mpo.gc.ca).